The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1897-06-04
'F0' De WAH.
Jackfishing Was Sport Then
According to the
Black Homer.

AChflSH!' exclaimed Tony Bu-
u chanan, the Black Homer, of Jim
town "Pow'ful sights of 'em, sub! An
lackfishin'? Why, co'se if dah's iackfish
dah got to be jackfishin', aim dab j?
Folks does heaps o. jackfshin', an
cotches oodles o. jacks, but sho! dab
ain no spote in jackfishin' no mo-.
In de yeas 'fo' de war. dey wuz de days
when dab wuz spote in jackfshin'!
Jickettyl Jes' natchily makes my mouf
wattah fo' dem oil days, when t'ink O.
jackfishin' way we done done it TO de
wahi"
The jackfsh, or Jack, of southern
rivers is the pike of the north, or,
rather, the fish commonly known as the
pickerel. If you should ask almost any
native, not only of North Carolina, but
of adjacent states, if there were any
pickerel or pike in his bailiwick he
would be quite sure to tell you there
were not, because he would not know
the fish by such names. But jackfish?
Well.
"Yes, suh." said Tony. ''Jackfishin'
70 de wah! Um-m-m-um! Dat wuz
spote, sho'ly! Dab wuzn't no mo- vim
in de jackfish den dan dab is now, sub,
an we cotch i'm jes de same, an git
ies' as crazy when he bite as we did den;
but dah ain muffin to jackfshin' no
mo-! Why. ben jackfishin in dem
good OF days when my OF mahs' win
six niggahs on one cock fight, suhl An
| ben jackfishin', TO de wah, when he
lose me an free mo- niggahs jes' bettin'
on one heat of a hoss race, sub, an win
us all back ag'in an two mo- niggahs
sides us, sub, bettin' on jes' one hand
o. pokah, Jack kfishin'? Sho! Dab aim
no jackfishin' no mo-! Seems mighty
dcsp'rit fo' me to do it, but sometimes
l fink if l only jes' see oil mahs' jack
fishin' once mo- down yon on de banks
o. de Cape Fare, in de days TO de wah
jes' natch'ly could jine my fadduhs!
Il nevuh see bettuh jackfshu dan
my OF mahsuh. Bes' fishin' TO jacks
wah in de fall, an when fall come |
done spec ev' day to heah mahs say:
Hi, you Tony! Aim ] got a red
roostuh O. some kyine, some whah bout
de plantationT
"Or mahs' always keep coop o. de
fines chickens in de lan'-bes' kyine o.
jackfishin' roostuhs, too. When de
time come fo' mahsah to say dat, l say:
"'Sho'ly yo' have, mahsuhr
"Den mahs' he say: so l bean tink-
in But co'se dat OF roostuh ain trim %
he say.
"'Trimmest kyine!' say.
Den mahs' he pool he whiskuhs
spell an 'peah like he tinkin' pow'ful
hahd. Bimeby he say:
"''Peahs like dun bought V'ginny
filly some time, Tony. Spec didn't,
though! Ain hoss on de plantation. l
reckon?
"Mahs' always have a stable full de
bes' young hosses, V'ginny fillies an al
kyine. say:
"'Heap o. hosses. mahsuh!'
".Grain an grass-fed, | done 'spec'p
mahs' he say. All fat an pot-belly, O.
cosel'
Den say: 'Jes like grayhoun's, dem
hosses is, mahsuhi An slick as silk,
subj
"Den oil mahs' he pool he whiskuhs
some mo- an do pow'ful tinkin'. Bime-
by he say:
"'Den Ise gwan jackfishin', t'mah
non.
"Dat jes' wat done bean waitin' fo'
to heah, case l bean baitin' de fishin'
groun' fo' a week an mo-, an oil mahs'
he ,.now it mighty well. 'Fo de wah,
when we went jaekfishin', we fus' frow
heaps o. con meal dough in de stream
to coax the fish. De meal coax de
minny fish to de spot, an de minny fish
dey coax de jackhsh in dab, SO dey be
ready to be catched when we go out
to git 'em.
so, when OF mahs' he tell me he
pwan jackfshin'. / done have de fish
poles all ready mex mon, an de trim
red roostuh in bag, an wait TO NAH
sub. When he come, he say: