The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-13
ASKED FOR FISH
BUT GIVEN COAL
A Fish Story With and Without the
Fish in Which D. & H Men Fig
ure in a Game of Pleasantly.

There's good story being passed
around N the city statioa c: the Della
ware an lIu'!s'n company that 'e'ls
OF the generosity Of CiaIie - smith,
the genial ticket agent. and nf the fell
dongs of some of his friends who
stepped in between the aforesaid gen.
erosity and the person for whom 1t
was intended.
Mr.. Smith IS as much a lover of the
sport of fishing as-well, as Chief Nc
Nulty, Constable Michael Moran or
John Gubert, and he doesn't have to
take "a safe behind for any of them,
as Mr.. Dooey would say. Claude
went on one of his fishing trips a few
days, it should he said on one of his
usually successful trips, for it's an ice
cold day when the bass won't make
friends with him. When he came
home, as is the custom with him, he
looked about and thought bit for
some friend whom he might gladden.
with a bass or two from his good sized
catch. Train Dispatcher Parry, it
struck him, would have no particular
objection to eating a fish or two and
he accordingly arranged to leave two
good sized bass in pail at the bag
Mr.. Parry could procure them on his
way home in the evening. Here is
where the fell doinGs " Mr. Smiths
friends figures in the story. The FISH
were nicely packed in a pail of ice,
that the warm weather might not
take advantage of them. Now. it
harpens that Willis Moon, whose good
natured face beams upon you from
l,-h IL, &C ,l,1 ,,.lya 10,
dow, and Trainmaster George Chap
man are far from slow when it comes
to playing and enjoying a practical
joke. The pair spied the pail and
knowing that it was left by Smith,
and being no less curious than the rest
of humanity, they took peep and dis
covered the two fish, neatly wrapped
in tissue paper and resting on the ice
that was preserving them for choice
meal for Train Despatched Parry
The sly Moon and Chapman saw an
opportunity to play a joke on Smith
another on Parry, and incidentally en-
JOY the best joke of all themselves
the eating of the two bass.
The fish quickly disappeared from
the pail and there were two jokers
hustling off in jiffy to Ike" Burros
quick lunch. where the fish were made
into tempting dish. The bass in.
tended for Parry went beneath the
shirt waists of Moon and Chapman
with a keen relish, and two more self
satisfied and contented men could no
he found than the pair as they jokeC
and laughed over the possibilities %
their little game of pleasantly
Parry came for the promised fish
grabbed hold of the pail with a smil,
on his face, as he contemplated tn,
enjoyment Of the meal of bass. OF
his way home he could almost smell
its savory odor, so vivid was his i'm
agination. One can imagine IL bette
than it can be described how dsap
pointed, disgusted, disgrunted AM
sore he was to find that instead of has
there were two pieces of coal care
fully wrapped in tissue paper. Par
didn't take any fish that night; bu
he did take something else; he took
long breath and vowed he would ge
square with Smith. The whole thin
was a trick of Smiths, thought Parry
but he consoled himself with tn
thought there would come a tim
some day"
When Parry and Smith met III
next day, Smith naturally expecte
that Parry would make some sort
comment about the fish, about ho'
good they were, that they were III
finest bass he ever ate" or THE
were daisies, Claude, where did 80
get 'em?" But not a word; only
look that meant "Oh, never mind, 1t
all right, but I'll get square SON
day"
Smith, on the other hand, put Parr
down as a dead one who couldn
appellate a good thing, Thus the
continued one thinking that the 9th,