The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-06-05
OUR CAMPER-NO. 2.
Not satisfied with our experience

the Ice House Kitchen we planned
another trip. This time at the Whit
more Park. Boat, tents (2) and all
the necessary "regalia" were loaded
onto Tom Curry's black and yellow
new wagon and we started. Arrived
all right and pitched our tents on a
beautiful spot at northwest corner OF
park. River high and muddy. At
Mobley's river ice house we took on
board 30 pounds OF Ice and until we
unpacked our outfit did not know
what we brought the Ice for. found
a tea cup full OF butter which my wife
had put In for the week. The ice was
ample. We just came out to camp
and rest, nothing more. When we
go mushrooning we always take the
rifle along for would rather kill a
squirrel than let 1t bite me, regard
less of law to the contrary. We are
fishing but should catfish hitch it
self onto one of our lines we will
surely put 1t gently back into the river
for it is now "game" fish. Not ex-
pecting to get camp in shape to put
our lines in the first night and de-
string fish for breakfast we took along
a trio of small salt mackerel for
breakfast, but discovered we had no
vessel to put the mackerel to soak in
over night. A happy thought: We
put fish hook through the fish just
above the tail fin and swung them off
into the river fastening line to a
bush. Next morning when we raised
the line imagine our chagrin when
we raised nothing but the three tail
ems, the turtles had eaten the rest.
We got even with one of the turtles
later and enjoyed the pot of soup he
furnished, 1t has rained and stormed
every day and night since we made
camp and is still atfit. When the
farmers think they have had enough
rain, am in the market; call me off
at price and / will return to town
and the rain will cease. Our tents
are dry and comfortable even when
it rains the hardest and on account
of the wet weather we have spent
most of our time inside, reading,
smoking and sleeping. We were un-
fortunate in locating our tents close
by village of little red ants and they
have proved to be pest of the worst
sort. They are into everything in
swarms. They draw the line on salt
but everything else has to be pro-
tected from their attacks. They will
swarm on discarded chew of tobacco
and devour it. Bacon they are fond
of and we had to suspend our bacon
by string from the ridge pole of the
tent to save it. Mosquitoes are not
bad but plenty. Snakes, few; fish
not abundant on account of high and
muddy water and perhaps the re-
spect they have for the law-not to
be caught out of season. Evidently
we are not the first to camp in this
delightful spot. Numerous signs Of
former occupation are to be found.
Chewing gum wrappers, empty sar-
dine cans and occasionally card or
label marked "Schlitz" and bud
Wiser''-whatever that means. Then
it would surprise any reader to see
the ground sprinkled with little tin
circles larger than dime and corks,
oh myl Some people are 30 extrava-
CANT. Now none of these corks show
any signs of having been used on a
fish line, and think people who fish
with "bobbers" should save their
corks for another trip and not have
to buy new ones every time tney go
fishing.
Charlie Pike aud DR.. Carr came
out last night and paid us visit of
two hours. The first thing O. O.
P. asked for was a drink of water and
when presented with a tumbler OF
Oskaloosa Water Co.'S. unadulterated
fluid he backed off and held up his
hands, remarking that he could not
understand the process Billy Lus-
combe used in extracting the mud and
filth from the water in it's four mile
journey to the city. O, o. P. then
took-lemonade. We then opened a
box of matches and when @. O. P.
jumped the game he owned the whole
box. I've got it in for Pike.
ST."