Cañon City record., 1897-09-23
CAUGHT THE EDUCATED CRAB.

CAUGHT THE EDUCATED CRAB.
1t Had Spoiled Cnp'n Eph's Fishing,
Hut Was Landed by Medford Rum-
The Educated Crab came 20 grief the
other day and Cap'n Eph Browles vis-
tied the village to celebrate the event.
When last seen, bound over the hills of
Hariscrabble, he was close hauled and
laying course as tortuous as the wake
of mackerel smack beating to wind
ward against tide and stiff moth
caster.
Cap'n Eph had been fishing for the
Educated Crab ever since he was so
afflicted with rheumatism that he had
TO knock off cruising between Bishop
and Clerks lighthouse and the Hand
Serchief ledge, and do all his fishing in
the bay or off the breakwater. He had
always maintained that the Educated
crab was raised in Buzzard's bay and
hat it had legs around New Bedford.
showed vicious knowledge. accord
ng to Cap'n Eph, only to have been
gained by long experience among
whalemen.
Il s'pose that air crab hez been afou.
my line at least 1ever hundred times,r
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 paper
How do l know it's the same crab :?
Don't yer s'pose l kin tell his figger-
head from yourn? addressing the
neighbor on his left and pointing to the
one on his right.l Crabs hev phizes jest
ez much ez pussons. Sides, there never
wus crab afore that wuz sheathed all
along its keel and deck with barnacles.
I've hearn tell thet yer could tell tn age
t.v rattlesnake by tn rattles he steered
by. Ef thet holds good in tn case NV
crabs this'n' must be nigh a thousand
years old
III I'D steal bait Eastern a hull school
Nv fryers. Thet's where his eddication
cum in. I've leaned over the gunwale
when l wuz fishing in clear water an
watched him skirmish round morn so
times. He'd go skuttlin' round my hook
four or five times. jes' ter get tn bear
Ings ny tn bait, but he wouldn't make
no effort ter tech tn bait until he'd gone
ap 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 Edslicated Crab.
howsomever he'd ies' port his helm an
swing .athwnrt tn tide till he'd got his
starhoard claw fore an aft with my line
an then he'd grab tn hook by III eye
am pint its biziness end away from his
belly while he picked the bait off with
his port claw. Ii didn't matter how fast
| hauled in tn line, he'd hev tn hook
bare by tn time rized him to the edge
NV tn water.
HE spilled my fishin' fur three sum
ners. but kotched him ut last. How
IL cum about shows that tn smartest
crab amt no way superior to man cf ii
meddles with rum. Night afore las
opened half bucket pr CLANS an set
the bait down by the table right under
where I'd sot a nigh about full bottle NV
Medford rum; what | 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 l wuz
foolin' round fur match knocked tn
bottle over an most all the likker
swashed down on them air CLAIMS. 1
cussed myself fur a lubber all night,
FUR had pains in my leg an stumach
mighty bad. But l amt sorry thet l
spilled tn likker now. seein' that l
kotched tn eddicated crab.
Il thot ez the likker would be likely
to spilc tn bait, an sure enough didn't
git bite till tn tide wuz about ebb an
tn ole crab hove in sight. He took T.
the rum soaked bait jest ez kindly ez n
prohibstionist away from hum. He
cleaned my hook an made sail fur his
port. but bimeby he cum back under
full headway am seemed dreadful ca rer
! fur mother bite. He got it. but acted
so wohhly that IL sot me ter thinkin'.
Says ter myself, YOU hev sartainly got
bruins enough to git tangled up in
your iatitnGs ef you hist in much mere
nv that cargo So jist iambed tn
hook fun nv rum.soaked CLAIMS an let
/ C',i'n Crab navigate all over the bottom
with II. Bimeby I seed thet he was ton
vobbly ter steer within three pinss n,
his course. He he'd to tack half a dozcr
times afore he could lay himself along
side the hook when l baited up agin
and then he Jest grabbed at tn bait. /.
hook aud all. regardless o conse-
fcsenecs. lei him git good hold
afore l yankcd, an when did give pull
on TIL line ! ,iruv th' hook nigh half
through his port quarter. II wasn't
time for III wink ur n yailerlcg's eye
afore l he'd him in tn boat; an he lay
thar an hliuked at me cx drunk ex a
sfanehaied foremast nard in tn fo'kas
tic NV Baltimore packet. Thet's how
kotrhcd tn dedicated crab. Boston