The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1899-10-26
SPEAKING SEA BASS


they jumped all together aud landed IN Mex
leo.
Il don't sec anything Of especial interest,"
remarked the fat man; lets go back. No
they lined up again aud jumped back into
the United States. Then the fat man pat
one foot ~ MeSieo, leaving the other IN iht
states. Just At that moment a McSlcan Of
6cial came up sud said
You ara visiting MczicoF
well. partly" replied the IL. ran.
I'm ih, custom house officer" said the Of
6cia, Ia Spanish. "YCu sahc!"
Isl, scnor. sabc. Have you the sugar
and-!Ci me zee" strukng his mudache
ll.oughtfully, "havc you the pencil case OF
ans auut!" this 10 textbook Spanish,
No" replied the official. Il have not The
psnci, case Of your aunt; What oi itl
That's what I've been tping to find out,
said the lat man, why such question
was ever put IA book That's the Nhy ]
learned Spanish have You the hAndker
ehief case Of my sistcr!'
The official began 20 suspect some game
"Is your friend OFF," he inquired Of one OF
the trio.
"Oh. no; I'm merely learning Spanish
in two wvrks. spoke W the fat man. "Jan
| converse in Spanish in two weeks with
out a icaehcrg les, can converse in Npan
lsh IN two weeks without a teacher"
Well" said the customs man showing
hrs badge IL yoa are visiting Mexico must
search YOU
Hold on, rriortcd the TAT man, who held
3 vaiise. "ynu will notice that ON stand
Ing on the Mexican line, with my right lex
=. O. .s.g fT.tFF 4
Examine my right SIDE u you please, hut you
have no right 10 examine my left and the
bag. as they mr. not ~ Mexico
The official stared at the impcrturhabt
face Of the American ~ amlEcmcnt.
but | viii pull YOU into Mexico" he
said.
You will, chY" rciortcd the fat man
All right. 60 ahead But Jay your hand On
me aud pull me over the line. and a. fov
ercign citizen Of a republic where eycry man
lis a king aud every woman a dictator, !
will call upon our government, and II
prove that YOU have forcihly torn mc from
my native soil. kidnapped me. as u were
my nation will demand satisfaction and We
will annex the whole 81 this peninsula
Don't arouse ~ ans more, scnor; we're
right on the annex"
At this juncturr another Mrxican came ur
bud the two officials committed. As result
the fin, approached and aid
= will .sarvh the part in Mexico" and
thrrcup1n he thrust his hand into the n,
mans pocket finding nothing Finally the
fat man rrlrrigi aud crossed The line and
presently TIE party were drinking The red
wine ~ Tia ,luara They were bound Tor
the Ray Of Enscnsdh. about 100 miles down
tho coast. ard made Il overland over road
that is attractive in winter but hot lu sum
mcr; tho same old road which the padres
traycrsrl in oldCn times when making the
links oi the ecclesiastical chain that bound
the missions ~ Lower California to those
GoD miles ~ Tie coast Ersrrrds is on q 1t
lie hay. one of the best 90 the lower coast.
and IL q typical Mexican town. with Ia Eol
d'crl. hrass hands and palace Tor tho GOV
cruor general BACK n the town rise high
mountains the Sierra Madrcs reaching
down and beyond thrm the hot gulf Of Low.
or California. one Of the most remarkable
game countries regions IN the country.
Eusrulda Is famou. among q few for it,
fnc fishing the year around. and among
other inducements an cd Algsiau suggest.
Cd speanrg yea bass. The sea 'Rss herr and
on the California coast arr mSrr .iirfnt fish,
resembling the eastern striped hass IN shape
hut IN color they arr a d-rk gray tha, "a
closc inspection proves tu hc q coat Of many
rulors; and when the fish are landed lhy
are veri,nhlc hummiuF birds. cleaning with
oil the o1lors and hucs Of Che rainbow They
range Mp to hundred pounds and over. the
sycragc fish weighing 70 pounds, aud are NJ
markedly gamy There Is one drawback 20
. 4 4|l
were away on the Nnqu war scare, but
beat was finally hunted up and the party
garicd
Th,v were prepared for frc sport. 1T
such bad been promised them 10y those who
GAINED 10 know Of what the fishing IN the
yuif contained. There b. an excitement
about spCaruE the grrat sra bass that Is
unknown 80 the fishermen ut llg smaller
waters. Mru who have raurh, the great
muskclIuugc Of the inland lakes ard the
fighting small mouth hass .sy tha. the
-puH to be had with these ia tame beside
that offered by the grea, lass Of the sea.
you know, along the California ,u1st.
mid the Fat man. IN telling AIs experiences
when be got home. the SEA h5ss fishing is
very prccnrious, the season being from May
20 July !. hut generally lasting only few
weeks hut hers 1t ives, 80 iar MS we could
earn. in season al the time We first tried
sur rods aud found no, only sea lass but gel.
low tail Of large size: and as for black sca
bass, they ran up tod 00and no pounds When
We had caught al wc wished II yellow tail
we took MP the spear. and the Mexican. who
looked on though he might b. a defendant
Of one Of the Moutczumas. ruwsd II. Slow.
~ along The bass are tine hsh 60 spear M
they lie or swim on the surface, and wc sncn
ran into a school. II was enough to give q
man the buck fever TO sec .hcm, aud con.
Tess the spear handle did jerk about in my
hands. There were bass by the hundreds,
four ard five feet long. and 70 thick that
~ looking down we could see them in fcem.
Nc layers. Que Of the most hrluiiln, sights
Il was ever my good fortune 90 sec.
I've picked out as big a one a. we could
aud got the boat within eight feet n him,
and then let 80. | was a good band at the
grains when | was Younger" said the fat
man. "and ! found that had not forgotten
"a, a. Oh" ton struck the big fish fairly in
The back With rush il Owed, h"rGug a
bucket Of water iEio the air. The line was
not over 20 feet long, and wns soon icrked
overheard. and away we went after the fish
directly out 10 sea. II made a game fight.
towing Us righ' q .he face Of wind and
sea; now r,unging down. rising, fighting
ever tug Of the line, circliHs round, racing
away with relentless force. taking every
inch Of line we gained. ard giving is the
fight 81 our lives. The fish towed Dc and
heavy boat mile before we brought 1t 60
gaff. and then II took three Of us TO get
the struggling creature into the boat. We
took two more fab in this way. ranging mp
TO 100 pounds.
EnEcuada is so far from the line of general
travel that II was not apt TO be crowded,
but in the winter il has fair quota Of tour.
SITS, and IL lis attractions wcrc knewn. Tia
Rnc quail shooting and fishing. its climate,
many more would fad t. II lica 100 msea
puth o. fan nrgo, and can he reached