The Negro world., 1900-03-24
LAKE MICHIGAN PERCH
How the Little pan Fish Are Caught
in Large Numbers at Chi
eago's Door.

iy disceTnible as II comes dDosc ZihC
eastern horizon; buildings on the bank
looking like shadows, and bridges NOV
ing like phantoms in response to shrlh
whistles. Such was the scene present.
ed from the bow of the tug f. f. Rice
al she started for fishing trip in the
lake early one morning lately. The
rice is owned by Capt. r. A. Charles,
who commands her, and by G. A.
Turn. In summer she does a good
business as a towboat, but in winter
she is devoted entirely to fishing pur-
poses and makes two trips week. To
find buoy, point 10 miles out in the
lake, was the object of the tug. 1t was
easy enough TO reach the breakwater,
as the ice was broken in almost a
straight line to the breakwater, but
the course had to be steered northeast
by east from the lighthouse there.
This would be easy enough in ordinary
weather, but the recent cold wave had
frozen the ice near the shore to such
depth that the tug had to take the
channel made by other vessels and new
bearings had to be taken.
"We're going ten miles an hour,
said the captain, as the little vessel
churned her way through the heavy
lethargic waves. "The water deepens
off shore at the exact rate of one
fathom to the mile. Better heaye the
lead. Mr.. Trattes."
The mate stood in the bow with 100
feet of line in his hand and sent the
plummet of the lead heaving forward
so as to get the correct depth of water
by counteracting the speed of the tug.
Twelve and one-half fathoms," he
shouted, as he pulled in the line.
Were almost there" said the cap
tain, and in a few moments an upright
stick about six feet out of the water
struck the bow of the tug He had
steered the vessel exactly to the re-
auired spot and through fog at that.
A yawl was towing astern the tug, in
which were three Swedes. The line
was theirs and il was line which
would have made a fisherman who
casts fly for sport gasp with amaze
ment.
The line, which was fastened to a
buoy firmly anchored to the bottom,
stretched six miles to the south,
where il was attached to another buoy.
At intervals of three feet, smaller lines,
each bearing hooks baited with min
nows, sank toward the bottom. In all
1O, 900 minnows acted as lures to the
perch.
The yawl was at once cast off, and in
moment had pulled up to the buoy,
and the two men in the bow began to
haul in the big line and the first hook
brought up a fish. The men in the boat
cheered and the tug blew three whis-
ties in response. 1t is considered good
luck to have fish on the first hook,
and the events of the day proved the
superstition in that case good one.
Away sped the tug northward look
ing for the buoy TO which the nets were
attached. In just six minutes the buoy
was reached. and the work of the crew
began. The nets were loaded on the
bottom with lead and top were sup
ported by corks. The dull lethargy of
the sea had vanished. A strong breeze
from the northeast had sprung up, and
the little boat was dancing merrily
over the waves, which occasionally
broke in white, glittering spume over
the bow. The men put on their oil
skins, and one big Swede prepared 20
grasp the buoy. The motion of the
boat was uncertain, however, and he
missed the object sought by about six
inches.
A cry of horror went up, as il was
impossible for a man clad in his heavy
garments to swim. AS he came up the
first time, however, a heavy wave
struck him and washed him alongside
the tug so he could grasp the bulwarks.
In a moment he was on deck.
"Humph!" he exclaimed. pretty
cold that" and he went on hauling in
the net, as If nothing had happened.
But the rest of the men were all soon
as wet as he, as the water poured from
the net and the sea dashed over them.
The nets were divided into sections 100
feet long. Each section was united
from the next, placed in big tub and
carried aft, where the rest of the crew
disentangled the fish from the meshes.
Occasionally u trout would be found in
one of the nets. but most of the fish
were perch. They were genuine perch,
too, brilliant in color and firm of flesh,
as much different from the fish caught
along the docks as brook trout is from
a minnow. When the four miles of net
had been taken up it was estimated
that IA tons of fish were ON board the
tug.
Then came the task OF setting the
new nets. which was monotonous in
the extreme. The sea by this time was
high, and the little tug. going at a slow
rate of speed, tossed about so heavily
that one of the passengers was heard
to pray that she would soon sink. The
yawl had had a good days haul. too,
and when Chicago was reached more
than two tons of fish were ready for
the market.-Chieago Chronicle.
Have No Use for Their Toes.