The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1894-08-09
FOUNDER STRIKING,
A SPORT OF THE NEGROES OF THE
SOUTHERN COAST.

It Puzzles White Man. but the Darby Can
Hit Founder With His Spear Where
You Would Sec Only EIud-The Expert
FisiermaA Never Misses His Fish.
Did you ever Strike" founder?
Probably not unless you have lived or
passed come tino ON the coast of the
southern states.
One lovely August evening, just be-
foro sunset, as stood on the back porch
of our summer home on the coast of
South Carolina, noticed that our boy
Bob, great big black cheerful looking
fellow about 10 years old, as lazy ras-
cal and az big thief as his whole race
conld produce, seemed to be very busy
over boat at the little wharf only q
short distance from the house, and as
I stood there watching him the mystery
was explained.
Noticing that I was watching him
with good deal Of interest, he came
up to the steps, and removing the tat
tered rim Of what was once felt hat
said:
''Boss man, TIE goin 'strikin' foun-
der tonight. Like to 60 long? It's easy
'nuff, he said. "Jest put on ole close
that don't matter bout victim, and I'll
call for you after supper"
After having finished supper and en-
joyed cigar and stroll on the beach,
watching the bathers in the surf and
spying d distant sail on the horizon,
proceeded to dress for the occasion. TAX
ing Bob's advice, selected an old pair
of baseball shoes; an ancient pair of
cadet trousers that had stood the test of
many d dress parade relic Of my
rat" year. cap Of the same descrip-
ton and flannel shirt and a heavy
coat, for it was cool ON the water after
sunset, even in midsummer, not forget
ting to take good supply Of tobacco
and pipe to keep off the gnats and
sand flies and plug of chewing tobac-
co for my companion. Negroes always
claim to be cut when white man is
around.
Joined Bob OF the back door, and we
made our way down to the landing.
Here we found large fat bottomed
Sow, on one side Of which was fixed an
old CRATE, in which fire was burning
fercely, while ut the other end was q
hugo pile of dry oak, with plenty Of fat
pine for kindling. Standing In the
boat was colorcd boy Of about the same
size and blackness Of my attendant,
whom Bob designated to me as my
mammy's sister Sally's boy Rufe."
Greeting the grinning Rufus. who re-
piled by scraping the bottom of the boat
with one foot, whilo he touched where
his hat would have been had he worn
any, for no such article encountered his
w0olly crown, we all made ourselves
comfortable, Bob standing at the bow,
Rufus at the stern, with pole, while I
was invited to take the middle seat near
the fire and requested to keep the boat
clear Of water, which as soon as we be-
gan our journey rushed through the
many crevices with astonishing rapid
ity:
The night was very dark, but lighted
by our fire we began to follow the shore,
and our fat bottom enabled us to keep
in very close. And now came to me
what was the strargest part Of tho pro-
ceeding: Bob, standing, as have said,
in the bow, armed with striking pole,
which is simply heavy rod about 8
feet long. with two pronged fork OF
one end, kept his eyes fixed on the wa
ter, which was brightly lit up for sew
eral feet in front of the boat, while he
held the pole raised in his right hand.
All at once, and without word, he
suddenly thrust the pole into the water
in front of him, and with chuckle Of
triumph dashed the pole into the bot
tom Of the boat, and struggling and
splashing around was dark fiat object
about foot long, with two great gap
ing wounds made by the prongs, Of. the
fork The founder was exactly the col.
or of the bottom Of the water and very
fiat, and how ON earth anybody, even q
hungry negro, could distinguish it with
the boat going at a pretty rapid rate
was sonething could not make out
and have never been able to fathom.
To be sure, the watef was quite shall
low, ranging in depth from I. to az
feet, and the light from the fire was
very bright, but when you take into
consideration the fact that tho soil was
almost black and very muddy and soft,
and that the fish almost bury them
selves therein, it will DO seen that it re-
quires no small amount Of skill and
quickness to detect the founder with
the boat being rapidly poled along.
And I never saw Bob miss. It would
be natural to suppose that the ''striker"
would occasionally mistake some object
for a founder in waters that teemed
with all kinds Of fish. or that sometimes
he would fail to secure the fish, even If
he struck correctly, for it is q known
fact that ''the biggest fish I ever caught
was the one that got away" but, no, I
never knew Bob or any Of the other
many negroes whom I afterward saw
out striking" to be guilty Of failure.
Sometimes the founder would be pierced
by only one prong instead Of two. and
sometimes the wound would be very
near the side Of tie fish, but secure him
they always did. ..,....
That night we were out about two
hours and secured eight of as fine fioun-
ders as ever saw, ranging in size from
10 to Is inches. three of which fur.
nished very fine breakfast dish the
next morning. Times.
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