Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-12-18

well as up and down the hill. AL
though it rises from the bay to be
quite high, on the top it is compare
lively level for several miles in every
direction, and this hill almost sur
rounds this arm of water. We are
living in pretty part or the city and
in such place that we can see the
length of the Main street. We can
also see from our home several large
saw mills, one of which employs be-
tween 500 and 600 men. In four there
are nearly 1000 men employed. These
four mills are on the tide flats and are
not in the business or residence dis
tricts of the city. Then sometimes we
can see one, of the ships at anchor all
lighted up, but the sailing vessels
seldom have lights that can be seen,
Many Vessels in Harbor..
I'm speaking of the ocean vessels,
there are now twenty-six in the har-
Dor of Tacoma, some loading with lum-
Der and some with wheat, which is
shipped to many foreign countries,
and some ships are loaded with provi-
sions for Alaska and other places. 1t
is one of my desires to see sailing
ship come into the harbor with all the
sails set. ! have not seen one yet, as
they, are toWed into the harbor by tug
boats. 1t takes a couple of days or
more to tow, the ships in from the
ocean. In that time the sailors have
all the sails, rolled up and tied or taken
down. Occasionally we see a ship
come III with half the sails up.
Good Salmon Fishing.
by the way, i must tell you of the
salmon caught in the sound. We can
get them now from ten to twenty-five
cents apiece, but little later we can
get them from the fishermen for five
and ten cents apiece. Each salmon is
from twenty to forty inches and some
| weigh as much as eighteen to twenty
pounds. If person is fond of fishing
he can get as many as he wants. Sal
mon are easily caught. The way we
| troll for salmon is quite different from
trolling for salmon trout. We take a
! large hook which is fastened to a
Spoon This is nickel plated and
has piece of wire about two or three
feet long fastening the hook to good,
heavy fishline about twenty or twenty
4 five feet in length. Then there is a
heavy sinller about six feet from the
! hook. The use of the wire is to keep
the salmon from biting the line in two
and carrying away the hook and spoon,
| for the salmon have sharp teeth, some
of them being quarter of an inch in
length. Then with the hook and line
fixed the next thing is to get light,
easy-rowing boat with light oars and
pull out into the deep water, which in
some places is $50 feet to the bottom.
The sinker should be heavy enough to
keep the hook down about eight or
ten feet, In pulling the boat slowly
/ the spoon darts first one way then
the other, and the salmon seem to
think it a small fish. They eat the
smaller fish, such as trout, sole fish,
smelt and bullheads.
Catch Fish With Spear.
at is not at all times of the year
that we can get silver salmon, for they
only come up the sound and up fresh
J water streams in the fall and early
winter. When they go up the creeks
and rivers it is easy to catch them
Iney will go up such streams when
the water is not deep enough for them
to swim in. 1t is amusing to watch
them tumble around in shallow water
trying to go up the rifles. They use
their fins and tails as feet, like the
seals do, by which they push against
rocks, but they manage rather clum
q silly in the shallow water. They new
er go up these shallow streams in day
time. but wait until it is dark. Their
people go with lanterns and a gait ant
spear them. In a few hours they car
get all they want to salt down or dr..
for their own use.
Homesck for ottumwa.
"There are so many things in tn
, west that l am interested in that
could write about. but with all tn
fine scenery, grand mountains, tn
beautiful bay with the strange an
foreign ships, the stately trees in tn
dense woods, and the many othe
beauties, I am not entirely satisfied
I long SO much and get so homesicl
for'my native state and old OttumWs
May Visit OttumWa,
] 81 do wish to go back on a visit M
fsister has been sick the greater par
of the summer and fall, and she think
| that if she could go back she woul
soon get well, for there is no place o
Z earth like the place where one spen
' ones childhood days. A few days ag
received bundle of Couriers whic
an aunt had sent, and it almost mad
me feel as if I.were. visiting Ottumws
, and y shall visit the dear old place bt
tfore many years go by !g
2s.a.As 4 ever one of 'the Courier
friends
Bertha G. stocker. so6s G stree
Tacoma. WASH"