The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-05-09
A Shad Fishing Trip.

When the Grand Army men go out for
fun they don't have to hunt long before
they run up against the real thing, and
this was the case on Saturday, when the
members of Shiras Post went down to
Irish Wharf on their annual fishing trip.
There was a good turnout and visitors
kept arriving all day. The reception ON
mittee consisted of Op. Pinion, Gus. For
Ginger and Aaron Dean, and they were
kept busy entertaining and doing the
grand honors.
The fishing outfit of Edward Hulse was
used, and as soon as the camp had been
reached and the stars and stripes run up
to the top of a flag pole, Comrade Throck-
morton and a number of others manned
the boat and off they went for the tooth
some shad and any stray Filipinos that
might happen to get caught in the meshes
of the American net. Commissary Aaron
son prepared a genuine old-time wal stew
of pork and potatoes for the party to
which all did justice.
At 1 o'clock OPP. Pinion delivered an
after-dinner speech that will go down in
history as a mastery effort. This seemed
to inspire the old vets and then they be-
gan the programme of the day, which
was of such a character as to ~convulse
those whose good fortune it was to be
present. Henry C. Claypoole, who was
in charge of the medical department, also
attended to taking deserters to the guard
house, which was in charge of Adjutant
Barrows, but in this line he had but little
work to do.
Of course when the ''boys" get togeth-
er they always relate some of their army
experiences, and this occasion was no ex-
ception to the rule. Comrade William
Rossell began to interest the crowd by a
recital of the events incident to John L..
Severns entering the army. He said that
when the war broke out John made a break
for the seat of trouble by first coming
through Polly Cox's sw amp on a raft of
pig iron, and but before the ker
could finish his yarn, Aaron Dean jump
ed in with his part of the programm e
somewhat ahead of time and spoiled a
good story. He stepped on a large pile of
slippery fish and slid gracefully into the
creek. Aaron was fished out and hung up
to dry.
OPP. Pinion was then called on for an
other speech, but as he could not be
found it was feared that he had got lost in
the excitement, so a squad was organized
and a search made for him. On the brow
of a hill overlooking the sand pits be-
longing to Budd Norcross, the only guest
from 'Bucto was found lying in a fresh
furrow, resembling a dead insurgent in
the jungle. He was sleeping peacefully
and dreaming of his friend King Lewis
Armstrong. At his head was a slab suit
ably inscribed, on his breast was a flag and
at his feet there had been placed a bunch
of lilacs in a tin can, all being the work
of some person who evidently thought it
was Decoration day. Not until the drums
began to sound martial music did OPP.
smile and get on his feet, and then he be-
gan a political argument with Gus. For
Ginger.
At this point it became necessary for
all hands to take a rest as mysteries per
vaded the camp, so the Commissary fed
} the crowd again and this kept them quiet
for a time at least.
But Foreinger was very kittenish. He
said he was u for fun and he certainly
got plenty of it. He broke loose again by
telling about his adventures when a Lieu
tenant in the Crimean wal and also when
the Dutch captured Holland. His dialect
was certainly rich, and during the rendi
ton of some startling event Gus. was
thrown overheard. After reaching shore
he changed his garments and put on
pair of overalls, and thus transformed thu
veteran of many wars looked like the
5 wild mar from Borneo or a cannibal from
the Fiji Islands.
In this manner the fun was kept up un
til the hour for returning home, and
r spirit of friendliness pervaded the day:
| outing. Adjutant Barrows decided there
e were not any more fish to be caught at thai
f point and his ord came true, so the fish
ermen went down to the rainbow" be
hind the naphtha launch Panku which
was in charge of Commodore Comfy, WHIT
3 said he never had so much fun in all his
life.