The Portland daily press., 1895-12-14
STROUDWATER'S OKLAHOMA.
The Rush for the Parting of the Ways.

The Rush for the Parting of the Ways.
How "Nubbins" Succumbed to the Deaf
Man at the Moment of Triumph-Over
20 smeIt Claims Row Staked Out,
The annual rush for smelt-house
sites on the ice at Stroudwater took place
this week. 1t was somewhau earlier than
usual because the severe cold came ear
lier. There are score or SO of men in
Stroudwater and vicinity who occupy
themselve exclusively during the winter
months in fishing through the ice for
smelts or in letting their .smelt-houses to
fishing parties from the city. TheyEmake
some little revenue out of this and any
quantity of Personal 4 enjoyment for they
had rather catch smelts than do anything
else.
Now it makes a big difference just
where your house is located on the ice
At that point below the bridge where the
row of 90 or 30 houses spring up like a
mushroom village every winter, two
branching channels come tog ether to
form the main channel. At the exact
spot of their confluence is the best place
to catch smelts. The little fish come up
the main camel and, so they say. always
hesitate and congregate at this parting OF
the ways as if uncertain which one to
select. There is great deal OF . competl-
tion every year in stalking out claims on
the ice Just over this famous spot. 1t
isn't very large. of course, and admits OF
only few houses. The others have to
be located along the channel.
There is big expanse of fats between
the channel and the shore and of course a
man can't stake out his claim until there
is enough ice to hold his stakes 1t was
either on Monday or Tuesday of this
week that the Oklahoma rush for the
best spot at the junction of the channels,
took place. There is deaf and dumb
man and another, nicknamed tNuggins"
or "Nubbins," or something like that,
who are always on the watch early for
the first chance to secure that spot. This
year they didn't wait for the ice to hold
them. 1t was low tide at about IL a. m.
The treacherous salt ice, that would not
hold them when supported by the water,
was gradually settling on to the fats as
"Nubbins" and the deaf man waited for
their race to begin. Of course the ice
would hold as soon as the water had gone
and it was resting on the flats.
"Nubbins," as his name implies, is
not over and above lengthy of limb
though he makes up for it in extent Of
girth. He was determined this year to
set his smelt house over the exact spot
where the smelts discover that there are
two channels to choose from and there
fore hesitate and become the victims of
the tempting bait. "Nubbins'' hadn' t
had that spot for several years and he
cherished a hidden resentment and a
grim determ ination.
The tide had apparently left the flats
entirely. 1t was almost time for it to do
so and "Nubbins'' concluded to risk an
early start. Before the watchful deaf
man was expecting any such enterprise.
Nubbins made dash for the ice and was
well started down the bay.
But alas for Nubbins! The flats are
not quite regular in surface and whereas
the water had departed from most Of
them, there were hollows where it still
fingered. Toward one of these hollows
the unconscious and triumphant "Nub-
bins" hastened and into It's cold and Shiny
depths his portly body plunged and
stopped.
The deaf man was close behind. He
sped mercilessly past his foundering ene-
my and planted his stake, with bis name
upon it, into the ice where the channels
part
No triumph and defeat of the Cripple
Greek lottery has produced more JOY and
sorrow than the planting of that stake
There may be "plenty Of room at the
top" as the proverb says, but there is
only room for just one smelt house on the
one best spot at Stroudwater.
Other claims were speedily staked out
in day or two and now there are at
least 90 stakes with their owners names
upon them. standing in the ice., Multi
ply this by four, for each corner of a
claim has stake. though only one stake
has a name. and you will realize the
bristling appearance Of the ioe, at present
in Stroudwatsr bay. .ssws
OF course this cold snap may be fol-
lowed by thaw and these claims may
all become null and void and "Nub-
bins" may have another chance this year.
Such things have happened in the past.
but it must bo said the prospect at pres
ent is not propitious for "Nubbins.
Thomas b. Reed and the Fifty First
Congress.