Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-07-15
ON THE SOUTH BRANCH.


the Martinsburg Statesman, we left
Martinsburg at 2 o'clock on Wednas-
day, and after pleasant ride ofan hour
and a-half along the Potomac river on
the picturesque B. & o. Railroad we
arrived at Green Spring station. Here
we changed cars, and took primitive
little train for Romney, sixteen miles
south. We made this run, with many
a bump and jerk, in the excellent time
of an hour and ten minutes, and a
little before five o'clock reached the
pleasant old town of Romney. We
were met at the terminus of the road,
which didn't quite get into town, by
our friend John Cornwell, the editor
the Hampshire Rerjeac, and one Of the
progressive and brainy young men Of
that section, at whose comfortable
home we were made welcome guests.
The object of the trip was to depop-
ulate the South Branch Of bass. Mr..
Cornwell and his brother, Mr.. VIM B.
Cornwell, who is prosecuting attorney
Of Hampshire county, assured us that
there was no law against catching all
the bass if we so desired, and indeed
they had assisted in the preparations
for that event. Boats had been sent
twelve miles up the stream, the best
of bait provided, and there seemed no
reason why Thursday should not prove
a sad day to the fish. After supper
of delicious fried chicken, which showed
that Mrs. Cornwell was one Of those
Virginia housekeepers that you read
about, we strolled about the town and
met a number of the excellent people
of Romney. This town, by the way,
hustles Shepherdstown in point Of age.
Both were incorporated in November,
1862, though we think we can prove
by DR.. Graham, of Winchester, that
Shepherdstown is the older.
Thursday morning at 8 o'clock we
were routed out of bed, and after an
excellent lunch we took the stage for
the poor-house, over the hills twelve
miles away, where the boats were wait
ing. 1t was a jolly crowd, including
Judge R. W. Daley, Mr.. John Pan
cake, Prof. Friend, Mr.. Whitaker,
the Messrs. Cornwell and the two pan
handle editors, with experienced boat
men to carry US over the rifles. We
made good start, and nobody got
wet for fully ten minutes. BY that
time the boat in which Judge Daley
and Mr.. Whitaker were sailing had
leaked itself half full, and the Judge
had to hang his feet in the river to
keep them dry. First blood was put
down for Prof Friend, with Editor
Bower a close second. Mr.. Boyer
might have gotten the first bass, but
in attempting to make cast he hooked
HIMSELF in the seat Of his trousers, and
lost considerable time in his frantic
efforts to turn himself around 50 as to
reach the hook.
The fishing was good, but not what
it should have been By noon the
string numbered sixty, and we stopped
for lunch, for which everybody had a
keen appetite. 1t was the first bite
Judge Daley had gotten. He truth
fully boosted that though he hadn't
caught any fish he ate as much dinner
as the next fellow. After dinner the
boats were showed off and we tried it
again. Mr.. Boyer caught sucker,
that is, he hooked himself again. Prof.
Friend forgot to spit upon his bait and
lost his luck. Whitaker was ship
wrecked in going over a rifle. The
Judge had falling out with his boat
man because the latter refused to bore
a hole in the bottom OF the boat to let
the water out. Cornwel insisted on
indicting Crawford for catching more
than his share of the fish. And then
the fish stopped biting
But whether the bass would bite
freely or not, everybody had cords OF
fun. We cannot imagine more beau
tiful stream than the South Branch.
It's depth ranges from SIX inches to
twenty feet. Here is long stretch
where the limpid waters ripple over
the clean-scoured sandstones at just
the depth to show every pebble; now
comes an eddy, where the water is still
and deep; then "nfle, where the
river takes plunge down hill, slip
ping and sliding over the pebbles in
swift-fowing stream or gathering into
a sluce of rushing waves that requires
considerable care to escape ducking.
The writer had the best Of boatmen,
Ken Mills, who put the skitf in the
right place at the right time always.