Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1901-12-04
A FISHING FICTION.
HE MAGIC EYE" OF THE SAULT
 STE. MARIE INDIANS.

An Old Guides Explanation of tn.
 indian Whitefish Hunters Methos
 Of Getting His GIistening CnteI
 From Under the Rapids
 he first time I fshed in the Saul Ste. Marie rapids" said we'll knovl Lake keuka sportsman, T landed i, an hour twenty y-one brook trout 1ho- weighed fomy-tive pounds; so I Wa. ready and willing to believe anythinc 1 heard or read about the possibilities ol those waters or the astoundins things that mon who fshcd in them were able to do
 consequently l believed what they told me about the marvellous feats the lndl3n fishermen of the Sault Ste Marie could perform in the way of netting whitctish. Few who have tGIY. cd the great lakes have not heard of those same feats, witnessed them and. Of course, could do nothing but % away believing that tley were all they seemed t0 be.
 .iartic11lafly will they marvel, as I Gid, at the Indian WhitefSh fisherman. : m&S:e eye With which he seems t. lock down tAroGgh ten feet CT more of leaning, rushing water and see wl;te- Esa that te the white mans eye would EC Invisible five inches beneath tho sUif2ec. It would have been strange Il had not Elaryelcd at ii, hayiar witnessed more than once manife&t.l- Goas of it's alleged power. That Nas before talked with eld Guide Garran
 'f1e astounding feats of the Indisn Whiiefish netters of the SaEit Ste Marie th::t the gudehooks and the Eotei keepers aGd Ste:.:nh0atmen insist CT telling tourists about are pe!raII.ed by two Indians i'll a canoe. One Cccu- pies the s.orn and Esanipulates tie paGtile to keep tae caaee's lead point ed up stream. ihe Indian iu the hi,w, standing upright. Escs |, pole to aid in prop2ll!Eg the canoe CT in keeping it stead.'s.
 Lying ready to L::s hand is dip Let fo@! feet in diameter, fastened to taa cad of d Foie pel.!;sps fifteen feet long. Tae fishing is done at thc foot of tie rapids, where the water bols and tum- bies fUroEsly. With his pole the le- Git,33i ia the bow keeps the boat movi:,.ss about in the r2lie.s and gazes constant l!' iG1o the Water, W aieh is often ten feet or more deep.
 "SGddcEly the Indian in the bow vii seize the ret handle with one ha.9t'. noYer c2asing 10 manipulate the canoe V-ittl his pole in the other nor for a:i iasta.::tt removing his staring gaze froE tie water. The net is not more than il IL, hand before he has plunged i perhaps ten foot distant from the boat, tErsstirG t &t tie same instant to ti2a bottom. Then he gives it q peculiar twist. draws it Up and. surrenderiz....s the care of the canoe for the mome;t to the Indian with the paddle, ht draws tie net uf, never without frep} three t9 l.aif a dozen glistcning whie2- fish in it, frequently weighing Gye pounds cach.
 "1hc wondering spectator, seeing nothing bgt the boiling water the s;!zl- den sta"t Of the Indian and his Glc.l and d"Eterovs pls.a-i:!!@ and drawing IT, cf the net vi.h it's iavariable l02.! of WEi:etish, can do nothing but ::c- ksouled@a to himself the neesom&Hey of the Ias;ia2's riScltcri:2l art, ktoW th#t did. and for two sc&sa.:s gave myself away ta tie fascination cf t,s.;.t mysleriaEs fishing. Then ore C"y maryelcd at it greedy ta Guide C;,a..e:2. the Shravd &rd c;:nr.a.r cid French man who l.1cws every roc.!. st:2d etl 5ss' and whillre.i ef tlto rapids and a.l L. wi!es and tricl.s that a@y other G1:is52 knows ;.n3 a whole lot that no o;ll-r ore does know, and GalroR,S litsla l!2et eyes tWin,llcd.
 ",Ah.' hc checklcd .I:.t nl&Geee,. hye. lie ven s.s.sr-laHd | nGt99:ss.e1..
 Then hc oyFl;.i:c in his vai::'.'t and nicturasQg" I:;.to.s the apparent mystery of the Indian whtelish fisher mas magic eye Nhitefsh are rsszsl- raj Gcnizens of tie still, silent Uste"s of the great lakes. To set from I.al1s' Huron to Lake Superior these fish must nSnI lHtlf W"E up tIic licl tc 'ttiu stubborn Sault Ste. Marie rapiGs. la doing this they travel by easy stages. They can brave tl.e rapids bl;t q short distance at Il t:me. when. almost ex- haustcd, they Crop into the shelter @: the friendly rocks that pile the bottom of thc rapids.
 "Huddled sometimes by the score ,sr- hind these rocks. gettia" wi,id, as it were, to overcome another sage Of their journey, the whitetish, if the N;l- ter is rot too deep. can be lifted oSt by tue hand of the fisherman. they aSr so nearly exhausted. Tie Indians "s well as tie wiitc fishermen Rnow this and. knowing we'll the location of thesH shcltcring rocks. have only to thGsei @ ,,o4e. I behind them and tI'3 Y,