Evening star., 1898-05-06
EASY FISHING THROUGH ICE.

EASY FISHING THROUGH ICE.
Eject Of Draining A1Lake In the
Dead Of RlanAef.
F1om the Omaha World Hsrsi&1
This is fish story. but no enc need
draw his breath when Ne reads It, for every
word in 1t is vouched &r irreproachable
gentlemen Of the Omaha-Park board Of
commissioners. The prbhc is well aware
OF the intentions Of that honorable board
to drain the Hascom Park lakes and do
nate the million or two Of fish in them to
the hospitals and the pooft Well, the up
per lake has been drained and the fish are
there for the hospitals sad the poor, If
they care to go and dig thsln up.
Along back in the fAlf.sswhen 1t was
cided to clean out these lakes, or, at least.
the upper one, repave the bottom, where
the catfish and its half brother, the Ger
man carp. have loved to burrow, and in
the spring A see II they could not plant some
decent fish, whose tastes did not run so
much to mud. But, when they had laid
their plans, there was q golden Indian
summer simnnering over Omaha. as 1t has
custom OF doing each year, and the park
commissioners forgot that there was such
thing as winter IN this latitude. So, when
they placed the date for their grand fishing
excursion for January 3, they reckoned
Saturday oroers were given to begin
draining the upper lake, and 1t was thought
that by Monday afternoon at O'Clock the
water would nave passed away, except
what was held in the lower depth right in
the center. and that when the park COM
missioners went out at that hour all they
would have to do would be to cut a hole
In the Ice and rake out the fish. For this
purpose they each went armed with a
last years garden rake and basket. The
first on the ground was Mr.. Turkey.
What Is this?" he calculated, as he
found lake from which the ice had drop
ped distance of eight feet and was lying
on the bottom. with the exception Of the
deep place" in the middle. Where are
the fish?"
"All under the ice, sir" respectfully re-
piled the landscape gardener, touching his
cap to the park potentate.
That's queer" Mr.. Tukey muttered.
there for? l thought when the water was
let out they all would swim down to this
hole"
Fish always swim against the current,
SIR" responded the gardener.
1t Was too true. When the water began
to go down, every fish in the puddle began
making q brave effort to get to the top,
and the result was that between 100000
and 10000 fish were left high and dry on
the bottom around the edges of the pond
and the ice fell on them and killed them.
Fifteen minutes after Mr.. Turkey had
made his discovery the rest of the board
man carving his garden rake and fish
basket. They were speedily informed of
the way their plans had gone wrong, and
the board ;tepped gingerly upon the ice
and began making remarks
May" said Mr.. Wharton, this is your
fault. You should have told US the fish
would swim up stream
How did ! know what your Omaha
wildcat and Dutch croppies would do?'
growled Lew May, the state fish commits
sioneT. "All l can say is that if it had
been down at the state fisheries they
are better trained and have better sense" "
Then 1t must have been Adams fault
and Mr. Turkey glared at the inoffensive
park superintendent. who at that moment
came sliding down the bank with a scoop
net in his hand. Here. Adams, this is a
pretty kettle of fish you've got us into
What do you mean by such doings?"
The park superintendent dipped his net
in the pool and twisted 1t around a few
times before replying, but the only result
was the ''riling of the water and the
bringing to the surface Of a mud turtle
Then ne looked across the pavilion, then
took survey of the treetops Of the park
and at last. finding no other way out Of
it. replied:
How under the sun would I know that
the measly ice would cave in this way?''
please, SIR said the landscape garden
er, approaching and touching his hat. 'if
you will excuse me for taking the liberty
of asking, what do you wish me to do with
the fish?"
I'VE were going to give them to the hos
pitals, weren't we?" Cueried Mr.. Wharton
of the other members of the board. Each
man nodded an assent. No one cared to
talk much then. .f.i.,
'Then, SIR" said Mr. Wharton, address,
ing the landscape gardener, 1"go to the cor
ner drug store and telephone the hospitals
of the city to come and get their fish,.
an ak, and began cutting away a hole in
the ice. The ice wasn't as tough as cord
wood, and in few second; he had several
yards of lake bottom exposed to sight.
The board gathered around the hole and
peered into 1t. There were half a ton of
bass and carp frozen fast in the ice and
mud.
Its a regular Klondike" came from the
lips Of every one present, and with one ac-
cord they began turning over cakes of ice
along the edge and picking UP the fish ly
ing beneath.
There is one," said Lew May, picking
up a ten-pound German carp. that put
in this lake myself three years ago. 1 rec
ognize 1t by that spot on it's left shoulder.
And when l brought it here it was not
more than an inch long. How the children
must have fed these fish during the sum-
mer.' -,
The carp was handled fondly by each
member of the board, but as all could not
have 1t, they decided to make a present of
it to the reporter. Mr. Wharton offered to
carry 1t rs far as the car, but when they
got to the edge of the lake decided that he
had to go another way, and laid it down.
The reporter then tried it awhile, but he
didn't seem to be very anxious about fish
just then, and as a last resort a small boy
was given a nickel to carry 1t up to the
car for the crowd.
There is about an acre of ground out in
that lake which is covered with fish, and
the fish cove:ed with ice. The fish are in
q fine state of preservation, owing to hav-
ing frozen solid. and the park board gives
this notice to the public that all poor peo-
pie of Omaha who want n mess of fish can
have them by going with an AK and dig
ging them up. Attendants will be on hand
to see that no one carries away more than
enough for one family. The desire is to
have the fish distributed among those who
in a few minutes as all he will have to do
will be to cut chunk Of ice and pick UP