The Forrest City times., 1890-02-01
AN INTELLIGENT CATFISH.
He Docs Many Wonderfully sagacious Acts and Finally Commits Suicide.

He Docs Many Wonderfully Sagaciou5
 Acts and Finally Commits Suicide.
 Years ago one of the best known and oldest fishermen along the Ohio river was old Uuclc Johnny Dougherty, says Harmon (Ohio) correspondent of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, and he was full of tales and "reminiscences of piscatorial life that were not only very singular, but often strangely wonder ful, and he had such an attractive way of relating his various exploits that few could withstand the temptation to listen to his stories.
 The writer of this once listened to one of his tales about remarkable catfish that was perfectly amazing. "Wcll, sir, you may not believe it," said the aged disciple of Izaak Walton, ''but a fish has heap of knowledge. I larned this from observation when 1 used to fish along the mouth of t,e Big Kanawha great many years ago. We ketched a powerful sight O cats in them air days, and many's the time I've anchored just in time to keep my john boat from sinkin' with the heft O the cargo. So one day l pulled up a mighty big catfish, an l never shall forget bout it, either. Jist as soon IS twas landed, instead O floppin aroun an knockin' about, it just lay on the ground straight and stfir. an never kicked single mite. But when l went to take it up it looked me straight in the eyes, so singular and appoalin'ly like fer it's life to be saved, that con sarn me if I wuzn't kinder thunder struck with sympathy for the cri,ier. and, after meditatin' fer mint or more, cudn't resist the temptation 10 kcerfully put 1t rite back inter the water.
 "Soon's that fish he'd got back into the river agin an gin to realize that it wuz all right an that I WIZ it's frieu' an he'd pretty good-sized heart in mo, 1t is tried all sorts of caperS 10 pay mo back fer sayin' on its life. 'Twud nip holt O my hook an take il long to where tother fish were playin' roun' an drop it rite among them on pur- pose to get 'em to take holt of if, an' many $ the time I've ketched other fish 1 list bv it's cunnin' strategies. But, stead of trappin' other catfish for mo. l though, 'twud always catch bass or pike, an you iist ought 10 hev seed tho great hauls of fish thet made count O that one catfish friend o' mine. ! caught dead loads nv 'em that season, 1 an tother fishermen eudn't ketch a ha.e, an they'd git awful jelus an de- clare I wuz usin' niterglycerin' or sum thin Q that sought to Kill off the fish 1 with, di' he'd made up their minds to hev me indited. But they cudn't du 1t. as they never cud git any evidence agin me, an l kept rite on ke,ehin' lots O fish an astonishin everybody roun' 1 thar.
 "Once wuz offered q pretty good sized sum 10 tell tho secret . my luck,
 but wndn't giy 1t away, fer 1 know 'd 'twud result in destroyin my catfish friend, an wndn'i hey gone back on
 him fer nuthin' in the world. Why
 mo an him wuz list as friendly an sociahle as two old chums, an' used to go 10 the river an feed him lois of
 nicknacks an bully things, an he'd cum up an take em rite out U my fingers ex nice like an ez clever ex cud be. Yes, me an that big cat he'd
 more picnics together: you jist ought to hev seed us. 'Twud done you a
 heap O good 10 loekt at our frolics. l When rd gii in my boat an' paddle
 roun' that air fish wud foller me au'
 keep rite at my side, awful pretty ike, Why I'd fit fer that air flshs life as quick as wud for any humans, an' list bleeve it know'd nj on bout as 1 much as a human too.'
 Then Uncle Johnny sighed and grew moro serious, and exclaimed |
 ..It saved me from drownin' wunst. Thar's no doubt about it. l WIZ oui on the river with my boat one day, an thar came up t'rrlblc gust oi wind all O suddiut, an about the
 first thing Iknow'dI wuz capsizcd, an wuz a-goin' under--a-slnkin'. Gouldn'l make bit O progress to get te the
 shore. Wall. sir, that air cat wuz a. spyin' rom an' happen'd to diskiveI
 the predieament I wuz in. an' he jisi
 kem right up under an swum with me on his back, till got 10 the shore, an got out safe, an then he went back an
 lowed my boat to land.
 "An' when hn see wux mity ni exhausted an awful hungry, he caught
 anuther pike for me an lowed 1t tc the shore with its fin, aII' l built fire
 an cook it, an sot rite down thar ou
 tho bank, an would you bleeye it thai
 air hig cat kept close 10 the side of the
 bank an helpt me eat up the pike ever so nice.'
 But what 'eame of ycar pet cat