Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-07-09
LANCASTER BOYS In CAMP
THE ROSY ANN WRECKED IN A
FLOOD.
Plenty of Fish-ortOn and BROKER Happy
"A Catastrophe Brings Them Suddenly
to Grief

to Grief.
CAT FISH LAKE, EAGLE RIVER, WIS.
July ?, 1896.
DEAR ToNY:-You see from above
heading we are still at this point. We
cannot understand why the lake is
called Cat Fish Lake as there is not
cat fish in it. Suppose they used
that name because so many lakes and
names went short. Since writing YOU
last we have had some experience and
can dish you up fish story as large
as you can ask for and still be true.
something very uncommon. We
made trip to Bass Lake, some six
miles east from here. We had 10
have guide for this particular trip
as we had to go through larger lake
than Cat Fish Lake, called Cranberry
Lake. Then taking up our boat on
our shoulders portage through
the brush to small lake without
name. After crossing again we look
up another portage of about one-fourth
of mile to Bass Lake Bass Lake is
about 2x1 mile wide; not soul liv-
ing near it. The sides of the lake are
covered with spruce and birch and the
water is so clear you can see the
4
bottom ten feet deep. We brought
small mosquito bar along and got
some fine minnows out of the outlet
to the lake which was about the size
of the stream at Pigeon bridge. We
then launched our boat and tie fun
commenced. George Brooker was at
ole end of the boat, guide in middle
and Fuzzy at the other end. The
guide being in the middle of the boat.
we could have him row us slowly
along. while he baited our hooks and
took off our fish and you can imagine
we kept him busy; first one and then
another. Sometimes a black bass,
large or small mouth; then maybe a
pickerelor perch. The bass run from
one pound to about two and one-half.
George caught one which my little
scales showed weighed just 81 pounds.
The guide informed us that the larg-
est one caught in the lake was by an
Elgin, Illinois, man, which weighed 81
pounds. We expressed surprise and
he said that it was the largest bass
caught anywhere to his knowledge.
We had to stop long before we wanted
to as we had no means of saving the
fish. We must have caught 100 fish
but of course we took good many off
the hook as soon as caught and placed
them back in the water again. We
are getting very nearly enough OF fish
diet. Today we had for dinner:
boiled black bass, butter sauce, A La
Brookens. Potatoes, A La Murphy.
Hide on.) Bread and butter, blue
berries, sugar on top,and coffee, pinny
style viz, without cream As we
camped in a blue berry patch we had
fruit three times day, that is when
We are not too lazy to pick them.
George rugged up a sail to the Rosy
Ann. Now instead of rowing all the
time, we can row up to the head of the
lake and race down before the wind.
The Rosy Ann is number one boat
for all purposes. We enjoy the sail
ing part of it best as we can sit upon
our camp chairs and let her 90. We
expect to break up this camp tomor-
row and then take train to Warsaw,
Wis, where we will take the river on
the Rosy Ann, Brookens-C Captain;
Fuzzy-Mate. We wanted to take the
river here but are informed that the
logs are so thick it would be impos-
sible to get through as far as War
saw. We have not seen woman's
face or a razor since coming here a
week ago and Brookens suggested
that we let our whiskers grow and so
do you out OF our trade to pay you up
for not lending up your dead mans
razor which we wanted you to- AL
though we have not looking glass,
we can feel that the sun is getting in
its work as both of our noses are peel
ing off. When we get below Warsaw
will write YOU again; until then so
long. Yours truly,
FUZZY
Messrs. Orton and BROKER arrived
suddenly at home in Lancaster since
the above was written. They were to
have put the Rosy Ann in the Wiscon-
sin river near Reinelauder and fioated