Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-09-07
lowed by a Huge Catfish.

Il went GOWN INTO Tue lnutaH ltI-
ritory with a crowd of boys to spend
few days fishing said w. P.
Hackney. "Among the crowd was
Ed Greer, who has been mixed mp
in Kansas politics lately. With US
we had all the modern conveniences
used on hunting and camping trip,
and among the most convenient
things was keg of Hugo Eyssell's
Kansas City reiuvenator. One even
ing after supper, and an unIucky
day of fishing,I strolled down to the
banks of the salt Fork, the stream on
which We were camping, and conclud-
ed would try my luck fishing in the
old-fashioned way with hook and
Inns.
"Of course / had rejuvsnated a
little before going, which adds lit
tie to the end OF the story. / had
not 6shed long when / heard a scuffle
in the water on the opposite side of
the water where there was lot of
powders and shadows. In an instant
| saw that the cause Of the noise
was a big fish that had foundered
into o shallow place, and had been
caught between two of the sharp
rocks. rolled my line around the
road and hastily waded across to
where the big fish lay helpless in the
shadows. 1t happened that my hook
was very large one and the line ac-
cordingly strong. Going to the
fish's head ! fastened the hook into
his jaw, and then thought l would
wade back to the other side and drag
my fish with me.
II got along very we'll till / got
out into the centre of the stream,
when the fish became unmanageable.
| was soon on my feet, and the fish
had me in tow down stream at
rapid rate. As / am big and fat, it
is all / can do to swim at best, and
under such unfortunate conditions I
was perfectly helpless. The best l
could do was to set up big yell.
The boys heard me yell, and came
down to the bank, where they had
seen me take my place with the hook
and line, but not seeing me concluded
that I was trying to play a joke
on them. The faster and farther
the fish dragged me the more l
yelled. I soon got to yelling so loud
ly that the boys become alarmed,
and started down the bank where /
was bringing up the rear of my fish
brigade. They saw me in the water
and thought from my actions and
gestures that had rejuvenated just
a little too much, and was trying to
swim a race with myself down
stream. | could not convince the
boys that / was IN tow of a big fish,
and all they did was to walk down
the bank Of the stream fast enough
to keep opposite me and laugh at
my agile swimming antics. Soon
the river came to swift turn and I
was brought close enough by my cap.
tured monster of Salt River to grasp
an over-hanging willow from the
banks.
"When got hold OF it / was so
nearly exhausted that / could hardly
draw in enough slack from my line
to make it fast to the bush. When
| did so the boys came up and want
ed to know what was doing out in
the river, and asked me if / had
started to the Gulf. told them
had captured Jonah's whale, and if
they did not believe it, just to take
hold Of my line and try TO draw it in.
Ed took hold of my line and found
that it took more of his strength
to draw in the monster than an or
binary fish could exercise. We all
took hand and soon had q catfish
landed that weighed 100 pounds. -
Kansas City Journal.