Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-10-21
IN a RESERVOIR.

Thirty years 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 a
dozen senatorial-looking mothers with
young children pacing the parapet, as
we ourselves, one day in the past gen
Grafton, 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 won
drous variety that spreads along the
two broad and beautiful rivers on each
side.
They may talk of Alpheus and Are
thusa," murmured an idling sopho-
more. who had found his way thither
during recitation hours, "but the Gro
ton, in passing over an arm Of the sea
at 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 eye gazing
from the Acropolis 4! Did you see that
pike break, sir?''
Il did not"
His silver fin flashed upon the
black Acheron Ikea restless soul that
hoped yet to mount from the pool"
THE place seems suggestive of fan
cies to you ~ we observed in reply to
the rattlepate.
1T is, indeed for l have done a
good deal of anxious thinking within
q circle of few yards where that fish
broke just now. Shall l tell you about
it ?"
Pray, do !"
well, you have seen the notice for
bidding any one to fish in the Reser-
voir Now, when | read that warn
ing, the spirit of the thing struck me
at once as inferring nothing more
than that one should not sully the
temperance potations of our citizens
by sleeping bait of any kind in it; but
you probably know the common way
of taking pike with a slip-noose Of
delicate wire. l was determined TO
have touch at the fellows with this
tackle.
Il chose moonlight night and an
hour before the edifice was closed to
visitors l secreted myself within the
walls, determined to pass the night on
the top. All went as l could wish it.
The night proved cloudy, but it was
only a variable drift of broken clouds
which obscured the moon. | had
walking-cane rod with me which
would reach to the margin Of the wa
ter, and several feet beyond If neces-
sary. To this was attached the wire,
about fifteen inches in length.
II prowled along the parapet for a
considerable time, but not a single
fish could | see. The clouds made a
Pickering light and shade that wholly
foiled my steadfast gaze. | was con-
vinced that should they come up
thicker, my whole nights adventure
would be thrown away. Why should
/ not descend the sloping wall and get
nearer on D level with the fish, for
thus alone can hope to see one ?
The question had hardly shaped It
self in my mind before l had one leg
over the iron railing.
If you look around you will see
now that there are some half-dozen
weeds growing here and there amid
the fissures of the solid masonry. In
one of the assures from whence these
spring, planted foot and began my
descent. The Reservoir was fuller
than it is now, and few strides would
have carried NE to the margin Of the
water. Holding on to the cleft above,
l felt round with one foot for a place
to plant it below me.
I'm that moment the flap OF pound
pike made me look round, and the
root of the weed upon which par
TALLY depended gave way as was in
the act of turning. Sir, ones senses
are sharpened in deadly peril as |
live now, distinctly heard the bells
Of Trinity Ginning midnight, as rose
to the surface the next instant, i'm
mersed in the stone caldron, where l
must swim for my life, heaven only
could tell how long
Il am capital swimmer, and this
naturally gave me a degree oil SELL
possession. Falling as had, L, OF
course, had pitched out some distance
from the sloping parapet. A few
strokes brought me to the edge. L
really was not yet certain but that L
could Chamber up the face OF the wall
anywhere. hoped that 1 could.
II tried the nearest spot. The in
clination of the wall was SO vertical