The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-09-07
HEED ' NO GAME LAWS,
ARKANSAS COMM UNITY COMPOSED
 WHOLLY OF DESPERRDOES.

Have Sought Refuge on the Banks ot
 Streams-Earn Living by Catchin z
 Fish-Tons of Game Secured Every
 Year.
 Daily there are thousands of pounds of catfish, buffalo and other fresh wa ter fish shipped into Memphis. But a small part of this quantity is consumed in the city, even though the Lenten sea- son may be on. By far the larger per cent. is dressed, packed and shipped to New York and other cities in the east.
 The catching of this fish gives enl- ployment to large army of men, or whom the average city man sees but little and knows even less. Along the Mississippi and it's tributaries these fishermen and their families live rom years end to years end in affluence or penury as the fishing is good or poor. They form a distinct class, who follow the river for a living, and but rarely give up the trade unless forced to dc so by continued sickness from malarious or kindred diseases brought on by the rough life they lead and the unhealthy atmosphere of the swamp lands.
 Of course, near Memphis and other cities, towns and villages along the riv- CT the fishermen are but little differeht from the ordinary man of the rlVer. Still, this class is but part ana the least interesting at that, of the great number of river fishermen.
 On the Arkansas, White, St. Francls and other western tributaries ot the Mississippi this latter class is to De found. They live chiefly in housepoats and tents. They have no means or support except their guns and flshing tackle and in rare instances small field of corn that their wives and chil- dren cultivate on land they squat upon.
 These men are frequently fugitives from justice who take refuge in sucn out of the way places to escape the dan ger of being hunted down and captured. Some are well educated men, of re- spected antecedents, who have sought the wilderness to live. the life of her init and who follow fishing merely to give them occupation and an apparent reason for remaining in so uninviting country
 On the White river especially Is territory of more than 100 miles rom it's mouth where there is not single permanent dwelling and the only hu- man beings are the fishermen and the hunters and trappers who only frequent the region during the fall and winter There is little respect for the law among many of these men, ana many dark crimes of which the world knows nothing are possibly annually committed by them. Some manufacture moonshine whiskey with crude outfits, using a teakettle for still and the bar rel of an old style muzzle-loading rifle for a worm. (
 Rosedale, Miss, is the outlet for most ,f the fish for lower White and Arkan- sas rivers Gasoline tugs make weekly trips from this point up these streams, and. in addition to collecting the hsh, I, ,arry supplies alongside of the floating locks of the fishermen, where the fish | nave been previously concentrated from | he small boxes up and down the stream | ind dumped into a large slated box opening through the floor of the dock md extending down into the water. l The box is partitioned and the buffalo | ire. kept in one compartment and the ,atflsh in another. Game fish, such as pass, crappie and goggle eyes, are Kept n a box to themselves and bring higher price than either of the other varieties. The separating of the bufra- oes and catfish is necessary for two 'easons. They bring different prices nd if kept in the same box the catfish i'll the buffaloes by prodding them with heir pointed spear-like fins Dead fish re not bought by the dealers and are brown away as worthless or cut into ,ait for the trot lines.
 The fish are transferred from the locks to the tugs by large, short-han- led dipnets The fish are weighed and ut into boxes and barrels. The hold f the boat is filled with them. In this manner they are transported to Rose- ale. where they are repacked and ship ed Some of the boats carry crews of len who skin and dress the fish while he boat is under way. This saves time, s the dressed fish are ready for ship 1ent as soon as the boat reaches the ome port Both the buffaloes and cat sh are skinned and men who follow his calling get good wages when they ave acquired skill. So expert do they ecome that they can prepare 100 ounds of fish for the market in very ,w minutes.
 The method of catching fish for mar { ct differs with the locality and species ; ought Nearly all of the fishermen 1 se hoop and trammel nets and trot { nes. Some of the more lawless who { ave an opportunity to dispose of dead { sh use dynamite. This method is made i felony in most states but it is so suc- ,ssful that many fishermen use it free-
 with utte rdisregard for the law and ' re danger of capture. A single charge ( dynamite will often kill 1000 pounds , fish, but as 1t kills everything in the $ ater for large area around it is very { furious to the young. If persisted in will spoil fishing in the stream or ke. It is condemned by all true ,ortsmen. l Trammel nets can only be used with c feet when the water is muddy, as no g it is required with it and the fish s III not enmesh themselves when they I n see the cords of the net clearly. I 1ese nets can not be used in a strong I trent and are kept for lake trout s hing and fishnig during rises of the V yers. e Hoop nets are very popular with the t yer fishermen and are employed with cl