The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-03
THE SHOVEL FISH
he IS VERY QUEER. SUIT FuRNISHES
EXCELLENT SPORT.

ronnd In the Mississippi River and Ies
Tributaries-Looks ard Behavior Both
Out of the Ordinary-A Missouri Boy
Exciting Experience.
.'No quecrer fish swips, exclaimed the
tall Missourian who was talking fish and
fishing in the office of one OF the dows
town hotels the other evening. and no
fsh that win give more furious fun "a,
an hour or so than our hOmely old shovel
Cat of ne west
In all the creeks and branches t-ibu-
tary 70 the Mississippi and Missouri one
may catch this awkward. heavy ash. and
II enc be only out for cats alone he wiz
give rare sort But 70 the Graphic fisher
man he is s. grea; nuisance, stealing the
eait II fast Is i; can he put on the hook
and seldom allowing himself To be hooked
Despite his clumsy shape he is agile 10 q
reInarSahle Gegrse
From side view the fish is not un-
graceful. It's long broad nose showing an
edge and appearing as slender "a a sword
FISH 5 weapon. His tail is sharply forkssi.
AMI his Iirs large and OF rakish cut tie
often attains n length ot 9 feet and
weighs as much as 80 pounds. \ stran-
ger whose dugoat has drfted into shoal
water or up into one OF tho shallow bayous
where he is angling for Graphic. will sud
denly be startled by a loud splash hard by.
and ii he Is quick enough he may turn and
catch n glimpse Of shovel cat at work
The great fish will throw us entire body
out OF water. double over in mitiair and
descend headforemost, like professional
diver. He Is feeding. and as he lives
. 10. "A
creeping things hidden in the soft, muddy
bottom this ie,p Is necessary to give him
impetus enough 10 make the deep plunge.
He drives his wide shovel far into the mud.
and, turning up long furrow. catches
whatever food is washed out in the proc.
ess
ION light rod one Of the big fellows
will give lively tussle. bat il requires
the patience of Job and the enthusiasm
of an Ike Walton 20 sit a whole afternoon
and broil under a hot Mississippi sun in the
dreary hope of hooking cat. The fish are
too f!cklo in biting To furnish reliable sport
In that way, and the market fishermen
generally rosort 20 nets to insure a catch.
But the real hair raising line stretch
Ing. bubble tossing fun Is spearing We
used 20 always choose a gray day. when the
sky was overcast and no bresze blowing
to rufilc tho surface Of the water Two of
us would sot out for the branch abou, two
hours before sunset, armed with short
homemade harpoon, consisting Of steel
barbed head loosely set in n hickory shaft
To a ring in the lance head was made fast
about 100 feet OF heavy line. Arriving as
the bank of the creek, we would cut of n
cottonwood limb 10 lash 10 the end Of our
line, to act a. float IL we had 20 let the
whole business go overheard. Then ono
would paddle the dugout while the other
stood in the bow watching for tho shovel
ers. OF course we had 10 hunt only in tho
shadows. not only because the fish were
more plentiful there, but because the spear
was uncertain in more than four or five
feet Of water. When we had located our
victim, who would be turning splashing
soInersaults far ahead, the man at the pad.
dies would make for the spot where tho
shoveler last weat down. The spearSman,
peering ahead. could dimly make cut the
huge fellow ut his mud blowing toll and
waiting until no was fairly over his prey
would send the steel s-whirling.
What foam Of yellow mud then, and
II he had struck big one how our leaky
Old dugout would roll and jump we were
dragged up creek by the mad shoveler.
The furry is short, however. for the stesi
soon e1hausts the energy and courage %
the fish. But tho first few moments Of
excitement are wild. Many and many n
time our dugout upset, and we would swim
and wade through the water and mud to
shore, dragging cur shipwrccsed craft and
our yet unconquered captive behind US.
''Onco / remember leaving schoo, with
my cousin Jed at noon time recess and
" al. a q. N
would both be well fogged IL IL were
found out, but that danger only added an
other charm. We had hidden our spear
under a willow root tho day before. and In
few moments wo had it and were ahoss
on a raft of old boards. We were only
small shavers-Jed 10 and ~ years old
and could pole our vessel only very
slowly. For "A long tine We saw no game
Jed remarked uDeaslly that we were
drawing near our housc. which then stood
on the bank Of the creek about a mile
above where we had started We had
both taken Of COR trousers for fear the
swash "a the river would vet them. and
thus betray US at supper time. and stood
with our shirts Tapping in the bTeszs-
two eager sportsrnsn If such ever lived
just "a / sighted the house around the
bend through the young oo,;onwoods
and the dreaded form of my mother hang
Ing cut clothes on the line Jed gave long
'sbsh, and bending forward sent his spear
flying with all Ais might. An angry
splash answered. and I was terrified TO sss
Jsd's blue shirs and white legs tumble
headlOng from the raft. lie had struck .
monster and was being towed down
stream AZ n lively rate We could both
swim like ducks, and /, like cash. Owed
after him. After being ysnksd along for
goo yards or more we struck q shoal sand
bar, whore We 70, q foothoid- just a. vs.
had begun 70 gain BIT and -Sr. hauling
the giant cat lAndward We beard yell
from the shor. and were both ps,riasd u
SO mother standing there with switch
A. every plunge Of the shOTeis- abe gave
another shout, ard IL was The greatest TO-
lief ny heart ever knew when, - ve cams
nearer. she shock her ast and screamed
g. r ron two young uns le; that thsr
shovel nose git away. III cane yer 'iB yer
both walk borlsgged viii, say
"Apa " oonclocsd the big man. rising
and knocking Tie asbes out 81 he oornooh.
"-ou can wager ve landed that fsb. for
ny mother never brOEs Lar word F-Sss
iork -gn.
- Ode Bird. S.st-
The oldest q, al birds be<1s is abe On.