The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-10-02

Mr.. Buck, "and the tag is still on him,
bring him here and I'll give you the
highest market price and another dol
lar IA bounty"
The boiling spring above the barn
was empty until December. By this
time Zeb and his wife grew so done
some that he made another unlawful
journey to the hatchery pond. For
two years Rutherford was undisturbed.
In June, 1881, Zeb felt the need of new
haying tools SO keenly that Mr.. Buck
bought rutherford again. He weighed
20 pounds, which, at 25 cents q pound,
yielded five dollars, and the bounty
swelled the sum to an even six dollars.
After this Rutherford was taken and
sold back every year or two though
Zeb never received so much for him at
any one time as he did in 1881. Prices
varied according to the season and the
plentifulness of salmon, but averaged
about 90 cents a pound, taking one year
with another. Though rutherford was
fed well, Zeb knew that his fish was
shrinking in weight every year. Be
tween 1881 and 1890 he had gone down
from 20 to IL pounds, despite the best
of care. He was not sick or melancholy
at any time, but the fountains of life
were slowly wasting away under the
combined influence of much moving
and old age.
During the financial panic of 1898 Zeb
felt considerably encouraged. In 1899
he had sold Rutherford, who weighed
ten pounds, for Is cents a pound, re-
ceiving with the bounty $3.50. A year
later he took Rutherford to Mr.. Buck
ard got $3.50 for him. Rutherford's
weight had not changed an ounce, but
the price of salmon had gone up three
cents on the pound. This gave Zeb
great hopes for the future. Fish were
long lived, and it was possible that
rutherford having reached the turning
point, would now fat up and earn more
money. He was doomed to bitter dis
appointment, for when he sold him in
1894 the scales could not be induced to
tip beyond the nine-pound notch.
Tempting foods were brought to him
during the winter of 1S94-95, and for
month or more he seemed to rally, but
with the advent of warm weather came
a relapse that reduced his weight to
eight pounds, when Mr.. Buck bought
him for the 18th time.
Zeb allowed Rutherford to remain in
the pond until the day previous to turn
ing all the old fish loose into the sea
before he took him home in the autumn
of 1895, hoping that the change would
cheer him up and prolong his days. For
awhile he seemed better, although his
appetite was gone and dainty frogs
brought from other springs at the
mountains base disported themselves
about him daily, apparently knowing
that Rutherford could do them no harm
During the cold of winter he stirred
about very little. Selecting a spot
where the water constantly bubbled up,
he lay in shower of golden mica scales,
seemingly oblivious to everything. To-
ward summer, when the carly mosqui-
IS laid their boat loads of fresh eggs,
lie fed sparingly upon the tender wig
glers and then moved away to the
shades of an overhanging elm root, as if
the sunlight made him weary. For
month he remained here, refusing to
come when Zeb called him and taking
no heed of the throbbing new life which
June had engendered. Then came the
end. Early in July 2eb went to the
spring to get water for his morning
coffee, and saw Rutherford floating on
top of the water. Zeb picked him up
carefully and found he had been dead
several hours.
Zeb put the body ON the scales for the
last time, and discovered that Ruther-
ford had shrunk away to less than three
pounds. Then he wrapped him in q
cloth and buried him in the garden
among the sweet peas. Later, with the
aid of chalk and shingle, he added up
Rutherford's earnings, and learned that
by selling him 13 times to the same
man he had obtained $52.06, which is
probably larger amount than ever was
paid for any other salmon.-Bango1
News,