Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-27
SOLDIER CRABS FIGHTS.
They Alwnys stop ms Soon as n Claw
IL Lost.

IL boSts
(New York Sun)
Fiddlers are % cents a quart. THIS may
be a startling announcement Tor hiusi-
clans. but the hddlers We are deaiihs
with do not play in orchestras. In other
words. soldier-crabs are % cents quart.
Soldier-crabs are best known TO the Do"'-
men and the fishermen. They are afho"s
The smallest species OF crab. and are used
as bait for sheepshead and Dlacknsn' IL
they have any other utility. nobody so
far has found 1t out. They swarm In the
swampv places on the coasts OF Long
Island and Staten Island In the sand II
is easy enough 10 catch them. Two
boards placed in the shape of consul
tute the apparatus for the capture OF no
dIers When the boards are set, the
snortgman or marketman, as the case
may he. simply drives the hddiers before
him, and all that run inside me Two
boards are grabbed by handfulS ana tosseu
into a pail or barrel. The unfortunate
creatures will live in captivity for week
or two. In muddy paces.it is difficult 20
catch folders, for the simple reason that
on the approach OF danger they disappear
In the holes which they make in the muu'
Fiddlers are queer-look!ng little things'
and their habits are interesting. Each one
knows his own home ana guards II
tealously. In the little holes In the mud
the married understand they are nearly
all marred-live happily with their wives
and families; and when an intruder at
tempts to climb down the chimney ana
establish himself in the abode OF another
fiddler the liveliest kind of fight is
sure TO follow The invader does not go
down far; in fact. he appears TO boiler at
the fiddler down below and challenge
him out to fight. for as sure as he pre-
sents himself at the top the fellow below
comes up y fight IL then
inaugurated 1t is sure 10 end with the
loss OF n limb. When the fiddler loses MS
claw in the battle he simply gives up the
struggle and sneaks away; and ms enemy
being chyalrous, never attempts 10 lhJure
q wounded foe. Unlike other soldiers, the
soldier-crabs. or hddiers, never have to
wear artificial limbs. for when one Is
taken off in fight all he has TO do is to
retire to some SECURED spot ana wait i0F
another limb TO grow.
There are two kinds OF fiddlers. the
chinabacks and the niggers. Some ans-
iers prefer the former. and others IN
sist that the Niger fiddlers with the
yellow claws make the best bait
one fine October morning several years
ago. two well-remembered fishermen,
CAPTAINS Van Pelt and Hodges. started
out in catboat from Stapleton. 5. l..
bound for Coney Island. TO get hait
barrel OF fdGleTs. In short time they
captured more fddlers than they could
possibly use during the remaining trips
of the season TO the Roiner fishing
grounds. They returned In good spirits.
made their boat fast and snug, and
carried the barrel OF fiddlers ashore.
Hodges intended to keep them In his
garden, so that no thieving anglers might
steal them from the boat. On the way
home they stopped at laSer-beer sa-
loon. where they refreshed themselves
and met some friends. Late in the even
ming Hodges concluded that It was about
time for him to go home. Van Pelt Of
feTed TO accompany him TO heip carry
the barrel of fiddlers; but Hodges In
sisted that ne was able 10 manage the
nddlers alone SO off he started. promis-
ing TO meet his friend Van FeIt at
o'clock sharp on the following morning
to 20 down TO the ROmer and slaughter
sheepshead and blacktish.
Next morning, at the appointed hour
Van Pelt was III the saloon equipped
with everything that is necessary to
catch fish. except of course the bait.
After waiting for nearly an hour Hodges
staggered into the saloon.
well. you're n fine fellow" said Van
Pel. where did you catch it all SO
carly. and where the devil are the nd
dlers?"
"Fiddl. .s-they-'re e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e.
what do YOU mean?'
"Fellers put 'em into other feliers'
beds. and the girls is sweeping em out o
IN halls. Fiddlers ev'rywhere"
"What'n the world are you gettin' at!
raly
here last night Il was a dead beat 10
yindard horne, but on one tack | failed
20 clear Mike Oats pump. and me and
all the nddlers were capsizcd. / got up
md tried to catch some OF 'em, but they
was too fresh. and away they went, hci-
Ter skelter down the street. INTO stores
| and all round everywhere. | wasn't
lively enough for 'em, and the Who'll
barrel fun got away. In the saloons ana
stores some Of the boys got 'em, ana
| the fellers who don't want TO hsh
with EN- are havin' fine fun with en-.
| Seated at the table in this same sa-
| loon with his big stove-pipe hat. in
which he kept his bandana handkerchief
! IN front of him. was the well-remembercd
and far-famed Justice Garrett. HIS
Honor vas fast asleep. Before JAKE
| finished his lamentations over the loss
| 81 the iiddlers TWO young men entered
the saloon. Seeing that the Judge was
| asleep, one of them went over. lifted
I'D the bandsna, and. pulling from his
| pocket a fstful Of fidd!ers. he put them
! into the judicial hat and covered them
! carefully with the bandana. Then he
! woke 10 the Judge, and invited him to
70 take n drink. His honor was willing.
| lie carelessly put on his hat and ad-
| yanced to the bar with dignity. After
| ne had had his drink he felt strange
\ sensation on the top OF his head. He
| removed his hat, took out his bandana
| and rubbed his forehead. Some fddlers
| fell out OF the bandana. and swarm
| Of them came out of the hat.
! "Jumpin' Christmasi Whatn thunder's
them things?" he shouted.
! Everybody in the saloon. by prearrange-
ment. kept his face perfectly straight
| and wore a rather astonshed look.
! whats the matter, judge" said Jake
9TH matter? What-whats them
thngs?"
Look at en- on tn floor. crawlin' all
round"
| "Oh, Judge. I'm afraid your drinking
| too much" said one OF he group.
With a wild expression in his eyes, the
| Judge grabbed his hat and flew out
| OF the saloon.
| About n month after. when he under
| stood the trick that was played upon him.
he was often heard TO say that IL ever
| he caught Hodges or Van Pelt before him
| he'd give them six months.
| The Highland Brigade Mt Tel-eI.