The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-05-31


ocrat bad come very, good, scaly
yarns as to the good luck of the Bath
gate fisherman in the sparkling waters
of the rivers that pass that burg ON
their way to the'' Roaring Red. "Wcll,
Frank, may you live long to eujoy' the
sport rs the years roll over your head,
but, Frank, cannot close thus with
out giving sou few VI my own many
experiences in the ara, walton.
As a boy in my native state, Ohio, I
once played truant and sought my
lfavorite fishing place In the Lagonda
mill-dam, a few miles from town; I
was fishing from o platform about ten
feet from shore to the open water in
the dam. Ihad fair, good-lucll, CATCH
ing the usual varieties or FISH lin the
creek, clubs, sinners, suckers and a
few of the most game fish of those
waters. the bass. Finally got bite,
not from mosquito either, but from
something took to be a whale. First
he ntbbled something after the signs
Of a sucker, then he started. on the
run, all of which puzzled nue. greatly.
Not sucker, net bass, what kind Of
meat are you made of old chap? You
have string enough and we will now
settle you; thus thought, and pull
cd and he pulled: I pulled and he brac-
cd himself and would neither go nor
come. Then l knew had an old; he,
snapping-turtle; and ;.s turtle soup
was dish high up in the culinary de-
partment, wanted that fellow, and
1 Thought, "If I get you old fellow 1
will take you home aud run the risk
Of escaping threshing for playing
truant from school" as my father had
been an old sailor and was fond Of
turtle soup. But I pulled and pulled,
and trcmblcd as I stood in my
bare feet, asI knew from the strength
ofhis pull that I had hold of q big one.
After a half hours sulk. on: q dead
tug against the line. he began;to ease
up and come my way; tugged and
pulled and at last got him near the
platform; then l had to raise him:out
OF the water and see how could land
him on shore around the platform.
Assoon ash raised him out, he opened
his mouth, kissing like IL goose, and
with his breath, filled the air with q
strong scent OF musk; u dudes hand
kerchicf saturated with the quintes-
sence of that odor could not have
smelled SO loud. But 1 didn't mind,
though the smell was. and:is, disagree
able to me, and I turned my atten-
tion to landing the turtle; 1 worked
until l was nearly tagged out, Tut
would not give up the fight, and final
~ got him to the end of the platform
to turn him to the shore and then the
dell came to his rescue; as he was
turning the corner he got Hopping
against the post and then the victory
was his. He planted his other flipper
against the post, commenced drawing
In his head and backing for deep
water. held on like little man,
but with u pull and u lurch he broke
the hook, and took a long and sad
farewell to the old snapper and my
visions Of turtle soup. He Topped his
tail like an alligator, let me have an
other Whit Of musk and left me alone
How big was he? Well as saw him
l had pretty good view and he was
the largest snapper ever saw, and
would have more than filed u large
wash-tub. He was covered with moss
one or two inches long and from ap.
pcarance must have been more than
a hundred years old, or indeed, he may
have began to gather his wool when
and where Noah's ark rested on Ara
rat, and IL SO. history of his travels
from thence to that mlll-pond would
make ian interesting book. Since
that day have always inclined to the
belief in the story of Sinbad the sailor,
who with his companions landed on q
supposed island. and not until they
built . fire on the apparent rocks of
the island did they discover that they
were on the back Of an immense tur-
tie. Whether the snapper I didn't
catch is still alive / trow not; 1t was
sixty years ago that we parted comp
any, perhaps and probably he is o
81
Did get Q threshing when I went
homer We'll. l arrived home just as