The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-30
WILLIAMS AND THE MUsKALLoN0E.
Tho Fish Tried TO Drown Williams. and
Came Near succeeding.

JAMEsTowN, n. ", Sept. a0.-Peter Williams
is one Of the best-known business men OF James
town. and he declares that hereafter he will
stick to business and let other people do the
fishing. Muskallonge grow large in Chautauqua
Lake, and they have strength corresponding TO
their weight. This season more very big ones have
been killed In the lake than for many seasons
past. A week or so ago a sixteen-year-old boy
hooked, and after a long and wearying fight sue
ceeded In landing a twenty-five FOUNDER near
Greenhurst. Peter Williams Is 90 years old.
lie never Dragged any about his fishing. because
he never had the habit of fishing much; but
when this boy landed that big muskallonge II
preyed on the old mans mind.
"Ifa boy 10 years old can catch such a Ash as
that" he said, "Idon't SEQ what's to hinder a
man 60 years old from bagging a bigger one"
last he resolved to go ont on the lake and
get rid OF that burden on his mind somehow,
and last Friday he got into a Light skiff and
rowed to a point between Lakewood and Green
hurst. He had a trolling rig with him. and i'm
mediately began to fish. He hadn't fshed long
when he caught a strike that almost turned him
round In his boat. lie dropped his oars and be-
gan to haul In his fish, hand over hand. He
was more than ten minutes getting it up TO the
boat, and when he saw il he had n notion TO cut
his line and let the captive go, 1t was 30 big and
turned such n savage front toward him. But
ne TOOK on courage and braced himself against
one side of his light boat, and made an effort to
lift the muskallonGe out OF tho water into the
boat, but he couldn't bulge the fish, 1t was SO
wcighty. Then Williams. thought he would
reach for an oar and knock all the resistance
out OF the fish with IL, In doing this he got too
far on the opposite side OF the skin. IL careened
and then shot out from under him AS If IL had
been creased. Williams tumbled into the lake.
The slack line that he had pulled In and
dropped on the bottom OF the boat while haul
ing the muskallonge toward him, became
tangled about his legs as he fell from the boat,
lie had dropped his line from his hand when
the boat left him. and the big muskallonge had
him ~ tow the moment he struck the water.
Williams says that he made n desperate effort
70 get loose from the line that was twisted about
strength OF the Ash drew him beneath the sur.
face and kept him there. lie remembers being
whlrled and whirled around, like n stick In an
a1sFEy o ssddS; 9nae. dne water by the tugging
Is all. He wouldn't have been here now TO tell
even that, much OF his adventure II it hadn't
been that he got the oar he reached for TO train
when lie was dumped In the lake. lie had hold
OF It well toward one end, and about half of the
oar stuck up above the surface.
John Wilson was fishing near by. He had seen |
In his boat only a few minutes before, |
and when he looked that way again the old gen |
tleman was gone, and all that Wilson saw In ac- |
water and bobbing and whirliDg at a tremendous
rate. He rowed with all his might to the spot, |
and succeeded in reaching, Williams and pulling
fisherman who was not far away. and the two
got Williams into Wilson's boat. Williams was
unconscious, hut the two men. after n long time,
this time was still lighting at the other end OF
the line. As soon as Williams was brought hack
20 consciousness Wilson took a turn at the big
pounds, Williams hasn't recovered from his
bout with the monster musk allonge yet, and de-
rlares that he has done his last fishing.