Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-08-12
THE CITIZEN
Sweeney's Snapper.


as if they couldn' helpit, and never CIV
ing up even after they are, metaphor
cally speaking, dead. l used to think
it was because they We're born bad, and
grew up that way, but it isn't that. IL
isn't innate badness at all. 1t Is snap
per stew and snapper soup, and other
dishes of which snapper is the life and
soul. Th ats what it is. I'll tell you
how l know it.
Il had never come in contact with
snapper except by having seen 1t for
years announced conspicuously in every
Philadelphia refectory where politicians
congregate as the one particular provld-
er of the elements of sustenance contain
ed in the viands listed on the menus OF
those establishments. and where | had
frequently seen more than few emln-
ent Philadelphia statesmen seated, each
with four-quart bowl of snapper some
thing -or-ooher and bottle labeled as
champagne before him, doing full just
| ice to both-'if which same, | heard
rival and evidently maligning states
man saw once, had been done to them
selves, they would be in much more
contracted quarters, partaking OF much
more frugal rations, at the expense OF
willing tax PAYERS | have never seen
but speaking of champagne, Phlladel-
phia politicians are beyond doubt the
greatest connoisseurs in champagne
labels in the known world. They never
buy or drink anything that is not con
tained in bottles with champagne
labels on them And the label has got
to be right Al Crawford, one of the
best all round Philadelphia statesman
that ever absorbed snapper or ordered
ND bottle, used to be a great label ex-
pert. | have known him more than
once to rebuke a barkeeper for setting
up bottle bearing wrong vintage Ia
bel, and refuse to be comforted until
the barkeeper had taken the bottle to
the other end of the bar and put the
right label on it. | had seen such enor-
nous quantities of champagne bottles
opened wherever and whenever Phlla-
delphia politicians happen to drop ln'
that one day, having read in the papers
that the phylloxera had attacked and
almost ruined the vineyards of France
that year, was moved to ask the proprl-
etor of one place where champagne bot
ties were opened in particularly great
numbers, if he wasn't apprehensive that
the Philadelphia politicians would be
cut short in their supply.
"Oh, no, he said. confidently. Phyl-
lloxera never hits the Jersey apple crop
very hard.
Il suppose he knew what he meant.
We'll have never come in contact
with snapper except in the way | men
ton, until last week. Then / met him
for fair l was up near Harrisburg,
fishiug for black bass in the Susquehan-
ma River, under the escort of Colonel
Jim Anthracite Sweeney, of Hazleton
Colonel Sweeney is also a statesman
with a rowing commission.
We were fishing in the deep water
across from Squire McAllisters place.
Colonel Sweeney was in one boat and
was in another, because he said he
never had room for his fish and his feet
at the same time unless he had a boat
all to himself | had caught quite lot
of big bass, but not one of them was
half so big as any one of the seven Col
onel Sweeney's said had got away from
him. when he saw great commotion
in the water hundred yards or so below
us. The water was being lashed and
tumbled until everything boiled
That's one of them big bass that
hooked exclaimed Colonel Jim.
hooked him so bad that he has come to
the top down yonder and is giving his
dying kick. That amt the biggest one
of the seven, either.
The Colonel pulled up his anchor and
rowed hurriedly toward the scene of dis
turbance, and / followed him. He got
there few yards head of me and In
stantly threw up his hands and shouted
{" Tt amt my big bass It's three
snappers having scrapping match.
might have known that if it had been
one O. them bass of mine it'd have
made the water fly a blame sight
livelier than this.
Il had reached the spot by this time,
and l give you my word, / was scared
at first at what I saw. Three of the
iugliest. fiercest- looking creatures l had
ever seen were fighting among them
lselves at terrific rate They paid no
attention to u.s. but splashed and thrash,
ed and churned that water until 1t look
ed like the wake of an ocean liner. One
of them was as big round as a half
bushel measure. He had claws like a
bears and head as big as wildcat.
=" BY the squeaking fife player OF
lGarrvowenr exclaimed Colonel Swee-
Iney. but he's dandy | must
get him for Charley Voorhees,! Charley
will need him this fall
Then he grabbed an oar, and told me
to watch my chance, while he belted
the other two and drove them away,
and catch the big fellow by the tail and
haul him into my boat. l hesitated
Its easyr shouted Colonel jim
He'll be as peaceful as lamb when he
gets in the boat They're done up wher
they're out of water. They're as harm
less as doves them,
so Colonel Sweeny whacked the two
smaller ones with the oar. but they did
not mind it bit. They fought harder
than ever. At last the big fellow flop
ped around, and his tail stuck right VI
toward me- clutched it and hauled
away. The two others happened to bt
clinched together just then, and before
they discovered what | -rvas doing
had the gigantic snapper almost in the
boat, although it was all could dc
to get him there and came near upset
ting the boat in doing it. Just as
hauled him over the gunwale the othel
two discovered him. They broke away
and made rush at my boat like bat
tering rams They tried their best t
get into it after the one | had captured
but they couldn't do it and fell to fight
ing between themselves again, and w