Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-07-10
THE SEASON OF FISH STORIES.


Inc season of fish stories is upon us.
the snakes have had their day and the
fourth-of-July-o rator joke has retired
form business temporarily to bob up
again next year, serene, smiling. I'M
changed, the possessor of the secret of
eternal youth. But the fish story is In
lis prime. 1t grows larger and lasts
longer than any other. 1t is more YER
satile. more irrepressible. Isore adapt
able than any other. The man with n
iish story cannot be lodged or
thwartcd. Yawns are lost upon him;
Sroans of incrcdulity are n stimulus to
his memory and his imagination. He
looks in unexpected places and beareth
the most wary. His eyes are without
guile and his countenance is as an
open book His yarns have not the
clumsy prefaces that remind intended
victims that they have immediate and
pressing engagements. No hook was
ever so cunningly concealed in n tooth
some bait as is this same fisherman's
yarn; he never casts 1y but he gets
an immediate rise.
You can get some fine fish stories
hereabouts. Indeed they are the pro-
duct that is the object of Il great deal
of legitimate local pride. Besides the
vast quantities consumed by our citi-
zens. thousands are exported every
year and are carried away as souvenirs
and kecpsakes by visitors. AS yet no
canneries have been established. but we
shall probably get to that by and by.
And yet, proficient as long practice
has made us, we have evidently much
to learn. Here. for instance, is a fish
story from the New York Sun. the
newspaper that never prints things un-
less they are so"
Penn Yam, y. V. July 1.-Olivcr
Judson and Ephrqim Mulligan, two
employees OF the Yates Ice Company.
started in Il rowboat last evening for
the fishing grounds in Keuka Lake.
two miles west of this city. In the
boat was four-tincd fish spear. a
torch and pair of ice tongs. AS the
men approached the fishing grounds
the torch was lighted. Judson. spear
in hand. took his position in the bow
OF the boat, while Mulligan sat in the
stern and padded. About an hour
after dark a large fish sped across the
field of light. Judson lungcd with the
spear and struck the fish about eight
lncncS ABOVE It's tail. The ilSh made
an effort TO get away and jerked Jud-
son out of the boat. Judson chung to
the spear handle and tried to tire out
the fish. Mulligan jumped to his feet
as the fish came near the boat, grabbed
the ice tongs ana caught the fish,
piercing each eye with one tong. Jud-
son dropped the spear, swan alongside
the fish and caught it around the body
near the tail. AS Mulligan lifted with
the ice tongs Judson lifted at the tail.
and the fish was placed in the boat.
The fish was brought to Penn Yam and
weighed. 1t tipped the scales at 100
mounds. The fish appears to be some
| kind of II hornless bullhead, but its
species is unknown here"
Now lot the local experts lay on Not
one of them can peel the shine off this
sem. 1t is new. fresh ard hath that
Gracious seeming in the first chapter
that we have commented CIon. There
was nothing unusual about two men
starting OF in Il boat with spear ana
4 rair OF ice tongs. The reader daliies
and is lost. We arc sorry for the local
Gzaac Waltons. bat not one of 'em has
ever caught Il fish. or said he caught
it. in the eyes with ice tonrs