The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-20
MUSSER'S BLACK BASS.
GETS REsrERArNrER GALLAGHER
INTO PECK OF TROUBLE.
How the Feast For the Members of
the Legislative Committees on
Fish and Game Was Prepared.

Restauranter GALLAGHER of Main
street had somewhat Of an unusual and
rather ludicrous experience yesterday
by which he innocently fell into the
clutches of the strong arms of the
law, and it required a great deal of
we'll directed effort to procure a re-
taxation of those clutches.
1t is a funny story and, fable fash
ion, it runs this way:
Once upon a time there lived in the
city of Salt Lake a man by the name
of Musser, who, by process of law, was
made fish commissioner. He was a
very wise man, but his views were not
| always so considered by a party Of
men who were higher in authority than
he, and who were known as the United
States fish commission, whose habit it
was to distribute spawn throughout
the commemorative of Grover Cleve-
lands domain. 1t was not then Mr..
| Cleveland's land, but has since so be-
come
Now this wise man believed a
certain species of fish known in those
days as black bass would thrive in
the waters of one of those common
wealths which was known in those
days as the territory of Utah. The
other wise men pooh poohed the idea
but gave the foolish man, as they con-
sidered him. a few of the fishes to eX-
pertinent with, and 10 and behold! the
man. Musser, proved wiser than all
the men who scoffed at him, for in
very few years black bass, large and
toothsome, were found in great plenty
in those same waters wherein the wise
man, Musser, had placed the few min
nOWS which had been given him.
Then it came to pass as years went
by that Utah became state and
many other wise men were called
upon to make laws to govern her peo-
pie. These wise men were known as
legislators and were divided into small
parties called committees, and two of
these committees, one from each OF the
two assemblies Of the wise men,
were known as fish and game
committees and to them was intrusted
the work of formulating the law un-
der which the wise man, Musser, would
have to carry on his aVOcation Of rails
ing fish,
Now the wise man Musser, wishing
to ingratiate himself into the good
graces of these committees, decided to
give them a great feast, for which he
provided a large quantity of these same
black bass and all the members were
invited to partake thereof
which had previously been made by
other wise men, also known as Iegis-
lators, which declared it an offense to
catch or even have in ones possession
any of these fish except at stated peri
DDS. The period during which they
might not be caught was called
q closed season and it so happened
that it was during one of these closed
seasons that the wise man, Musser, de-
cided to feast the other wise men. He
being q law officer, deemed it justifi-
able infraction of the law, which ex-
plains why he could treat his guests to
black bass while other people could
have only suckers. Well, as related the
wise man Musser procured large guam
titles of the black bass and taking them
to the inn keeper, GALLAGHER instructed
him to prepare them for the feast. Now
the inn keeper, who was in those days
known as a restauranteur, was Of a
business turn of mind, and knowing
the neighboring inn keepers would not
be able to display anything so tempt
ing decided to place the bass in his
window to make his neighbors enviOus
and to attract patronage, for while he
knew they could not serve the fish to
any but the wise mans guests. still
the show would tempt a great many
hungry people inside who. once in.
could not go out until their hunger had
been satiated and their thirst had
been quenched, and he would be many
piasters the richer as a consequence.
But it so happened that at this same
time there was a law officer known
as the fish and game warden,
whose duty it was to enforce
the law 1t also happened
that the incumbent of this
office was another wise man named
Heath. and it also further happened
that this wise man was a very con-
scientious officer who knew no favor
ties when performing his duty. SO it
came to pass that the wise man.
Heath. while stroiling along the high
way upon which the inn was situated.
spied the black bass in the window of
the innkeeper. He immediately Took
the proprietor of the inn into custody
and it was as much as ever the wise
man, Musser. could do to keep the law
from taking it's course and the offender
from being punished in accordance
with the laws, which were very severe
in those days. The wise man, Musser,
was very eloquent as well as wise.
however, and he succeeded in inducing
the magistrate to let the innkeeper go.
The fnnkeeper was thereupon per
mitted to return to his inn, where he
cooked the fish. which were greatly
enjoyed by the wise men of the COM
mittees.
The moral of this fable is. when
you put black bass in your window to
make your neighbor jealous, don't do