The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-03-16

THOMAS BRACKET REED.
or strength as an orator than has here
tofore been conceded to be his And of
course the renewed interest displayed
over the country at large in this remark
able man has set his neighbors and
friends to telling stories of his earlier
days.
Mr.. Reeds Amuscments.
Mr.. Reeds amusements are simple.
He is too busy u man to devote much
time to pleasure. Perhaps the recreation
that suits him most is driving about the
beautiful streets of the city seated in a
comfortable phaeton. He rarely goes
a-hshlng, though on one occasion he
achieved marvellous performance as an
angler. He had been persuaded with
some difficulty to go out with party of
fishermen, each member of which, save
the ex-spealler, believed himself to be a
skillful manipulation of lines and hooks
and jointed rods and flies and all the
pnraphernalia of modern fishing.
Mr.. Reed did not expect to be lucky
and said so. But when luck came to no
one gloom settled over the professed
experts of the party which even the
quaint humor of the one time GEAR"
could hardly dissipate. just at the mo-
ment when the spirits of the entire OAR
ty were at their lowest ebb IL commOtion
was observed in the water, and it was
noticed that Mr.. Reeds line was drawn
taut All eyes were fastened upon him
and his tackle. and advice of excellent
quality was otfer~l to him in super
abundant quantity as to tho best course
to pursue i'll landing his prize.
He Lands II Fine Fish.
Mr.. Reed preferred, however, to man.
age the matter in his own way, and in
due time he landed IL large handsome
fish. He noticed, as did all the rest, as
soon rs his captive was lifted from the
water, that there was something strange
about the fashion of its hooking. When
investigation was made, there was IL gen
eral chorus of groans, for the hook, in
stead OF being in the mouth of the fish.
was inserted in its belly. This method
of catching fish was unanimously de-
clared by all present to be unsportsman-
like. 1t was agreed, however, that if
Mr.. Reed would explain to his comrades
how he did it, so that all could follow
his example, he would be freely and fully
forgiven. This he declined to do on tho
ground that it was a secret method
which he proposed in due time to pro-
tect by letters patent, when all, his
friends and enemies alike, might make
free use of it by paying proper royalty
MIR. Reed has gone a-fishing but few
times since this essay rs an angler. He
says his father was n confirmed fisher
man, and so were his grandfather and
grandfather, and their ancestors
also, aid so on indefinitely, but tho fish
ing instinct has died out in the family.
Mr.. Reed is quite in sympathy with
the movement for the so called emanci-
patton of women. Although he might
not approve of my making the fact pub
lie, he fully believes in woman suffrage.
but for quite different reasons from those
advanced by Miss Anthony, Mrs. Liver
more, Mrs. Blake and their followers.
They hold that if women were to possess
the ballot the general grade of intelli-
genCe would be materially raised among
the voters. Mr. Reed holds that the
possession of the ballot by women would
tend to raise their Intelligence and
broaden their mental scope.
Views on woman Suffrage.
1T coi,ii not h. otherwise" he said to
me one day IN discussing the question.
"WGnle j b vc been hroadened by the re-
srons,Ml;;i,n Of business. How much
mOrc would ley lie broadened by the re-
sponsiniilt!es I'D discussions of govern
ment,'
Mr.. l2c4 is very fcnd Of pointing out
to Wishing friends the beauties of the sur
ronndings OF Portland. He delights es-
pecially to speak of the glorious grove
known as behring's Oaks, now public
park, but wildwood when he was a boy.
The poet Longfellow, when lad, used
to play un.ler the shade of these noble
old trees, and some now standing I'M
doubleday cast grateful shade in Tie
summer time then as they do now Long