The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1897-09-18
Terms, sl.oo q Year in Advance.
CAUGHT THE EDUCATED CRAB.

CAUGHT THE EDUCATED CRAB.
It Had Spoiled Cap'n Eph's Tishing,
but WINS Lnnded by Hedford Rum.
The Educated Crab came 70 grief the
|; other day and Cap'n Eph BrowIes Wis
tied the village to celebrate the event.
When last seen, bound over the hills of
Hardscra bile, he was close hauled and
laying a course as tortuous as the wake
Of a mackerel smack beating to wind
ward against tide and a stiff moth
easter.
Cap'n Eph had been fishing for the
Educated Crab ever since he was 50
afflicted with rheumatism that he had
to knock off cruising between Bishop
and Clerks lighthouse and the Hand
kerchief ledge, and do all his fishing in
the bay or off the breakwater. He had
+ always maintained that the Educated
Grab was raised in Buzzard's bay and
that it had legs around New Bedford.
It showed a vicious knowledge, accord
ing to Cap'n Eph, only to have been
gained by long experience among
whalemen.
II s'pose that air crab hez been afoul
my line at least 'leven hundred times, Z
remarked Cap'n Eph when he stood in
front Of the post Office and displayed the
cadaver of the crab, which he had
brought from the beach carefully
wrapped in q paper.
How do know it's the same crab?
Don't yer s'pose I kin tell his figgery
head from yourn? addressing the
neighbor on his left and pointing to the
one on his right.) Crabs hev phizes jest
ez much ez pussons Sides, there never
wus crab afore thatwuz sheathed all
along its keel and deck with barnacles.
] I've hearn tell thet yer could tell tn age
NV rattlesnake by tn rattles he steered
by. IF thet holds good in thu case Nv
crabs this'n' must be nigh thousand
years old.
ut I'D steal bait EASTERN hull school
nv flyers. Thet's where his eddication
cum in. I've leaned over the gunwale
when I Wuz fishing in clear water an
watched him skirmish round morn so
times. He'd oskuttlin' round my hook
four or five times, jes' ter get tn bear
ings Nv tn bait, but he wouldn't make
no effort ter tech til bait until he'd gone
up ag'in tn tide for two or three faith
oms Then he'd come sailin' back with
the tide on his beam an heave to about
three inches from my line.
Every other crab would hev jes'
grabbed fur TIL bait an made sail. That
Wuzn't tn style of tn dedicated Crab,
howsomever he'd ies' port his helm an
swing athwart TIL tide till he'd got his
starboard claw fore an aft with my line,
an then he'd grab TIL hook by TIL eye
m pint it's biziness end away from his
belly while he picked the bait off with
his port claw. It didn' t matter how fast
I hauled in tn line, he'd hev tn hook
bare by th' time / rized him to the edge
Nv tn water.
.'He spilled my fshin' fur three sum-
mers, but I kotched him at last How
I. its.cum about shows that tn smartest
crab ain no way superior to man eff it
meddles with rum. Night afore las
opened half a bucket ur CLAIMS an set
the bait down by the table right under
where I'd sot nigh about full bottle Nv
5Medford rum; what I used to rub my
leg fur rheumatic. I'd disremembered
all about that bottle when cum hum
long about nine o'clock o night an
tried to light tn glim. Whilst I wuz
fooln' round fur a match / Knocked TIL
bottle over an most all the lilSker
swashed down on them air clans.
cussed myself fur a lubber all night,
fur had pains in my leg an stumach
mighty bad. But I AIM sorry thetkI
spilled tn likker now, seem that I
kotched tn dedicated crab.
81 thot ez the likker would be likely
ito Spite tn bait, an sure enough didn't
git.a bite till th' tide wuz about ebb an
tn ole crab hove in sight. He took to
the rum soaked bait Jest ez kindly ez
. bitionist away from hum. He
cleaned my hook an made sail fur his
port, but bimeby he cum back under
full Roadway an seemed dreadful eager
fur mother bite. He goti it, but acted
SO wobbly that it sot me ter thinl1in'.
Says I ter myself, you. hey sartainly got
/, brains enough to git tangled up in
your latitude eff you hist in much more
Nv that cargo. So I jist jambed TIL
hook full Nv rum-soaked CLAIMS an let
Cap'n Crab navigate all over the bottom
with it. Bimeby e seed thet he was too
wobbly ter steer within three pints Nv
his course. He he'd to tack half dozeE
times afore he could lay himself along
side the hook when I baited up agin
and then he jest grabbed at tn bait,
hook and all, regardless O. conse-
Eecences. 1 let him git a good hold
afore I yanked, an when did give pull
on tn line. ] druy til hook nigh half
through his port quarter. 1t wasn't
time for tn wink ur yallerleg's eye
afore I he'd him in tn boat; an he lay.
thar an blinked at mesez drunk e. a
shanghaied foremost hand IN tn fo'kas-
tie Nv q Baltimore packet. Thet's how
( kotched tn dedicated crab. Boston
Traveller.
Before His Honor.
The following IS reported from
crossroads JUSTICES court:
Now, jedge,'' said the witness, .sTm I
about ter tell the truth /! 2
DO You mean ter tell me, = said the
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