Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-02-25
N 4 RESERTOR.

N 4 RESERTOIR.
Thirty wears ago, YOU might have
seen some Of the best society of New
York on the top Of the Distributing
Reservoir at 42d street, any fine Octo-
Der morning. There were two or three
carriages in waiting, and half dozen
senstorial-loo&iug mothers with young
children pacing the parapet, as we
ourselves, one day in the past genera
ton, basked there in the sunshine
now watching the pickerel that glided
along the lucid edges of the black pool
within, and now looking off upon the
scene Of rich and wonderous variety
that spreads along the two broad and
beautiful rivers on each side.
"They may talk of Alpheus and
Arethusa." murmured an ldling soph-
omore, who had found his way thither
during recitation hours, 'sbut the Gro
ton, in passing over an arm of the sea
al Spuyten-Duyvil, and bursting to
sight again in this truncated pyramid,
beats it all hollow. BY George, too,
the bay yonder looks as blue as ever
the Egean Sea to Byron's eve gazing
from the Acropolis! Did you see that
pike break, sir!"
Il did not"
"His silver fin flashed upon the black
Acheron, like a restless soul that hoped
yet to mount from the pool"
1.-The place seems suggestive of fan
cies to you?" we observed in reply to
the rattlepate
''It is, indeed; for have done up a
good deal of anxious thinking within
circle of few yards where that fish
broke just now. Shall tell you about
it?"
"Pray do"
"Well, you have seen the notice for
bidding any one TO fish in the Reser-
voir. Now, when l read that warning,
the spirit of the thing struck me at
once as inferring nothing more than
that one should not sully the temper
ance potations of our citizens by steep
ing bait in it of any kind; but you
probably know the common way of
taking pike with slip-noose of deli
cate wire. / was determined to have
a touch at the fellows with this tackle.
81 chose a moonlight night; and an
hour before the edifice was closed to
visitors l secreted myself within the
walls, determined to pas. the night on
the top. All went as could wish it.
The night proved cloudy, but it was
only variable drift of broken clouds
which obscured the moon. | had a
walking-cane rod with me which would
reach to the margin of the water, and
several feet beyond if necessary. To
this was attached the wire, about fif
teen inches in length.
81 prowled along the parapet for a
considerable time, bnt not single fish
could l see. The cloud. made flick
ering light and shade, that wholly foil
ed my steadfast gaze. Twas convinced
that should they come up thicker, my
whole nights adventure would be
thrown away. why should 1 not de-
scend the sloping wall and get nearer
on level with the fish, for thus alone
can l hope to see oneP The question
had hardly shaped itself in my mind
before 1 had one leg over the iron rail-
ing.
'If you look around you will see
now that there are some half-dozen
weeds growing here aud there amid
the 1issures of the solid masonry. In
one fissures from whence these spring,
planted a foot and began my descent.
The Reservoir was fuller than it Is now,
and few strides would have carried
me to the margin of the water. Hold
ing on to the cleft above, 1 felt round
with one foot for a place to plant il
below me.
''In that moment the flap of pound
pike made me look round, and the
root Of the weed upon which 1 partial
ly depended gave way as 1 was in the
act of turning. Sir, ones senses are
sharpened in deadly peril: as L live
now, distinctly heard the bells of
Trinity Ginning midnight, as 1 rose to
the surface the next instant, immersed
in the stone caldron, where 1 must
swim for my life, heaven only could
tell how longr'
81 am capital swimmer; and this
naturally gave me a degree of self-pos-
session. Falling as l had, of course
had pitched out some distance from
the sloping parapet. A few strokes
brought Inc to the edge. l really was
not yet certain but that could Chamber
up the face of the wall anywhere. /
hoped that | could.
81 tried the nearest spot. The in
clination of the wall was so vertical
that it did not even rest me to lean
against it, l felt with my hands and
with my feet. Surely, / thought,
there must be some fissure like thoss