The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-15
SPRING AT CEDAR BEACH.

Here. with my Lord Coke, take a diver
sity. Permit for a season to leave my
mutton and discourse upon the attractions
of Lake Wawasee as a spring resort
Florida may do for midwinter, the sea-
shore for midsummer. but for midspring,
right in the middle of April, give me Lake
Wawasee. To enjoy the thing perfectly
you want to be sure of the weather. Tele-
phone Sergeant Wappenhans, of the wealth
er bureau. and get the latest improbable
ties. Now, about Tuesday, in northern
Indiana" quoth l. Fair" quoth the Ser
geant. Upon that hint we came last Mon
day. Our arrival at the lake was syn
chronous with the on-coming of a blizzard.
beginning a nor easter, veering more
northerly, lodging westwardy, giving
hopes Of clear up. and then dashing ali
hope by backing to northerly and staying
there stubbornly for twenty-four hours.
and finishing up to-day with snow, rain,
sleet and a temperature below freezing.
But spring is here. just the same; the white
guls are sailing over the lake, the red
winged blackbirds quarreing about
their spring house-cleaning in the wild rice
marshes, the crows are cawing in the
woods, the amorous ground hog is wooing
his mate. or mates, for, [ believe, he is a
polygamous hog; the blue heron is stand
ing on one leg the sand bar, the wild
goose honkS high as he leads his forces in
echelon across the cloudy sky towards the
salubrious north, the dove COOS in the
blackjack woods. the small speclkled frogs
are playing their dininutive horse fiddles
on the tussock, the robins are nesting,
swallows twittering, the pine squirrel
and chipmunks are lodging Mr.. Riddles
black and tan; but, to cap all, the halcyon,
that noble bird, deserving a place or a
pension from the weather bureau. the sure
harbinger OF warm weather. is darting into
the lake from the top of the Flagstaff with
sublime faith In his ability to catch his
customary nlinnow, and when ill-luck
comes he exchanges observations with the
clamorous blue jays, now arrayed in their
best baseball SUITS" and preparing TO
butcher the first brOodS of young robins
In fact we have all the good things of
springtme-but the tempera ture-and when
at nightfall this evening. the mercury be-
gan to climb towards the forties, L creased
my Frankfort reel, sorted out my hooks,
hobs and sinkers and prepared for an on
the grey dawn of tomorrow. The chilli
ness of the weather has its allevations.
If the facilities for hammocking are not
what might be wished by young ladies
and gentlemen, ii is also true that the
mosquitoes have not yet come in; straw
hats lie about neglected, blazers are at a
discount, the tennis courts are untracked,
the rattlesnakes are all in the next coun-
ty; babies, frtationS. yachtsmen, canoe
men, nave not yet appeared, ana Will not
| come l suppose, until the Baltimore oriole.
that Sure-enough summer bird, who never
| lies nor funks, begins to hang his procreant
| cradle upon the tips of the big elm trees
| that shade boathouse alley. But all these
things are coming later with Henry Harris
| music-to which everybody must dance
| and with the inauguration of the season
under the management of Mr.. Arnold.
But some angler will ENORMOUSLY saw,
| How about the flshing?" Well, II may be
| said that the fish taken now lively and
vigorous There is no chance for the pres
| ent for Ben l.. Smith, for he Will have
nothing short of fourteen-hourS' pull
under cloudless sky In June, and that he
| cannot have until later. Fish take the bait
| gingerly, to speak, III sucn weather.
| are still alternating, but the bass and
nows. and take hold with some show of
| desire. Do not imagine that there is any
discomfort here. Colonel Lnly's cottage
| fireplace takes four-foot back log and his
wood pile is large-not as large, however,
as when we came. He has blankets enough
for company of hundred-days men, and
Mrs Riddle knows how 10 fry a bass to
perfection and provide other creature COM
| forts for brethren Of the angle. The fish
mostly are in the deep water yet, and Col
| Butler and General McGinnis might thrash
the lake TO a foam with their Lord Balti-
| mores and bucktails without "A rise. The
for angling now and lovers of the sport
/ would better tarry by their natural-gaS
| fires until the south wind and the sun"
| give more propitious signs-so let us have
| "patience and shuttle the cards"
| Cedar Beach, April u W. Z. Z.