The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-15
FISHING WITH CLEVELAND.
HOW THE HATTIE TUTHILL FOL-
LOWED THE RUTH AFTER
SQUEETAGUE.

] "atches the President From "a Re
sDectfuI Distance as He Gets a
NibbIe, a Bite, and Has His BAIT
stolen.
New York, Sept. 14-Though I am but a
woman, and have to have my hook baited
for me when 7 go a fishing, have watched
the President a whole day at his sport.
and I know that he fishes because he
likes it, and not to improve his mind. If
the gentle art. Of catching "tautog'' or
"squeetague" fits one the better to wres-
tie with great questions Of state, that is
but an incident.
They have a great deal Of respect for
/ Mr.. Cleveland as a fisherman about Buzz
yards Bay. Some of it may. indeed. be in
spired by his high Office. but in the main
1t seems to be sincere. I arrived in Buzz
Yards Bay in the afternoon Tuesday
Hank" at the little railway station told
me that Mr.. Cleveland's catboat Ruth
had been seen lacking down the bay about
half past eight in the morning, so 1 de-
cided to spend the afternoon finding out
what Buzzard's Bay thinks of the chief
magistrate as a fisherman.
WALL" said Hank, hes got more time
/ to FISH then emmy un else here bouts,
'cept them thet fishes fer uvin' 1 amt
got no time to watch him myself bein'
busy ct sunthin' else. They do say,
though, tibet he knows how ter ketch UNI"
Hank did not seem at all surprised that
young woman should ask about Mr..
| Cleveland's fishing. Buzzards Bay would
consist of little but the bay, if it We're not
for Mr.. Cleveland, and every casual visi-
tor, including the tin peddlers and book
agents, ask solicitously after his welfare.
Ny own fishing experience had been
confined to spelling couple of gowns fish
ing for blue fish of Block Island and to
falling off the dock at the Pequod House,
New London, while laboring under the
excitement of catching porgie. On-such
very limited piscatorial education l had
no intention of interviewing Mr.. CleVe-
land on the subject of fisheries. either as
to squeetague or the larger catch of Ber-
ing Sea. l did want TO see him when he
thought he had nicely hooked one and TO
hear what he said after pulling in a hun
dred yards of line only to find his bait
gone. l wondered if the President would
under such circumstances be subject to
the weakness displayed by ordinary men.
1 wondered If he sat in morose silence
while awaiting a nibble or talked loqua-
ciously about Chinese, outrages or Span
| ish indemnities. Would he pull in his bait
occasionally and examine it with all the
solemnity of a senatorial investigation
and then throw it back with remark call
culated to bring blush to the cheek of
the diplomatic corps? Would he accident
ally sit down in the bait pail or lunch box
and would he have to cut hooks out of his
trousers and Jacket as have had hooks
] SIX ~ a nd wa 81 xxrhf cf rnf-
larly employed? These questions had to
wait until the morrow while 1 so to speak.
felt the pulse of the natives as to the great
fisherman.
got a catboat from Abe Goddard, who
is as thoroughly seasoned as any Buz-
Yards Bay fisherman. 1 sought him upon
the recommendation of Hank" at the
railway station, who said: What Abe
don't know erbout tishin' amt goin' ter
be found out yet awhile" He had what
hard boiled face" in the mid
die of which his features were
huddled together as if to escape stress
of weather. His keen, gray eyes express
ed curiosity that it is not within the Cape
Cod nature to conceal.
He seemed to have a suspicion that I
intended to follow the President down
the bay to shoot him or do something
equally terrible He couldn't understand
what could induce anyone to travel away
to Buzzard's Bay just to see the President
fish.
My cat" said he. us erbout ez fast
ez Mister Cleveland's cat but she amt
got as much gingerbread fxin's bout er,
ner she amt bin painted this year. His'n
has"
I didn't care whether the Hattie Tut
hill chat was the name of his craft
had been painted up to the standard of
presidential excellence or not, and after
D hpf 1ey19Ix
that 1 meant no mischief, l had no more
| difficulty than is usual in dealing with a
down-easter in striking a bargain for her
use and for W. w. Goddards service as
skipper
He seemed to take but the mildest sort
of interest in the doings of Mr.. Cleveland,
though he apparently knew pretty much
everything that has happened 'up ter the
Cleyelandses" since Mr.. Cleveland made
Gray Gables his summer home.
Speaking of the late interesting event at
Gray Gables, Abe said: Guess from what
I've heard he was kinder hopin' an wishin'
fer boy. Boy nd grown up en- be some
good ct ketchin' bait BY agreement Abe
was to furnish my bait and tackle and was
to await me in the Hattie Tuthill at 1880
a. m. was anxious to get an early start
so as to see the presidential fishing party
embark from the Gray Gables landing
stage. Woman-like 1 wanted to see what
the fisherman took along. 1 wondered,
too, if Mrs. Cleveland put up the presi-
dents lunch with her own hands and if
she forgot to put in salt. ] hoped that the
new baby might be in evidence, but my
better judgment showed me that that was
wildly improbable.
Abe Goddard was awaiting me at the
Buzzard's Bay landing according to
agreement. He wore broad smile and his
face had been washed until it shone This
l suppose was in my honor. He and his
boy Abe. Jr., youth of IA, so ungainly
and awkward that feared that if he were
taken along he would scare away the
fish, had been up at o'clock and had
since been catching bait.
"Mornin', ma am" said Abe; "goin' ter
be er good day fer squeetague.
Winds Jest right"
/ said 1 was glad to hear it.
Some days. he continued, "the Cleve-
lands folks don't go. but Their goin' ter
day all right. seen Bud Wright over ter
the inlet ketchin' bait. Me and Bub here
got better lot of clubs then his n es fur
es I kud see."
1 examined his pail of 'chubs." They are
what are called minnows further south
on the Atlantic coast and are not at all
like the fresh water club with which 1