Arizona republican., 1901-04-13
AN EAR FoI. HARMONY
The Kansas Catfish is Highly Gull
 tured Musician.

Some time ago Tie Republican print
 ed a symposium or the subject of dry | weather. the data being furnished by
 she 'ianaches of the sheriff's office. Several very stories were told in illustration of dry weather that had
 been encountered in me place or anoth- CT. but IL is ge-erolly admitted that
 tn best one was that of Sheriff stout, wherein he related the narrowing ex,
 perience of bunch of calves he had
 on the New River range. when they
 were assaulted by mammoth catfish
 which wrested from them the santeens fastened about their necks. holding all the drinking water there was between
 the Arizona canal and Big Bug.
 The story found its way east and
 among other papers reproducing it was the Topeka Daily Capital. Readers of the Capital believed the publication of the story by that paper was challenge to the Kansas grown catfish, and a good liar who lives in Emporia submit ted to the Capital the following story,
 which was printed In that paper March 26th:
 "I noticed in ths Topeka Capital of March 22 a reprint from The Arizona Republican headed: Good Dry Weather Yarn" As the story Is a
 plausible one and liable to injure the reputation of Kansas catfish with down east" people, thought it
 might not be out of place to tell some
 thing in regard to the wonderful lntel- ligence displayed by our own catfish. "The Cottonwood river Is the home of this fish. Here it grows larger and wiser than in any other locality on earth. In that part of the river known as Soden's mill pond. just south of Elm
 poria, there are thousands of these fish.
 l believe any one of them could give an Arizona catfish pointers.
 "A few years ago a number of Empo-
 ria young men organized a mandolin club and erected c stand on the bank of Soden's pond, where they were in the habit of meeting nearly every evening for the purpose of practicing. On &C., count Of the romantic beauty of the surroundings and the never falling balmy breezes thar were waited across the pond from the southern shore the club often played until way late into the night It was soon discovered by the musical party that each night. as they played. a school of catfish came near the bank. They seemed to be ca : vorting and turning somarsaults as if they were making an effort to keep up harmonious accompaniment to the music of the mandolns. The members of the club finally became very much interested in these maneuvers and ap- piled several tests. When a lively tune was struck up 1t was found that the water would be greatly agitated and roam and bubble as if rapidly moved by some powerful machinery. One of the young men took a seat near the pond with his feet just touching the water He began to play on his mando iln. A catfish came up. ard poking it's nose out Of the water made a sort of wlerd gurgling sound. as though trying 10 sing. This it kept up as long as the music lasted. Taking a mouth organ out of his pocket. rhe young man play ed "A Hot Time in the uid Town To- night" This seemed to set the fish wild. It now forced itself nearly out of the water and laying its head gently on the mandolin players foot, looked up Into his face with eyes beamlng with delight. Reaching down, the player placed the organ ia the catfish's mouth and continued playing on the mandolin while the fish played an accompaniment on the mouth organ,
 It has since become quite tame and has learned to play number of popu- lar airs upon the organ. It is especially fond of ragtime music.
 This ash Is said to be one of the greatest of Its spe cies. It is remarka- bly attractive and docile. It has been broke to the saddle and seems to take great delight in carrying the boys on its back up and down the river. The farmers living along the Cottonwood have been compelled to build strong barbed wire fences along it's banks to keep the catfish from coming out and gnrk kipp fba eowc at pfuht