Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-12-05
humorous department.
WHAT cINcH WENT FISHING FOR.


Some young men who enlisted during
the war with Spain, but never saw any
active service, were talking over their
days in uniform one night last week,
and told interesting stories of camp
life. The young man who had been
hospital steward told this story:
"A month in our camp in Georgia was
enough to drive a man to despair, for
not only was it hot, but every day in
creased our belief that the government
had no intention Of giving us chance
to get into action or let us go back to
our homes. It was a mighty tough pre-
dicament for lot of young men who
had left business and everything else In
a burst Of patriotic enthusiasm, and
expected to get into scrap in short or
der. The men worked every wire they
could to get their discharges; but 1t
was at a time when the man with a
pull could not get any more than the
man without a friend. After awhile
the boys gave up trying to get their
discharges and made up their minds to
grin and bear 1t.
LAS a hospital steward used to hear
a good deal about the health of the reg
iment from the surgeons, and one day
was very much surprised to hear one OF
them say that he was afraid Cinch, OF
Company c, was going to lose his mlnd.
I knew Cinch as a big, good-natured
fellow, who tried to get discharge as
soon as he learned that we were not 60
ing to have a fight. When he failed ne
become sullen and moody. The more
we watched him the more we became
convinced that something was wrong
with him. Everytime We came around
we found him mumDling to himself,
and once a crowd of us found him seated
on a stump in the middle of big clover
field, holding in front of him long
pole, attached to which was piece OF
cord, on the end of which was a pin
bent to resembled fish hook. He would
drop the hook into the long grass and
let it stay there for a time. Then he
would make a cast and when the hook
fell would sit and watch the end Of his
line intently. Every once in a while he
would jerk the line out of the grass as
though he had felt nibble. Once one
of the boys stepped up and said:
What are you fishing for?"
"He got no answer. All Cinch did
was to turn a pair Of hollow eyes on
him and then r r,sume his fishing. After
that a gang used to go out and watch
Cinch every afternoon. They would
-; ~ fIa oil
laughter at the seriousness with which
the poor fellow would cast his line Of
wrapping cord and his pin hook and
then sit and wait for a bite. Every
once in a while one of the boys would
saunter out and say:
"'What are you fishing for, Cinch"
1T got to be the regimental saying
and suppose that the question, What
are you fishing for, Cinch?' was thrown
at the man from Company c hundred
times a day. By and by the news got
to the officers that Cinch was going
fast. They heard about his fishing in
the fields, and one day the surgeon-ma-
jor went out and witnessed the per-
formance He went back and reported
to the colonel that unless Cinch was
discharged at once ne would be hope
lessly insane. The result was that his
condition was telegraphed on to Wash
ington and discharge papers were re-
turned at once.
THE colonel, in the goodness of his
heart, went to look up Cinch and give
him the news. He found him sitting
on a stump in the field fishing away,
while around him sat about so of the
regiment, one of, whom would yell,
What are you fishing for, Cinch" ev-
cry few minutes. The colonel stepped
up and touching Cinch on the shoulder
said:
"'Cinch, we think your health de-
mands that you leave the service, and
so we have procured an honorable dis
charge for you. Here it is,' and he
handed Cinch the papers.
"Cinch dropped his fishing pole and
grabbed the papers. He gave one look
at them, and when he saw that they
were all right, waved them triumphant
ly over his head and shouted at the top
of his voice:
"'This is what I was fishing for, dang
We all; this is what I was fishing for,
and 1 got it, too and with that he
went dancing over the field leaving us
standing there, the first gleam of the
truth creeping into their brains.
THE colonel looked foolish and b.
and by we began to sneak away one by
one. There was no doubt but what the
regimental question: What are you
fishing for Cinch?' had been answered
and in most emphatic and surprising
fashion. Cinch was as sane as any
body, but when he found he could not
get an honorable discharge in one way
he tried for it in another"