The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-25
uARPOONING A GAR.
,vc,1,Ne FISHING ADVENTURE ON
!" LAKE CHARLES.

extending 800 yarus uo"ii
eA'enoed Lake Charles in honor OF o
was =" Louisiana. There are little bay
GU. INNING back from the lake, and
Gus ,rere once noted fishing spots.
1 u.ut white perch and bank perch were
49,. aiU~ in abundance, and the Beaumont
'u'. nIo found great sport and good feed
p 'Dla mill one year. as if by magic, the
'I ,lo soomed to fill with alligator gars,
pa .eh are destructive to hooks, lines
Wiz VIZ sr,aller fish alike. They soon ruined
s aSo whole place as fishing resort and
' .uU evidently rapidly increasing. They
s'aone dangerous, as they would fire.
U U"ontlv flop into boats, and If they
qu. oaod 70 catch q fellow he knew it.
I %Sn;r teeth are like 100 razors, and,
, tn tbe turtle, they hold until it thrn-
iiAv Wv .-.,s.<--sl -s--sssssss's> - 'sS~zsr
u' Finally three youthful spirits, bent
.,or snort. Mr.. Edmund Lockhart, the
u upO Superintendent Of telephone on
,ho Gulf and Interstate; Mr.. BenJa-
min p Simkins, son of Judge L. j.
cimtins of Corsicana, and. another, de-
o;dod 70 rid the river of the nuisance.
Their preparations were elaborate. Ihey
erst secured some large flat files and
sbornened the blunt end, making
hoord like that on q fishhook except
tbat IL was larger on both sides. The
handle end was inserted in the end OF a
nole which is a round piece ~ inches
n diameter and 20 feet long. A coil OF
conner wire 90 feet long was attached
ot the other end of the pole, and then
tbe remaining end of the wire was firm.
" attached to a five gallon jug securely
corked Two of these and pistol form
cd tbe necessary implements OF destruc-
ton, and the boys were ready.
II was a hot August day, with the
temperature ranging around the 100
mark On such days as this the gars
were won't to come to the surface in the
early morn and sun, and ON these occa-
sions their backs were shining out
ahont half an inch above water. The
bows reached the spot and began to pre-
mare for the onslaught. Ben Simkins
stood at the Prov of the boat with the
gig in hand and his arm drawn back,
ready to throw. Edmund Lockhart sat
in the rear with the wire coiled and the
Jug ready to let il. out. The third boy
did the rowing There was good sized
fellow Just in front of them. Slowly
they crept upon him, and when 10 feet
away the gig went forward with light
ming rapidity. In an instant the mon
ster was in the air, and splash Of wa
ter went up covering the boys and the
boat He was gone, and the chase on in
earnest. Edmund spun out the wire
rapidly, and finally the jug came.
"Hold on to it, Edmund, and let him
pull us. F"
"All right, if 1 can. P"
He fastened the jug in an instant,
making a sort Of leverage of the wire.
He was in the stern, and the force jerk
ed the boat around, almost capsizing it.
Edward grabbed the wire and sprang to
bis feet, trusting more to his strength
than the boat IIo planted his feet as a
brace and leaned back. The boat began
whizzing faster and faster. Soon it be-
gan literally to pillow the water. The gar
made a sudden jerk, and over Edmund
went head first, with the jug following.
The other two boys were scared, but the
excitement was intense, for they were
travelling at speed Of 20 miles an hour,
or 1t may have been 80. As soon as the
two in the boat could regain presence Of
mind they began locking for Edmund.
There he yTcs fally 100 feet behind, and
the boat still leaving him. The oarsman
backed up quickly and took him in, a
wet human, but happy just the same.
Away across on the other side was a
gar travelling in circle traced by the
telltale Jug 10 swan like CREASED
lightning, and beautiful running
fountain rose 10 feet in the air, caused
Dy the flying jug as it went through
theWater. Around and around he swan
Ior half an hour, until it began to look
Us Il ne would never tire. Presently his
circles grew smaller and his movement.
Were not so quick. Then he began com.
ing TO the surface, and there, sticking
III his back, could be seen the gig.
Finally he got slow enough for thC
Boys to get the sliff closer, and at last
Ie seemed to rise as if to make q super
human effort to rid himself of the ar
row. lie could not succeed, and just az
ne was slowly going straight downward
WIN bill in air Ben threw the reserve
gig His uncrfing aim struck its mark
gong straight through his bill ant
IioOAlhg his uQper and lower jaws. They
HeaVeo slG2 o. relief when that hap
teneu ie. 80 Cle of them cared Il
s an ca c. a leg crushed between
1uOse Vicious looking teeth. He mad,
SI Desperate plunge when it strucl
S S.' t--- =. doi-S 50 rid himself of thu
ar z lie hardly moved after that
, r "nla tucy D i ia tho first gig
nv "a Ai1 hesa cllus to the barbs
ba NY lowed hi~ a-oo1ly to the bank, fo
~ was ~ 1cct u-5c- tic water, and j
b Sas very uncc- 81 thing SIS to whethe
o oo w. was SUI strong enough to do damag
- not When the bS2k was reached. h
"ss l~ised gradually to tho surface, an,
,pla'oi ball finished al that was still
nv q that powerful water monster.
,o LUIS IS description OF how one o