Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-06

and unfailingly beautiful pieces: THE
Beacon" run, Niger Rum! THE
Mocking Bird" mabel Clare" THE Old
Rustic Bridge by the MIL" Annie
Laurie" &c. At other times seven up
engages their attention, or California
Jack" and other games with a Decent
limit. AS the daylight fades over the
|. water, one Of the company pulls himself
from the ground, and, with a great
stretch and yawn, remarks to the others
that 'ft is time, boys, for us 10 be getting
down the river" one by one the boats
crate upon the pebbles OF the bank and
with a splash glide out on the smooth
water.
HERE LUCK IS QUEEN.
Pluck and perseverance, enterprise and
energy, may win success for the business
man, but on the water these count for
nothing The fickle, coquettish little deity
who presldes over the water and mea-
sures out TO the fisherman his "draught
OF fishes" is Luck" without his smiles
no fisherman ever accompllshes any
thing. He may set and reset his nets, his
position may be the best in all the fish
fairgrounds, but unless she is with him
he tolls all night and catches nothing.
But how happy the man who has won
her favor He is known ali along The
river as a good fsherman-One who is
the object Of envy among the younger
men, and open favor and secret Jealousy
with the older men. II is often true that
for miles down the river there are seines
several hundred yards in length stretched
zlgZag across the river at intervals OF a
few hundred yards. To the uninuated II
would seem very strange that one OF
these nets should be drawn out almost
breaking with its burden Of FISH, while
that above and that below have caught
scarcely anything. To the fisherman II
is an overwhelming proof of the supreme
existence OF Luck" How the graces OF
the goddess may be won Is a study by
no means despised by the fisherman. The
general rule is that the best student be-
comes the best fisherman, and the old
men say there is but one exception 20 IT,
and that is the one or two men who Ash
on Sunday always catch more fish on
that day than on any day OF the week
The only explanation given is the god
dess herself is a Sabbath-breaker.
WHERE THE sHAD COME FROM.
The average number of shad for good
fisherman 10 catch in the midst OF the
season is forty per night or go per week,
and for these he will get a net price OF
10 cents apiece. 1t is not by any means an
impossible thing for a fisherman 10 make
n net earning OF 500 for about forty
nights of half work and half sleep, and
good deal OF worry and fun.
Richmond, Norfolk, and Baltimore are
the principal markets FOR shad OF this
section, and II the season" Is as good
this year as last the hucksters will nave
all they can handle.
II is true OF this as Of nearly every
other calling. the father advises his son
not to follow in his footsteps. urging him
10 do something else and better. But
does the boy heed? A hsherman's son is
very apt TO be a fisherman. There Is
something about II, even when II ceases
to be sport and reaches the dignity Of
a source OF livelihood. which is truly fas-
cinating. 1t is like "a cast OF dice. You
never know how many>spots are going 20
turn up. There IL that uncertainty about
II which leads more reprehensible men