The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-11-22
A FISHING FICTION.
THE MAGIC EYE" or THE SAUtT
STE. MARIE INDIANS.

OF Getting His GIistcuing catch
From Under the Rapids.
The first time | Gshcd IN the Sault
Ste. Marie rapids said a well known
Lake Kcuka sportsman. Il landed in
mn hour twonty-onc brook trout that
weighed forty-6ve pounds; 80 was
ready and willing TO believe anything
] heard or read about the possibilities
Of those waters or the astounding
things that men who Gshcd I'm them
were a<le 10 do.
"Cous| |quently believed what they
told me about the marvellous fcats the
/ Indian fishermen Of the Sault Ste.
Marie could perform In the way Of
netting whitefsh Few who have tour
I'd the great lakes have not heard Of
those same feats. witnessed them and,
of course could do nothing but 20
away believing that they were all they
seemed to be.
Particularly viii they marvel. as I
did, at the Indian whitehsh isherman's
magic eye with which he seems to
look down through ten feet or more OF
foaming, rushing water and see white
fish that 40 the white mans eye would
be invisible five inches beneath the
surface. II would have been strange
Eif | had not marvelcd at it, having
Ftnessed more than once manifesto
Ations Of its alleged power. That was
before talked with old Guide Garron.
The astounding feats of the Indian
|whitehsA netters OF the Sault Ste.
Marie tJat the guidebooks and tho
hotel keepers and steamboatmen insist
on telling tourists about are performed
aDy two Indians in canoe. One occu-
pies the stern and manipulates ths
paddle to keep the canoes head point
ed up stream. The Indian in the bow,
sstanding upright uses a pole to aid In
Epropelling the Canoe or in keeping it
steady.
Lying ready TO his hand Is adip net
-four feet in diameter. fastened 10 the
end of a pole perhaps fifteen feet lohs.
NThe fishing is done at the foot Of tho
Erapids, lere the water boils and tum-
bles fiiriously. With his pole the In
dian in the bow keeps the boat moving
about in the rapids and ga2es constant-
~ into the water. which is often ton
feet or more deep.
suddenly the Indian i'm the bow win
seize the net handle with one hand,
never ceasing TO manipulate the cauoe
with his pole in the other nor for an
instant removing his staring gaze from
the water The net is not more than
IN his hand before he has plunged 10
perhaps ten feet distant from the boat,
thrusting it at the same instant to the
bottom. Then he gives it a peculiar
twist. draws it up and. surrendering
the care OF the canoe for the moment
to the II fan with the paddle, he
draws the net up, never without from
three to hl liz dozen glistening white
Ash IN ii, frequently weighing five
bounds each.
"The wondering spectator, seeing
sothing but the boiling water the sud
len start OF the Indian and his quick
md dcSterous plunging and drawing
70 Of the net with it's invariable load
whitefsh, can do nothing hut ac-
nowledGP to himself the necromancy
the IL Vans piscatOrial art. | know
hat did, and for two seasons gave
lyself away to the fascination Of that
Mysterious fishing. Then one dag I
,arveled at II greatly TO Guide Garron,
ne shrewd and cunning old French
IAN VINO knows every rock and eddy
I'D whirlpool of the rapids and all the
lies and tricks that any other guide
nows and a whole lot that no other
ne does know, and Garron's little
lack eyes twinkled.
"'Ahv he ehuckled. 'Zat mageeck
We. He Won gr-r-rand homboagi
.sThen he explained IN his voluhle
I'd picturesque patois the apparent
yste5y Of the Indian whiteAsh fisher
anJ magic eye Vhtelsh are natu-
/ denzens of the still, silent waters
the great lakes. 10 get from Lake
uron TO Lake Superior these fish
ust fight their way up the fierce and
lbborn Sault ste Marie rapids. In
ing this they travel by easy stages.
lev can brave the rapids but a short
stance ut a time, when. almost ex-
listed. they drop into the shelter of
friendly rocks that pile the bottom
llt iAlilAo'
Huddled sometimes by the score be-
nd these rocks, getting wind as "
re. to overcome another stage OF
ir Journey, the wAiteiish, II the wa
is no. 100 deep, can be lifted out
tho hand ct the fisherman, they are
nearly exhausted. The Indians as
Ia % ne fishermen know this
IN J II veil the location Of these
ltering rocks, have only TO thrust
lr nets down behind them and draw
I'M mp filed with fish.
/, The cunning of the Indian led him
!. ago to give visitors the impression
a he could penetrate the troubled
!, tIs of the rapids with his gaze ana
"a Mr the whitefsh on the bottom
" Wonder OF It spread, and 1t has
~ n one OF the fondest and best pay
3 actions of Susan Mary as the ma
y -.... Al, ,,r,nunRio fien of hN