Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-16
CAPTURE OF 4 STURGEON.
THE STONY CREEK REcLUsE TELLS A
BIG FISH STORY.
Desperate Methods Resorted to in the
Accomplishing of a Lau able OBJ
ject-Ra.son's Wisdom.

What's up now ~ replied Ratson.
Never mind what's up, Ratson, until
you've fetched those two long handled
pitchforks il the barn there. Meanwhile
I'll be getting some wire"
Ratson having brought the pitchforks,
explained to him that we were about to
have twenty years sport all in one after
noon; that there was an opportunity about
half mile up the creek, the like of which
would probably never present itself within
the next half century; that / had, in fact,
discovered mammoth sturgeon in deep
| pool at the point Indicated; and that it
now devolyed upon Us as free born Ameri-
| can citizens to put an end TO his career or
die in the tftort, Immediately.
Ratson agreeable we set out without
any further preparations, our impler. ents
OF war consisting of two pitchforks, q
vicious looking muzzle-losder, and forty
| feet OF small sized copper wire, with which
| purposed sharing the leviathan (having
heard that it was impossible to draw one
out with hook.)
After brisk go as GU please of about
four minutes, in which We pleased 10 go at
breakneck pace. We arrived at the pool
where the sturgeon had been left prisoner
by recent freshet, there being now shall
low rifle on either side Of it.
This pool, which averaged about ten feet
in depth, twenty feet in width and forty
feet in length, was perfectly clear, with
hard, clean, rocky bottom, 50 that the con-
ditions were extremely favorable TO our
making short work of the monster. which
the side near which we stood
Therefore | cautioned RatSoo not 10 rot
excited, asking him at the same time if he
had ever seen horned toad squirt blood
from both eyes at rattlesnake, and also
requested him to quiet his nerves by hum
ming his favorite song:
In Boston Bay the frigate Law.
Inc chesapeake they cGIed her. etc.
Which he did, while arranged run
ming loop at one end of the wire.
Now, Ratson," l said, when | had fin
ished the Job satisfactorily, las you are the
stronger man OF the two, want You TO lasso
that animal and hold on to him. II he
shows up near the surface or in shallow
water | will fire at him. See, here he lies
at the bottom near the bank. Amt he a
whale? Now lower your moose slowly
until 1t hangs about foot and a half in
front OF his nose, pass it back over bis
head, suddenly draw up the running loop
and ne is our fish without any further
ado
He is, is he?" said Ratson. ANY
danger OF the lsriat breaking?"
None whatever" [ responded. Wen
have tenderloin of sole with one egg for a
month"
But to tell the truth, was afraid that
the beast would "yank" me off the bank
into the water. Therefore ! wanted Rat
son to try his luck first.
1t seems that Rstson also scented a
rodent" for he wanted to know if | didn't
think it would be just as well 20 wade
right In and throw him cut bodily. Bat |
answered that it wouldn't do at all that
the water was altogether too deep; and
that, furthermore, preferred being swal-
lowed by an alligator anyway 10 taking
chances with mastodon like that.
Lower the RATA, Ratson; il that method
fails Wen FORK him TO death but prefer 10
secure him whole so that | can preserve
his skin and stuff it."
So Ralson got down on his knees, leaned
over the bank and slowly lowered the
moose until it hung directly in front of the
surgeons nose, distant about two feet,
whence he began gradually drawing it
backward toward the surgeons head
Up to this stage of the proceedings the
sturgeon had remained me;ionless: bnt. on
seeing the wire approach, he darted at it
IKE flash OF creased lightning. seized the
wre In his mouth and made eff with it.
jerking 1.atson, who had taken half hitch
with his right hand on the WIRE head fore
most into the water
Then for about ten seconds there was
panorama IN that pool which simply beg
CARS description. Around snd around .w
the sturgeon with Ratson following under
the water like a thing OF evil until the
wire became detached from the monsters
70, ha
well as the Surface, a madder but much
Weiter man, scrambled ont swearing like
trooper
You had narrow escape, Ratson,' 1
ventured
by -, 1 ought to know" bawled
Ratsoa.
That's fact, Ratson, but turn about is
Jar play; let me have the RATA now. OF
course, one has to avoid being upset, but
THIS one can do by bracing himself bsck-
yard just before Pulling I'D The loop"
In pursuance of which policy rear
ranged tbs lariat and let down the moose
both wafer and sturgeon having become
settled again-passed it successfully over
the beasts head, and suddenly rising to nv
| feet, ew up the running loop and braced
| myself we'll back ward Just as the sturgeon
! awoke tC q full realization of the situation
| IN which lie found himself, and started off
at the rare OF mile minute, causing the
wire 20 fairly squeal through my hands,
! unul il go; tangled about my legs, when
10Y feet were jerked from under me and
into the water, whittier very shortly fol-
lowed them.
In this unexpected descent, which was
even more ignominious than that of Rat
son. my head and shoulders struck the
bank with considerable force, and several
tons OF earth were precip;ta,ed from the
edge, which would have fallen directly
upon me had | remained long enough
underneath; but luckily was soon hauled
| out of danger. and the wire becoming dis
entangitd, | was soon free.
On reaching terra tirma I spewed up a
large quantity of water. got my bellows 10
working on wind again, and exclaimed:
"Ratson, this monkey performance will
| now close. We must both hold on to the
WIRE
Accordingly we waited until the water
had settled and successfully SHARED him g
third time This time We both lay back on
! the wire, while the 5 urgeon tuggei away
| at the water end with all his might until
| the wire broke and we both turned back
| 'omersaults, when l came TO the conclusion
| that we would have to resort TO the pitch
| forks.
Therefore we seized the pitchforks, and
Ratson taking the opposite side, piled them
upon the old foreigner" first with handles
| downward, endeavoring to stun him BY
striking him on the head, after wards with
| tines downward; but though we jabbed at
him for over an hour ne was apparently as
fresh at the end of that time az he was be-
| fore we commenced.
Wonder if it wouldn't be good plan.
Ratson, 10 poke that muzzle- loader down
into the water and blow his brains on; ?r /
remarked, somewhat discouraged.
| "Ahaw haw. hawi' laughed Ratson;
"whose brains do you refer to?"
| The surgeons brains, of course. 1t
wouldn't make any difference if all our brains
were blown cut. In fact, it might make
Us clearer minded. don't intend, how
ever to hold the gun myself. will make
il fast TO one end of that pitchfcrk, and pull
the trigger by means of a wire attached to
it."
"Ahaw! haw! haw! You will, will
you?'
We'll, l should-hand me that wire.
Ratson. Nothing like being an original
genius"
"Ahsw haw haw! / should say not;
| hil. wait until I oct behind .reo hafora