The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-05-12
ARP COMING HOME
He Tells Some Rare Fish Yarns to
Keep His Hand In.
Railroads and Whisky Go Together-Bless-
inEs Arc Not Wholly Un1nixcd-The
I8ad Follows Closely tho Good.

Railroads and Whisky Go Together-Bless-
inEs AFRO Not Wholly Unmixod-The
Isad Follows Closely tho Good.
Eleven men in buckram suite! Does it
follow that every man with an oleangin-
GUS corporosity is given to seeing double
and treble like Jack Falstaff: Dr.. Hunt
er Cooper, of Atlanta, came here the other
day with his friend. Murphy Gambler.
They have been fishing all over the State
and wound up at Clear Water. They came
from st. Petersburg last and the doctor
alarmed about the horrible sawfi>h
that he helped to catch there at the end
of the wharf. He got excited with his
narrative as he told how. when the mon
ster was hooked. the alarm was given and
every man and boy in town ran down to
see. and after the fishermen had tangled
ropes and log chains all over it it took
every able-bodied man in town to draw it
to shore. Tt actually weighed said he,
lover 800 pounds and it's saw was the
most venomous weapon ever beheld. 1t
had been broken off foot or two, but
what was left measured five feet and
eight inches "Oh, mercy said my
wife. ''iscnt it awful. Girls, you must not
go in bathing any more. Every day some
tures-devil fish and sharks and sting
arees and <iwish. 1t is wonder they
have not got some of us before now.
DIR. Cooper is a frst-class gentleman
He stands high in his profession and in
his stockings. and is handsome and he
knows it. but noticed that every time he
told II big yarn he appealed to Murphy for
contirma ton. "1scnt it so. Murph? You
saw that fish. I pledge you my word it
the biggest monster 1 ever laid my
eyes on" ''A1urph" simply nodded assent
as the doctor branched off on another
narrative. Murphy is Il Presbyterian and
his official position in the Agnes Scott in
stitute is ever before him. but still he
pccially when so far away from home.
He affectionatcly calls the doctor ''Hunt,
aud the doctor calls him ''Murph." and
they coincide on everything except that
with the pretty girls along the route.
and sometimes they miss train by 1T.
which is very provoking. And Hunt said
that when pretty girls pursue a man it
them.
My wife remarked that night after we
retired that she liked them both very
much. very much. indeed. and after
pause she said it would be right good
law if every handsome married man when
hr~went for away from horne should have
to wear ribbon on his hat with family
man printed on it. just as warning to
foolish girls. you know. 1 dilent answer,
but snorcl little as if 1 heard her not.
But still tli,lcnt altogether discredit the
| sawhsh story. The doctors appeals to
Murphy only circumStance-a
badge Of fraud. the lawyers say. New
crthcless l was jealous of St. Peters
burg.
done in :lnythins-not even in monsters.
and the next day l took particular no.
tice of the doctor a. he WAS fishing in the
pass. diagnosed him. He began to play
the seven men n huckr:lm suits. The
first reputable trout he caught he declared
to be six-pounder and tried to prove it
by our honest Suede. Witmore. ''Na.
ma" said Witmorc. dat wash way no
more as tree pounds, but he is vine
vish.' DIR. Cooper quarreled him, out of
another pound. and SO they fused about
every fish until Mr.. Witmore surrendered.
| ANA when the doctor caught ten-pounder
the Swede said. Dot Wish way more dan
any ten pounds-he is Il fifteen-pound
wish, certain.
This suited the Doctors turn exactly,
and that night he was gushing in his
praise of the honest Sweic. l heard that
he overpaid him for for his boat and made
him keep it. Our cottage girls were out
| with them that day and they all had glo-
rio,,s sport. They caught several hun
dred pounds of fine ssh. Our youngster
caught the largest sroupcr. 1t weighed
thirty-Scvcn pounds and was three feet
long The doctor and Mr.. Gambler strung
the four largest on an oar and toted them
from the dock up to the town and the
load made them wricsle and twist their
legs like drunken men to the great nmusc-
| ment of the people They left their bur
den the plank walk and I had to hire
a wagon to haul them away. After 4
glorious fish supper they spent the even
ing with us recnuDting the successes of
t1S. uaE. ana Dotu occurred II was the
BEST day they had had in Florila.
On parting the doctor said in soto voice.
Now. NIniar. when you. in your letters
these glorious deeds relate. speak of ME a
I am-nothing extcuuatc. but set it all
down in colorS--I have been backing YOU
in all your marvellous yarns about Clear
Water and can do now with more self
respect than heretofore. and if you should
need voucher for anything just write
II out and sign my namr to it. Clear
Water harbor is the lovcliest village of
the plain. and I shall certainly bring nv
family hero next winter. About that
rroquet business. don't speak of it, 1T
is only one of AIurph's numerous vacaries
He inaEincS that because he is Il Pres
hyterian and can't fall from grace that
he is privileged to tell white lies. but the
devil is the father of lies of all colors.
and Murph had better be careful
1t was soodly company that day and
We were grievc,l to part with them Mr..
Gambler says he wants bay front here
by the idcs of September.
Another week will find us journeyinc
homeward. and that will bring another
p1easurc-the reunion with kindred and
friends. The poor. rejected and detected
hermit was made to say:
And what is friendship but a name
a charm that lullS to sleep
n shade that follows wealth or fame
But leaves a wretch weep"
That is not so. That was but the mt ter
ance of brokcn-hearted love. Friendship
is a sweet. savory reality. and next to the
dearest tic earth. There are not
many who bound like Damon and
1ythiaS. but almost every one has friends