Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-08-11

never maoe an0tDer mistake OF this
kind in all my life.
So. while John was digging the
bait / put up a good lunch OF bread.
nicely sliced, and some pieces OF meat,
and q big onion, and cucumber pickles,
and a dessert of nice ripe peaches
all these things I put in a large tin
covered bucket. and John took a lot of
extra hooks in case We should break
one. for you don't know what may
happen to your hooks. As We started
he said. I'VE will go down to the
rocky point" which is on the north
side OF the township line in township
81. and my home is on the south side
of the line in township 33, and just a
half of mile apart, for one half-mile
tree is near my home and the next
half-mile tree at the place We were to
fish. But he said, I'VE will cross
as it will be too soft il the cornfeld.
As we went John carried the poles and
the buckets, and all the way [ had to
stop and look at those same big forest
trees that were old trees sixty years
ago. And how many deer, turkeys
and squirrels / have killed in those
same woods. no one can tell. All the
old hunts would come to my mind,
and how it made NE wish I could live
some of these scenes over again.
When we at last reached the place
/ saw, at a certain place / had in for
mer years sat and fshed, where q low
ledge OF rocks rear out into the pond
Of water. / saw the freshet had wash
ed the dirt away from the roots Of the
trees near the water and made a nice
place to sit and in reach of the water.
So / seated myself on the roots of
took the lunch out of the bucket and
filed the bucket partly full 0: water
and set il near me, and a box of bats
and then fixed my pole and line well
baited. I did not use any float as the
water was too swift and deep. As l
dropped the hook in the water l felt a
CULVER of the pole. When pulled the
line up l had fine yellow fnned
perch and he was q fine fish.
After l had taken the fish of Of the
hook and put it in the bucket, and fix
my bait. | soon had another, and an
other And l began to feel like the
Scotchman who went out hunting and
killed little deer. When he brought
it home and laid it down in the yard he
called his vile and said, Molly. dear,
if can keep this up we will soon have
a yard-full," After little | felt some
big fish take the bait, and when / tried
to land it l brought rs far as the top Of
the water. 0 my, such a big bass.
But he just made one firt and was
gone. He had broken the hook. As
We had plenty Of extra hooks l soon
had another hook ready, and il had
hardly had time to reach the bottom
and another big fish had the hook. and
when he came to the top Of the water
and saw who had the pole. he bid me
good bye, and I had another broken
hook. After / had put on another
hook ! soon felt another one, so I
thought l would play him awhile and
perhaps ! could land him all right. At
last I got him to the bank, but as ]
lifted him he made a founce and hit
one OF those roots and away he went.
There were three that had lost in a
few moments, and don't you think l
felt sick
Just then the sound of the hub
factory whistle came booming down
the creek. So John and l washed our
hands and ate our dinner. And l tell
you it tasted good for / was getting
hungry. and weren't those peaches de-
licious. After we had eaten our lunch
l re-baited my hook and soon l felt
something take the bait. When ] be-
gan to pull could not move the thing
| thought the hook had got fast to
some old log or something, So l tried
TO get it loose. but could not move it.
l said. Well. l will pull it and break
the hook" just then / felt it give
way and found ii was bringing to the
top something, and when it came TO
the top. there was the biggest old
loggerhead turtle / ever saw this high
in this creek. When / got him to the
top and he saw NE he gave a lange
and that was another broken hook
And | learned years ago, it's no use 10
fish where one of those loggerheads are;
and | got no more bites. and as / was
getting tired told John / would 60
home, but he could stay as long as he
pleased So, as it was hot and the
ground had dried up in the cornfeld,
took it up through the rows of corn
and such cornl As / walked slowly
along 1 just had to stop every few rods
to look and admire the tall stalks of
of corn with their big ears.
And when ! at last reached the gate