St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1901-06-22

Lam, VS., according 10 the nIlIWal
kae Sentinel, ard one that has
brought thousands Of dollars into that
city, IS threatened, q syndicate, OF
which W. r. Nichols, Of Anboy, Ill,
is the representative, having pur-
chased the land covered now by
Beaver Dam lake, with the intention
Of ecIainling IT. he axe is "A miles
long, and from one to three miles
wide, the bottom being muddy and fiat
It's drainage would Be a simple mat
ter, but before the dam is taken out
some interesting litigation is prom
ised, for those who have been ngaged
in bullhead fishing for years do not
propose to have their means OF an
easy livelihood taken from them with
out making d vigorous protest.
The fish crop last winter was small
er than for many seasons past, butt
was still big enough to make strangers
seeing the harvest for the first time
stare ii wonder Beaver Dam people,
being accustomed to counting the
crop By the car load only, speculafed
as to the cause that led to a decrease
this season, some ascribing the short
age to the mild weather, others to the
eneroaehment Of the carp that were
planted IN the lake some seasons ago
and have multiplied at q surprising
rate, while being who'll without mar
ket value. Bullheads bring from SIX
to eighteents q ound, and ii the busy
season from two to FIVE tons are
shipped every day, mostly to Chicago,
Milwaukee and Buffalo, bnt the carp
cannot be sold, being coarse and with
out flavor
our true Beaver Dam resident
will believe any kind Of q fish story,
Tor be is sure Of having one ilsstoek
that will more than match the most
exaggerated tale you can tell. Heis.
accustomed to pad ding lazily about
the lake, pulling IN fish as fast as he
can bait hook and drop il overheard,
and be knows what It il to literally
scoop up the groteaqne ugly b1llIhead.
b the wagon load. He has seen
farmers earting away fish to feed to,
their hogs and be has known The city
authorities TO rise ii alarm over the
piles Of decay ying fish that drift down
to the dam menaeing the public
health He has even seen dead fish
used for ferilizing farm lands and
gardens, and his only wonde is that
everything be eats does not taste and
smell fshy
Fishing for bullheads is tame sport
10 summer, though il offers indnee-
ments for those ambitious for d rec
ord breaking catch All thai is nee
essary is TO take a boat and row about
two rods from the rnarshy shore of
the lake. There you stick d pole in
The mud, tie your boat fast to 1t and
bait three OF four short lines with
angle Wormsorsmall bits Of meal, hay-
ing two hooks on every line, one SIX
inches above the other That done,
the fish viii do the rest.
In the winter its different. Just
Is soon IS The ice Is thick enough ttoI
bear mans weight whole villageof
fshermen's huts springs up on its sslr-
face. Each hut accommodates three
or four men who live there for the
entire season, fishing day and night.
E he fishing is best when the weather
Is coldest and the water Is low Then
the fish are driven to seek the warmth
Of the springs, where they eongre-
gate ii such vast numbers that they
fairly become packed ii mass and
absolutely helpless, their heads stick
ing up just below the surface Of the
water BY the thousands. When that
event occurs the news spreads, and
farmers come from 80 miles around to
take d hand ii the game The spring
holes are preempted as miners
claim would be and the owners lift the
fish out with pitchforks.
The catch is often enormous. Az
high as 40 sleigh loads have been TAX
Cd from the ice as rapidly is the boxes
could be filed, and it has frequently
been The case that 50 many fish we're
caught that quantities we're left on
the ice to decay Or Be carfed off ~ tie
Farmers for feTtilizing Of hog food.
OF late years, however, the business
has been much more Systematically
conducted than formerly and few fish
20 to waste, the output being con-
trolled by shipping only what the
market requires and shipping those
dressed, the i've fish being kept fresh
II crates submerged ii water until
needed.
Occasionally the game Wardens Try
10 stop the wholesale fishing on the