Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-03-04
C1NCH WENT FISHING
ue Used HIS HOOK AND LINE IN =
BIG GLOVER FIELD.
7, Puzzled His Comrades TO D,''.
what He Was Angling For ""' nc
FINALLY Landed the Fr"'
,x,,,ch He Was striving.

What he w ~
FINALLY Landed the
which He Was Striving
Some Young men who enlisted our
ing the war with Spain, but never s""
nny active service, were talking oHe,
their days in uniform one mgh' , ",.'
old interesting stories OF camp me-
The young man who had peeil hoep''
tal steward told this story
"A month in our camp In Georgia
was enough to drive man to despair'
for not only was 1t hot, but every day
increased our belief that the govern
mont had no intention Of giving us u
chance to get into action or to let us go
hack TO our homes. 1t was mighty
tough predicament for a lot OF young
men who had left business ana every
thing else in burst of patriotlc ehthu'
siasm and expected to get into scrap
IN short order. The men worked every
wire they could to get their discharges
but # was at time when the man
with pull couldn't get any more thah
the man without friend. After awhile
the boys gave up trying to get their
discharges and made up their minds TO
grin and bear It,
"As hospital steward I used to hear
a good deal about the health OF the reg
iment from the surgeons, and one day
l was very much surprised to hear one
of them say that he was afraid Clnch
of Company g was going to lose MS
mind. / knew Cinch as big, good ma
tured fellow, who tried to get dis
charge as soon as he learned that we
were not going to have fight. When
he failed, he became sullen and moody.
The more we watched him the more
convinced we became that something
was wrong With him. Every time we
came around we found him mumbling
to himself, and one day crowd Of us
found him seated on stump IN the
middle Of big clover field, holding IN
front of him long pole, attached to
which was a piece Of cord, on the end
of which was pin bent to resemble a
fishhook. He would drop the hook In
to the long grass and let 1t stay there
for a time. Then he would make a
cast and when the hook fell would sit
and watch the end of his line intently.
Every once in awhile he would jerk the
line out of the grass as though he had
felt nibble. Once one Of the boys
stepped up and said:
"'What are you fishing for?
"He got no answer. All Cinch DID
was to turn a pair of hollow eyes on
him and then resume his fishing. After
that a gang used to 60 out and watch
Cinch every afternoon. They would
hide in the grass and almost burst
with laughter at the seriousness with
which the poor fellow would cast his
line of wrapping cord and his pin
hook and then sit and wait for bite.
Every once in awhile one of the boys
would saunter out and say:
"'What are you fishing for, Cinch?
at got to be the regimental saying
and suppose that the question, VIVA.
are you fishing for, Cinch?' was thrown
at the man from Company G hundred
times day. BY and by the news got
to the officers that Cinch was going
fast. They heard about his fishing in
the fields, and one day the surgeon
major went out and witnessed the per-
formance. lie went back and reported
to the colonel that unless Cinch was
discharged Mt once he would be hope
lcssly insane. The result was that his
condition was telegraphed OH to Wash
ngton and discharge papers were re
turned at once.
"The colonel in the goodness Of his
heart went to look up Cnch and give
him the news. He found him sitting
Oh a stump in the field fishing away.
while around him sat about 80 Of the
regiment. one of whom would yell,
What are you fishing for, CinchY
every few minutes. The colonel step
ped up and touching Cinch ON the
shoulder said:
"'Cinch, we think your health de-
mands that you leave the service. and
so we have procured an honorable dis
charge for you. Here 1t Isl and he
handed Cinch the papers.
"Cinch dropped his fishing pole and
grabbed the papers. He gave one look
at them, and when he saw that they
were all right waved them triumphant
ly over his head and shouted at the
top of his voice:
"'This is what l was fishing for,
dang We all. This is what l was fish
ing for, and l got it too And with
that he went dancing over the field,
leaving us standing there, the first
CLEAN of the truth creeping into our
brains.
"The colonel looked foolish, and by
and by we began to sneak away one
by one. There was no doubt but what
the regimental question, What are you
fishing for, CinchY had been answer.
ed and in a most emphatic and sur.
prising fashion. Cinch was as sane as
anybody, but when he found he could
not get an honorable discharge In one
way he tried FOR 1t another" -New
York Sun.