Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-04-10
jogging FOR TOMCOn
INTERESTING DESCRIPTION OF AEON
NecTICUT Business AND PAsTlMe.

Not to Jig A bag the Thames River rs 4.
BE Put Down ~ Eccentric.
It's good thing that viftue ia "a
own reward, " said a man from Connect
lcut. That is about all the recompens,
IL ever gets, even in Connecticut Now
Tor instance, take the confiding an6
credulous toncod Like all fish. tbs
tomcod has habits. Unlike many fishes,
none OF the tomcod's habits is bad. Yet
the most Innocent and touching of them
leads the tomcod to his inevitable mdo-
ing over in Connecticut, especially
along the Thames river. His very vir.
tues are his ruin. He might better be a
vicious, rolliclling, thieving dogfish, the
tomcod might, ten times over than his
own highly reputable and innocent self
de would live many times as loltg az he
does and have heap more fun, because
then folks wouldn't Jig for him. A
good many scores of my compatriots
take advantage of his trustfulness and
jig him from his chilly but congenial
home by the bushol
Never jigged for tomcods? Then it
is plain that you are so unfortunate as
never to have lived in G Connecticut-any.
way not in any of those parts OF that in.
comparable state where tomcotls aro Jig.
ged. Not to jig for tomcods over there
especially along the Thames river il to
be eccentric.
THE fatal habit Of the tomcod is to
be caressing If you never noticed this
popularity of the tomcod, make q point
Of doing it the very first chance you get.
A good place to detect him ut it is from
the end of some pier that rises from wa
ter he frequents. You will see him come
up in schools around the supporting
pieces Of the pier and rub himself
against them, passing all around them,
always in gentle contact with them,
turning first this side and then that side
to the pile, rubbing his nose against it
and fondling 1t in many ways, as q pet
cat might rub itself against your leg.
But piers are not the only objects of the
tomcod 8 fondness. He caresses all sorts
Of jetsam and even ventures to the sur.
face and pays his addresses to cold and
1otsam. He puts his trust in
that offers. His credulity is
boundless. His confidence is sublime
And the jigger plays them for all they
are worth.
People in Connecticut are very OBJ. |
servant folk, especially along the |
Thames river. One day long ago one of |
ny fellow citizens sat musingly upon
he bank of that storied stream. He held |
n his hand small oak bough on which
caves were clustered. At last he aim
essly dropped the bough into the river.
t fell near the shore, and the lunches
Il leaves sank somewhat below the sur
ace. Presently tomcods came swim
ming up to the leaves, obtruding them
elves into the line Of my fellow citi-
en's pensiye vision. Scores Of them sur
ounded tho oak leaves and swan In O
ondling way among thom and about
hem, manifesting much the same dumb
eight that cat does as II rolls and
Triggles on bunch Of catnip.
after awhile this strange affinity
etween tho oak leaves aud the tomooda
radually gave my fellow citizen an
lea Pensiveness gave way 10 the prac-
cal He got up and went home and
len tied some sharp hooks TO the end
I long stick. Then he returned TO the
yer The oak branch was still lying
lose at hand in the water. He manip. |
lated its leaves beneath tho water gen.
y, and as the caressing and trustful
,moods responded 10 their undulating
IOyements my fellow citizen yanked ]
lem out with the hooks at the end OF
Is stick So long as he kept the bunch I
oak leaves moving In the water the I
meods gwaTmed about Ii, unmindful
tho play Of tho destructive gatf among
Iem. Now aud then my fellow citizen .
ould remove tho bopgh from tho wa Y
p Then the t0meods would instantly .
sappeaT. The oak back again In the J
ater, back would come tho tOmoods
ID were aware Of no other presence
,On the shore VIA EtrewB with tho un'
speeting fish, and the sport becoming
onotonOus my fellow citizen filled his 4
sfet aud went home,
"Of course this interesting discovery
pihNefH'ef p"y'HHi"ky4 10 W eP'oas
Dn absorbed attention Ia those parts.
d eEpeTimsnters lined tho banks ~
. THAMES river daily, These expert u
snts a. last took 0n ihe accepted mans
jigging, aud t0mood jigging boeane
popular recreation IN Connecticut aud
ysl
'An eEpsrt with a bunch ~ OAK lsayas
Z w oaa MI . wagon with toinoods
q fov hours n he wants 10, And n
Wy tOneQ1 that sgins wa IN AohO0l
,ulld QUO bunch " leaves AIld tbs jig y
/ NJ that bunch could stay and Jlg 81
N enough hs oould maks tlas race " q
nead eEiiBoi, foF every tomeod wOald =
np right w ~ that bunch n leaves 4
be eYrrlaaiingly jlsRed A great =
Iny god c0nneolloui people protest
4 illHy JlH f,E taae0du NOT fof plea y.
~ ~ laouuiaTy pf0nl, bat boeaase " q
} HTnai moral laas0g ihey lnafn fGom bI
WhrihnT ihai II ~ ~ nDi che fafi \
Aailis lhAf ihH tggihsOne igiao0d 10 =.
J m,sl ealtdlnR Toduloas and inBo -
u n hsl.a "wks8 fgfs hun Z