Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-18

and seldom bring to land-five feet long, to
say the leaSti
Before they start off the committee dis
tributes to each fisher who has entered his
name for the contest a small wire circle.
He must hang the FISH he may take on this
wire by the gills. 1t is too dangerous to
trust the baskets and cans of the fishers
themselves, with possible mysterious dou-
bic bottoms. The band strikes up a noisy
march, and the procession begins toward
the fishing ground, followed and surround
ed by hundreds of boys, ana even by
grown men, anxious like all Parisians and
Athenians, to see and learn something new
and strange. Under the trees Of the Cours-
la-Reine. which Marie de Medicis planted
for her own Queeniy drive, the plebeian
throng passes 10 the bridge of the Alma
with its giant statues of Napoleons SOL
diers bathing their feet in the river from
the buttresses. Between this point and the
Trocadero a part of the beach ard an
equal space of the water trout out into the
river have been staked Off There 10 one
may enter. unless he is passed through by
the committee.
Interested Spectators
Against the embankment a buffet is
spread, where the fishers may provide
themselves with bottles of long and short
drink and cakes and even bread, which is
according to the simple French tastes A
ste amboat has been drawn up 20 the dock
in the middle for the judges. and their Sis
tiers and cousins, and a few aunts as chap
rGns. The fishers draw lots for place;
some enter the boats, which are stationed
lenSthwise, end to end. in a line parallel
10 the shore, and the others take their
numbered places at a distance OF two yards
from each other along the bank. The cor
net sounds for the last time-for music
hath no charms for Gshes-and all the
lines are thrown together into the water.
Even the profane crowd from the embank-
ment, dozen feet above, forg.ts to chaff,
and waits in silence.
For seven minutes by the watch nothing
happens, and the crowd grows sarcastic.
suddenly one of the corks begins bCbbing
and fish leaps from the water 1t is a
| bleak-one of those pale-colored fishes
wnose scales are used in making artificial
pearls. 1t is less than five inches long.
and SO savage might have caught it
/ without offense of law. But it is the first
| and it has prize for the locksmith who
has taken 1t. Soon ether fish come to light
Among all the two hundred hooks and
| lines-and the joy of the crowd knows NO
| bounds when one able-bodied fisher, after
evident struggles. lands safely a rusted
| bicycle crank.
I Several thousand people have gathered
round on the embankment above, under
| the trees. to the intense curiosity of the
OMNIBUS passengers, who stand ND on ton
| OF the huge numbering vehicles to look, and
along the shore up to the very limits OF the
| sacred Enclosure. Inside there are types
enough and to spare. One of the mosl
| worthy Is workman i'm blue jeans With a
pipe HdHSIllS from MS mouth, and cap or
1 his head. He Is made like the average
Frenchman, sturdy. not tall, but with the
legs exactly he length of the body, instead
of Angio-Sax longleggedness. He fishes
| placidly, unm, ed by the running fire oI
! questions and witticisms from the crowd,
| There is single woman entered for the
match on the second day; but she stands
| no chance for the rubber Of the third day
| In the whole two hours she has not a sin.
| gle bite. another victory of blind fate owe,
| the cause OF woman's rights in France Ii
one or two of the boats the fishers hav.
brought their womanfolk and children, who
help to bait the hooks with the earthworm:
| and genties used for the purpose. The,
| can also hand up to the fisher In the end Of
| the boat. where he sits intent on his line
the bottle Of drink; and 1t Is q Sunday out
| ing for themselves.
When the Day n Done.
Nothing could be prettier as scene set
ting than the riverside and the bridges
black with people looking down to watcl
the sport. the trees above the embank
ment. and the Eiffel tower stretching VI
its head for 1000 feet to proclaim the &c
MUS Of Paris. When the two hours are VI