Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-07-25
FROM SlNNEMAHONE.



used TO tell about snakes. ! really do
l do indeed. l suppose that II my
father had been telling about snakes
that lived anywhere else except on the
Sinnemahone spread l could have re-
membered everything. But, Lord! II
would take a man with nine memories,
every one Of 'em phenomenal, to re.
member even q little bit Of what them
Sinnemahoning snakes did, because
they did so much. They were always
doing something, and doing 1t we'll. !
wish somebody would simply give me
m inkling Of what there Is in that Sin.
nemahone atmosphere that makes
things have so much more snap In
them than things have anywhere
else on top Of earth. Even grasshop-
pers. Now, l know heaps Of places
where there Is twenty times more grass
than 10 on the Einnemahone. As for
that, Sinnemahone doesn't run particu-
larly to grass. We slash out a good
many hoop poles, and we peel consider
able Of bark We do q little in the
maple sugar way, and our Eaters amt
few to the hill. But we don't Drag on
our grass. Then why should grass
horpers seem to like to settle down
with us SO much, and get to be SO over
towering smart among us? l give 1t
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. 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 we'll, and want to tell you that
it's hard matter to run one down and
catch him when you want to 60 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
| WIS delighted one day, being over to
the county seat, to see in store an
artificial grasshopper, with hook
concealed about it. The grasshopper
was us natural as life, and | saw at
once that there wasn't any use Of my
pitting myself any longer against our
smart Sinncmahono grasshoppers to
get bait, when could use the artificial
grasshopper to fool the trout with, and
! bought it. 1t worked to q charm |
think the trout wen! for it better than
they did for the real thing, for have
IN idea that they knew how smart our
s'innrmahore grasshoppers were, and
Here kind o fiai.l OF EN-. used that
imitation grashhopper with great sue
cess.
Il had II tame trout in o spring near
my hou4c. 1t had been in the spring a
year. 1t was big one. had caught
it enc day on s;iuncmahone grass
hopper, and as the hook hadn't hurt it
much put it in II 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 II on the
ground, 1t moved away, but was
minus one leg. Its eyes were Just as
bright US ever though, and as l re-
member 1t now, 1t 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 grasshopper was the first l
saw on my place. 1t was perched on
saw horse in my back yard. ! recog-
nized 1t at once, and 1t seemed to rec
ognize me, for 1t shook Its head and
had queer look In It's eye as 1t limped
on one leg along the saw horse, tum-
bled of and stumped away.
"As long as I've got place, said l,
that grasshopper has claim on 1t, and
anyone that hurts that grasshopper
muat aatt1a With mai
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 II met me II 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 frequently
saw the crippled real one sitting on
the fiat 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 II, and 1t went to the spring
to glare at the trout and show its hate.
I used to tremble for II, 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.
Zone day had been fishing with my
artificial grasshopper. came In, took
the leader of my line, with the imita.
tion grasshopper on It, and laid II on
the back stoop, being called away for
something or other. When l went to
get the leader ten or fifteen minutes
later 1t was gone. looked around,
but couldn't flnd 1t. Some time after
ward started for the spring to get q
pail Of water, and as drew near l saw
the crippled grasshopper dragging
itself up on the fat stone that covered,
or half covered, the spring. IAtopped,
and then saw that the grasshopper
was dragging something up along
with IL. l started when ! saw that 1t
was my missing leader. My first i'm
pulse was to 20 and recover my prop