Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-06-20
THE KING OF CARS.
A Fishing Experience Attended by
 Astonishing Results
old Crabtrce. After Many Futile Struggles. Catches the Monster Which Had Be- witched His Iines-An Alligator
 Gar Nine Feet Long.

0bH 1NAuO V C0s A-ouS'
 Old Crabtree, bronzed and weather beaten by the suns and storms of five decades, was puzzled, writes St. Louis Globe Democrat correspondent. In all as e trapper, pot-hunter and fisher, he had never before met with bird, beast, fish or reptile 50 cunning but which he could eventually circumvent and en- snare. Despite his nomadio life and aquatic adventures, he ev1nced . great dislike to water, and it was indeed sell dom that even a drop was applied either externally or internally to his corpo- rosity. For over week he had been endeavoring to catch a load of fish for . picnic, but his efforts were not success full. Every evening he would bait his hooks with shining minnows captured in neighboring bayou, and pugnacious crawflsh dragged from prairie pond and touched up with a compound of many drugs most captivating to tho hearts of the monstrous blue and yellow catfish that abound in the turgid waters of Red river. But at early dawn when he hastened to his lines he would find nothing but few small speckled channel cats and . greater or smaller number of broken hooks. Once he got @ fifty pounder, but it was SO mu7 tilAted by the sharp teeth of some large fish or suarian that 1t died immediately after being taken from the water, and SO was worthless. The old man was be- ginning to believe his lines were be- witched, and was thinking seriously of leaving the uncanny place, when he, confded his perplexities to an angler who had won his confidence by always, inviting him to partake in the contents of bottle whenever chance threw them together. The two soon evolved 0 scheme to capture the monster that had played such havoc on the fisherman's hooks and hopes alike.
 A large center draft hook was attached to one end of about thirty feet of two pound line, and this firmly secured to stout but elastic sapling. A small wire was then wound closely around the line from the eye of the hook up about ten inchcs-this to prevent the line from being bitten asunder. half-pound bar of lead was then hammered around the line about sixteen inches from the hook, and the trap was ready.
 After supper the twain wended their way to the river, baited the hook with a live two-pound carp, made their boat fast to Q snag in mid-stream, partook of little fluid refreshmcnt and prepared for action.
 They had not long to wait, for sudden ly the line was pulled down. as though by invisible hands, and the boat ca reened over, nearly upSetting the occu- pants. Crabtree uttered a sharpcry for aS- sistanoe and bent all his energy to hold ing the pole. Tho great fish made frant- tio efforts to escape, leaping clear out of tho water, and falling back with 0 splash like tree falling over a bluff. It tugged at the line with long, steady pull, straining it to its utmost tension. Aftor awhile the big fish changed its tactics and rushed at tho boat with open mouth, thiclsly set with long, cruel teeth, but was deftly steered aside Again 1t snapped its jaws in rage and re- newed its efforts to escape, churning the waters with it's long tail and fins.
 At last the monster grew weary, and, giving up the unequal struggle, yielded to the inevitable. It was carefully drawn alongside the boat, where it lay just beneath the surface of the water, its tail gently waving to and fro. Be fore 1t got rested rope with a running moose was slipped over its tail and up until it's gills were reached, where the rope was drawn taut, after which the anglers felt sure of their game. One held the line and rope, while the other slowly and laboriously pulled ashore. The monster was dragged up on the sand-bar and examined. It was found to be an alligator gar, feet 2 inches long, and weighing 162 pounds. It had four rows of long, sharp teeth, set in massive bony jaws. and was covered with a coat of mail hard enough to turn the edgo of good axe.