The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-03

enc strOls about trying to determine
what has become Of the road. the impa-
tient colonel utters words not commended
IN the catechism as ne sits waiting amid
al the aceOutrements he has slowed away
In his buggy. the fishing-tackle. baskets
and buckets which the all-impOrtant OK D..
petition requires The darkies grouped
about the plantation mill. at which he
finally arrives. watch with interest the
colonefs outfit, the fine rods, flies and va
ried assortment Of hooks. The veteran
fisherman has even provided himself with
rubber boots and folding chair in which
10 sit. In case his luck deserts him, he
employs negro famous for acquaintance
with that particular pond to paddle him
up into its furthest reaches and show him
the most likely places. The negro pad
Gles industriously. and pilots the colonel
hither and yOn among the bonnet-lesVes
and lily-pads, startling the green-backcd
CCOters that are doing on the logs, and
putting 20 flight the slim-necked cranes
that step among the marshes. His fav-
Orite fishing-poles. however. he is careful
10 avoid He does not mean to give away
such secrets. secrets won from nature only
in some unguarded moment Of confidence.
Didn't there use 10 be a fine fish-bed
over there. straight out from those will
lows?" questioned the colonel trying to
locate the spot.
Yes, sahl Used to be. sab. but dat
hole all broke up now. Amt got no fish
outen dat goin' on six mont" answers
Washington, padding off in an opposite
direction. Most Of the coloners efforts to
extract information from his guide end
in the same way.
A party Of negroes gigging fish by torch
light on the sheeting in front of the mill
makes an interesting picture. Each one
carries blazing torch in one hand and
a gig in the other. and when the glisten-
ing scales of the fish betray its wherea-
bouts, he is quickly stabbed through with
the sharp prongs Ordinary angling must
be a silent pastime, lest the sound of vote
IS warn the fish a way. No such restric-
tons are experienced when gigging is In
progress. however, and the party is both
merry and noisy, particularly when two
or three happen to catch sight of a
fish at the same time and engage in a
scramble to get It.
Torches twinkled along, the banks Of
the creek nearly all night during the
summer season, and often bonfires give
evidence that unusual festivity is in pro-
gress.
II is customary for men in the interior
towns and villages TO drive out to the sur
rounding plantations and attend what are
locally known as "fsh-fries." Fish dete-
riorate in flavor according to the length
of time they are kept out of the water, as
everybody knows; so the owner of a good
fish pond invites his friends to partake of
his catch transferred directly from the
water TO the table. The veteran black
miller is a most important parsonage on
these occasions. He has oficiated at
many, and understands just what to DO to
insure the success of the occasion. He
fries all the fish himself just to turn,
and bosses" the numerous dusky aides
de-camp who are eager to have a hand in
the merry-making. Long before dark he
had the fires kindled Che has had men
fishing all day, the impromptu table i'm
provised, and other arrangements made
for his guests comfort, and when the
party has assembled, no one is happier
than he at the appetites displayed and the
gay spirits in evidence-appetitcs made
keen by the long ride in the open air and
spirits enlivened by the novelty of the
surroundings and contact with a goodly
company The darkies always regard
any festivity with approval, because on
such occasions many small services may
be rendered which will bring in small
change.