Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1896-03-06
sHR,MPlNG IN FLORIDA.
The Fad Comes from France and Promises
to he Popular.

to He Popular
The most promising sport this winter
is q direct importation from the French
watering places, and everybody who
visits Florida now goes shrimping. pro-
nouncing it the great invention Of the
age. Shrimping parties were first got
ten up by some one who had spent her
summer in Dieppe, and learned how to
do it, but the sort of bathing suit in
which one frolicked with North Attain
tic waters last August won't serve at
all for shrimping in Florida. Down at
tie white beach, most patronized by
winter trippers, the shrimping is done
at q reef that lies about mile off the
hotels shore, where bath houses stand.
and to which, when the tide is low,
catboat will only carry you one-half
the way.
The fun begins just where the water
grows so shoal that the boat must stop.
Then the boatmen, who are growing
used to the ways of ladies from the
north, must roll their trousers to their
knees, spring out into the water and
carry the women clear across a quarter
of q mile stretch to the reef, all of
which is proclaimed to be Il most I'M
usual and exciting sensation, alone
worth joining shrimping excursion.
Down at the shrimping ground, on en-
tering the water, both cloak and slip
pers are cast aside, and one appears in
bare feet and ankles, with full trou-
sers to the knee. and a belted blouse
waist with short puffed sleeves. All
this should be in dark blue, Or brown,
or green flannel, and huge square
sailor collar of the same material and
color falling over the shoulders. Then.
armed with long-handled net. one
wades slowly out into the water, thrust
ing the net rim in to stir up the sand,
and then waving it quickly about to
catch the surprised and scattering
shrimp.
When the net gets heavy with fish
it is elnptied into a canvas pocket
swung over the left shoulder, but it
takes full half hour to fill that pocket.
if one has luck, and one wades in neck
deep to find the lively little creatures
that can easily escape nsherwoman
who is not swift enough with her net,
and doesn't know how to employ her
ten little toes in roofing about in the
sand.
When the tide begins to ebb shrimp
ing for the day is over, and all along
the beach driftwood fires wink cheer
full welcome to the fsherwomen return
ing with their spoils. Over each fire
al iron kettle is swung, and when the
water, with OF" big lump of salt in it,
is brought to he boiling point, in go
the shrimp. to cook fine rich pink
Expert shrimpers merely wash their
canvas shoulder bags, drop them into
the pots, q few minutes boiling does
the business, and wrapped in their long
cloaks, everybody squats informally
about OH the sand and sits about peel
ing and eating the catch.
The sight becomes impressive when
one slender deb1ltante alone eats II
yet wears a yearning expression Of
righteous appetite unappeased IN the
depths of her large brown eyes that
almost drives her masculine friends
out once more in search Of sea food.
Some very nice women have indeed
quite lost all record Of the number of
shrimps they can consume in one after
noon. but plead in eXtenuation the i'm
perial deliciousness of plain broiled
shrimps. when fresh from the sea, and
the voracious appetite this species of
sport can excite.
When every shell has been cracked
and the fires begin to fall into Goals.
nets, bags and kettles are gathered into
the lighthouses, magnificent huge
conHagration Of driftwood is lighted
on the sand, and all join hands and be-
gin to circle around it, singing what
ever sense or nonsense may pop into
their heads.-N. Y. Commercial Adver-
tiser.