The Washington times., 1902-09-07
Piscatorial Epic by Post
master General Payne'S
Private Secretary.
Mr.. WOOD TO INVESTIGATE
Affidavits and Documentary Evidence
of Failure and Success on Fishing
Trip of Mr. Francis E. Whitney
Sent Photographs Home.

Sent photographs Home.
George L. Wood, assistant superin-
tendent in the division of salaries and
allowances of the Postoffice Department.
will leave today for the summer home of
Postmaster General Payne. en- Beaver
Lake, Wis.,, to examine number OF
affidavits and other documentary eva
dence and make thorough investigation
of the truth of certain information con-
tanned in recent letter received 81 the
department from Francis E. Whitney,
Mr.. Paynes private secretary.
If Mr.. Wood succeeds in substantial
ing Mr.. Whitney's story, he will remain
at Beaver Lake for week or so in an
endeavor TO duplicate Mr.. Whitney's ex-
perience. The letter, which is evidence
that Mr.. Whitney, when not debating Of
fetal correspondence and confined to of
fetal forms of expression, is slang
Singer of note and worthy successor
to the lamented '-Billy Baxter" is as
follows.
NuliG Tie IdClS REMAIN clear III
mind and 1 can discuss the matter in
telligently, l want to relate an ex
perience which befell me while at Lake
Minoequa.
A Piscatorial Epic.
''The piscatorial epic that you're about
to hear. and the truth of which is fully
substantiated by affidayits and other
documentary evidence, is certainly the
limit. and would have made even Izaak
Walton take to the tall timbers.
Il went out on the lake in the morn
ing with the Hon. John w. Sutton as
guide and didn't get even a nibble Then
We went to dinner, country fashion.
about noon and piked back TO the lake
at 1:3o. We were rowing slowly along
the si1ore, trying to beguile the festive
muskellungo from his haunts, but with
out much success, when, at about 8
o'clock / had strike that nearly lifted
me out of the boat and hooked fish
that took me two days and a half to-
land. Don't stop-tnat is an absolute
fact, and can prove it.
Stray Whale Suggested.
Il played the fish, thought at the
time it was stray whale-for about
three hours and when was nearly ready
to drop from exhaustion / finally sue
ceeded in getting him up next to the
boat. while half a hundred other fish
ermen in other boats came rowing over
to see the fun and find out what / had
hooked-whether a sperm whale or
man-eating shark. ] had the fish up so
close to the boat that / could almost lay
my hands on him when the Hon. John
Sutton, bad luck TO his careless soul.
discovered that he had left the gaff
hook on shore.
"Of course, you know, that TO catch
muskellungo you have to work hinf-
out into deep water. and as we were N |
the middle of the lake at the time we
tried TO work back to the shore TO pick |
up the gaff. The whale in disguise knew |
what we were up to, guess, for, with |
one supreme grand effort, he made a
break for liberty and got it, together |
with about hundred yards OF three-ply |
silk line.
Exhausted and Discouraged.
Il was so exhausted and discouraged. ] |
wanted 10 jump into ri,e drink after that |
kingpin of the Muskies, but was re-
strained by the Hon. John. And now |
comes the hair-raising part of the tale.
Two days later, while rowing about the
lake, / noticed fishing line floating
around in the water, and being of a |
thrifty disposition / caught hold of the |
end and began to pull il in. / had an
other narrow escape from drowning, and |
1t came to me in a minute that my long
lost Musky was on the other end of /
that 100 yards of silk threeply.
He made a desperate fight to get |
away, having completely rested after his
three-hour fight two days before. but !
fought him to a finish, and as we had
the gaff this time, after two hours work
managed TO land him
Weighed Fifty Pounds.
81 don't know whether you'll believe
it or not until you see the afFidavits. but
that whale measured sixty-three inches
and weighed fifty pounds"
With his letter Mr.. Whitney sent
photograph OF the fish nailed against a
house. He called attention in a foot
note to the fact that the boards were
six inches wide with an inch lap on each
piece. and that by counting the boards
the length of the fish can be determined
The evidence of himself and friends, un-
der oath, substantiates the weight of
the fish.
Mr.. Wood is, despite the documentary
evidence, frankly skepti cal and is going
TO Wisconsin just to find out Incident
ally, he is going to take his fishing
tackle along.