The Van Buren press., 1895-06-29
FROM SINNEMAHONE.
BY ED MOTT.


from over sinnemahoning way, shat
could remember half what my father
used to tell about snakes. Ireally do.
!! DO indeed. l suppose that If nv
rather had been telling about snakes
That lived anywhere else except on the
slnnemahone spread could have re.
membered everything. But, Lordl It
would take man with nine memories,
every one of 'em phenomenal, to re-
member even little bit OF what them
sinnemahoning snakes did, because
they did SO much. They were always
DONG something, and doing it we'll. I
wish somebody would simply give me
an inkling Of what there is in that SIN
nemahone atmosphere that makes
thlngs have SO much more snap In
them than things have ywhere
else On top of earth. Even grasshop-
pers. Now, l know heaps of places
where there is twenty times more grass
than is on the Sinnemahone. As for
that, sinnemahone doesn't run particu-
larry to grass. We slash out good
many hoop poles, and we peel consider
able OF bark. We do little In the
maple sugar way, and our 'taters amt
few to the hill. But we don't brag on
our grass Then why should grass
hoppers seem to like to settle down
with us so much, and get to be SO over
powering smart among usp give it
up. l don't know. But to prove to
you that they do, I'll tell YOU some
thing. l don't pretend to explain these
things, mind you. I simply give you
the facts.
'Aou know, of course, that there
Amt any better bait for trout along
late in the season than grasshoppers
our sinnemahone grasshoppers know
that well, and l want to tell you that
It's hard matter to run one down and
catch him when you want to go fish
Ing. But used to manage, by various
slick bits OF strategy, to get enough to
fish with, but 1t was hard work, and so
was delighted one day, being over to
the county seat, to see In store an
artificial grasshopper, with hook
concealed about 1t. The grasshopper
was as natural as life. and l saw at
once that there wasn't any use of my
pitting myself any longer against our
smart Sinnemahone grasshoppers to
get bait, when could use the artificial
grasshopper to fool the trout with, and
bought it. 1t worked to charm. l
think the trout went for it better than
they did for the real thing, for l have
an idea that they knew how smart our
Sinnemahone grasshoppers were, and
were kind O fraid of 'em. used that
imitation grasshopper with great sue
cess.
II had tame trout in spring near
my house. 1t had been in the spring
year. 1t was big one. had caught
1t one day on Sinnemahone grass
hopper, and as the hook hadn't hurt it
much put 1t in pail Of water and got
1t home alive and active. / put it in
the spring and it lived and thrived. A
funny thing was that the grasshopper
caught the trout with wasn't killed
by the trout nor by the hook. Being
through fishing, took the grasshopper
off the hook and tossed it on the
ground. 1t moved away, but was
minus one leg. Its eyes were just as
bright as ever, though, and as re-
member it now, it kind o shook its
head and looked volumes as 1t limped
away, headed straight for my place.
don't know where that crippled grass
hopper wintered, but when warm
weather came next year give you my
word that Rrasshopper was the first l
saw on my place. 1t was perched on a
saw horse in my back yard l recog-
nized 1t at once, and it seemed to rec
ognize me, for 1t shook it's head and
had queer look in its eye as it limped
on one leg along the saw horse, tum-
bled off and stumped away.
GAS long as I've got place, said l,
that grasshopper has aclaim on it, and
anyone that hurts that grasshopper
must settle with mel
"Well, sir, that grasshopper hung
around the place, and hobbled about
In melancholy sort of way, but al
ways with that queer look in its eyes.
Every time it met me 1t settled down
and shook its head, spit tobacco juice,
as grasshoppers will, and stumped on
its way. know now that that grass
hopper had vengeance on its mind, and
was only biding its time.
"This was the season got the
artificial grasspopper. I frequently
saw the crippled real one sitting on
the fat stone over the spring where
my pet trout was, glaring down at the
trout and shaking its head in start
ling way. The grasshopper remem-
bered that this was the trout that had
crippled 1t, and 1t went to the spring
to glare at the trout and show its bate.
used to tremble for 1t, for my trout
Just dotted on grasshoppers, and was
fearful lest this poor crippled one
might tumble In the spring and thus
give up the rest of itself to the foe that
had bereft it Of Its leg. .--
.One day l had been fishing with my
artificial grasshopper ! came in, took
the leader off my line, with the imita-
tion grasshopper on 1t, and laid it on
the back stoop, being called away for
something or other When l went to
ret the leader ten or fifteen minutes
later 1t was gone. looked around,
but couldn't find it. Some time after
ward started for the spring to get a
nail of water, and as drew near I saw
the crippled grasshopper dragging
itself up on the fiat stone that covered,
or half covered, the spring. l stopped,
and then saw that the grasshopper
was dragging something up along
with It. started when I saw that 1T
,,,.s INV missinp leader My first inn