The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1901-03-01
about quarter of a mile south of the

- $1,000
pass.
Here is large Cunan fishing camp,
good water and perfect shelter, and
small fish so plentiful that Mrs. Mac
Lewis, in scOeping up a dipper of
water. took in a fish nearly foot in
length.
This, morning they tried fishing in
Captiva pass, the wind N E. and
blowing hard-a most unlucky time.
They caught some fine grouper, but
neither in number or weight up to
what the captain thought was proper:
thereupon they swung the little frigate
90 port and started for home.
About noon they arrived at Boca
Grande pass, the largest on this coast
with the deepest water, about two
miles wide. The tide rushes in and
out like a river.
Above the pass is a beautiful har-
Dor. with depth of water, as has
also the pass, of about twenty-three
fee. Here could anchor a hundred
ships and not jostle or incommode one
another. The wonder is that some
railroad has not built to the south
end of La Costa island. A railroad
to this point would control the South
American and West Indian trade. To
this end several surveys have been
made, but undoubtedly rival interests
have chOked them in their borning.
After calling at the Spanish camp
on the harbor side, south of the pass.
our party started across the sound for
Gasparilla and home.
When they arrived at Gasparilla
pass the seas were running so high on
| the Gulf that the captain did not deem
1t prudent to venture out, therefore
| they came up to the Cutoff, a narrow
passage between Gasparilla sound
| aud Lemon Bay about three -fourths
of a mile long. On top high water
! they could come through quite easily,
but alas tide had begun to fall. They
had ten in. OF water and eight in. of
mud and the sharpe drew about eigh-
| teen. IL was get through the pass or
stay all night six miles from home.
They sailed boldly in, the mud began
to stir, slower and slower went the
boat until showing three in. below
her water line. She soughed out, 81
can't do it. L can't do it, l am stuck
fast in the mud But she didn u know
| that her party were Kansans; they in
Il dry country had been stuck before.
The captain took rapid survey of
the situation. boys, we are stuck
in the mud and tide falling. Strip to
, shirt and pants, and overheard. I"
"All right, good enough sung out
! Merryman. Gee whiz!" echoed Bark
er, beats despatching." While
Wheeler, of CrescO, sung out s'Great
luck! Been looking for bath ever
since we left Captiva.'' So they lifted
and pushed. Pretty cold," saws Har
ry. ''Bet your life," echoed Wheeler;
warm as Il pot on cook stove"
and so with joke and laugh they
pushed her through after about an
hour of hardest work, waking the ech-
os with jokes and laughter.
After they got through the pass they
put sail on the sharpe and with a
god breeze and bright moon came
rushing home.
''Bless me-" said the sharpie, "bet
you this crowd could run me ON dry
land"
1 am taking this all for cash, for
they brought home ten bushels of,
said the hired man. ''the finest oys-
ters l ever seed.''
You would have thought this party
would want to rest. No indeed. They
lay awake nights wondering what the
captain had planned for the next day.
So the next morning. just as the sun
glinted the pine trees, his gentle voice
was heard, Coffee. COffee-tinest
morni' for New pass fishing" And
such fishing. What. You didn't
suppose they would go. My friend
did you ever know anybody that had
lived ia Kansas. land of sunAowers
and drought, ind omitable pluck and
untold wealth?
They came home in the afternoon
with about twenty large fish. red fish
and blue fish. MANY of them would