The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-31
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FISHING NOT GOOD
But the Man From Below Enj3yed
Wheaton's Narrative.
:
TRYING TO CAPTURE A BEAR
The Genial Roy Cuts Thrilling
Tale Short at the Most
Exciting Point. - u.s.


ITO Judge from what have been told
while l was engaged In not catching trout
at that charming little lake you sent me
to. you have more bear hunters in this
country than any other under the canopy
can boast off, said the man from below to
Dan Gum, after his return from Little
Trout Lake with one trout, bad cold in
the head. and the liberal education result
Ing from two days acquaintance of the
good Mr.. Wheaton. T.. :, 49,,
THE trout fishing he went on to say,
us just what Father Izaak might have
liked, for he fshed for fishings sake, and
not for fish. But for a man who likes to
catch something at little swifter pace
than that of a snail, it's altogether too
slow proposition. Anyhow 1t is for
me. Roy talked fish all the way out, and
his tales Of catches made by the old
man, and others, keyed my expecta ton
up so high that when it took the drop 1t
had to, it really hurt. -
"On our way out Roy stopped at the
house of villain whom he called odd
Jake 'hollered that worthy to the door,
and inquired how the roomatiz WIS bitin'
this mornin. To which Jacob replied that
't'warnt a btin' tall and Mr. Wheaton
drove off with countenance elated. OF
course l wanted to know what connection
Jake's rheumatism had with our fishing
excursion, and was informed that when
that old skeezicks' romatics warn't a
bitin' an he warn't a tyin' hisself inter
bow knots, an a rearin', n a pitchin', n
a cussin' blue streak n a maxim a nui-
sance of hisself ginerally' it was safe
bet that no rain would fall for at least
twenty four hours, and that he was re-
garded and used as a living barometer by
the whole country side. So on the
strength of the absence of 'bitin' in the
III e1y mott Job Mr
argued for us at least day and half of
good weather for trout fishing; that is
good weather from his point of view,
which was a temperature just above
freezing, a strong northeast wind, and
cloudy day. 80.
had been on the lake an, hour it turned
out that either the old prophet had lied,
or his 'roomaticks' had failed in their
duty. for the flood gates above opened and
a second edition Of the deluge descended.
The wind rose to gale, the boat danced
and pitched like chicken with it's head
cut off and every trout in the lake seemed
to recognize the opportunity to have run
with me. and to take prompt advantage or
It, | had a good macintosh OF course,
and gloves, but in five minutes my hanos
numbed so tina I could not work my reel
and trout after trout struck, got sumclent
slack and escaped, till after about an
hour of the evaporation l gave in, ana
ordered Roy to head for shelter
1.-THE craft we were in was Of a variety
new to me. pleasantly called by MT;
Wheaton the sudden death sort Leaked
like a sieve, and tried the submarine a..
every time we encountered an unusually
heavy wave on the shoreward journey
Per consequence I had to bale all the way
in, and when we reached the dock was
wet to the skin, chilled to the bone, ana
about as mad as man can be ana i've.
Il had managed to take IN one "trouI
before my fingers went back on me, ana
somehow nv line unreeled and captured
another on the inward journey. Roy nal1
! carried me ~ the hill from the dock,
hustled me into the house where the nos
/ pitable owner thereof insisted on my
donning dry garments from his store, ana
as soon as a moderate dose OF WIN
d'Kentucky had gotten IN us oenehc s.i
work I began to see Things through I'LL
..sThe second trout Roy cooked in. a
stvle calculated to make my hair curl
at least he said so-and finer pit OF
fish I never ate. Afterward a couple OF
pipes to the good the rain still pouring
outside so that further fishing was lun-
ecv 7 began to enjoy the perfect peace
that is the supreme Joy of all outings,
and only comes as the aftermath OF the
torments and trials of field and flood.
II didn't talk much; didn't have to.
That part of the program was IN the cap
able charge, or usurpation OF Mr.. Whea-
ten, and here's as good synopsis OF the
entertainment he furnished me as l can
give, barring his style OF expression,
which only a monograph could reproduce
If that could tackle it successfully:
Think you had a tough time out on
the lake to-day, Ell? shucks! i ma
didn't amount to nothin why, one Time
Ke, an seemer Washburn's out, an the
holt ho hai h1OWP0
right. off'n Kells head, an Seemer had
to tie his hat on to keep hisn. An 1t
rained. sleeted, an hailed turn about.
an it's could enough to freeze the wool
off'n brass monkey. They had the same
old sudden death we had, an the lake was
SO rough they. dassen't take a trout IN
'thout goin' ashore, for she'd tip sure ell
If semer let go the oars to net i'm. An
ev'ry time they hit shore big wave
hit Kel in tn small O. the back an empty
ten gallons O. ice water down his neck.
Ke1 Was No Hog.
They TOUCHED it., out, special as the
trout's a-bitin' the way they alters does
when it's hardest to ,ketch EN-, till they
has ten in the boat, an then Ke1 he says
II amt no hog, Seener, let's pike. out fer
Shore he says. 81 doE't want all the
blame trout in the lake at one clatter,'
he says. An off they go and come in
Il
kick none, an regard it like part OF the
game.
81. 'NotheE time me an tn old man $
out. an the darndest storm you ever see
comes W, an I think tn old man
oughter quit, an go in. But he. won't
have it. IS the trout's bitin' like all git
out, an, when his hans begins to freeze,
why he lest let's EN- freeze, an freeze
right round his reelcrank SOS he kin
work ut like man a-playin tn organ,
roun' armed you know, an there he sits
an ketches. trout till he's got thirty-two
fore he lows he amt no hog, too, at
quits. Why you didn't have nothin but
tn leetle end of it, RothiE' but kidspiel,
as Dutch Mike says. Eff you'd had sech
a times old Jay he'd with the bear, time
he tried to ketch him alive, you might
begin to think you'd a bin havin' real fun.
I'd knew what old Jays reel name is, but
first off somebody named him Jaybird, an
nov it's Jay fer short SO long 1 guess he
thinks it's his right name hisself.
5'ss.Well, bear got to rammin' roun'
his shack, a grubbin' fer salt in the slop
pile, an a luggin off anything 20 eat
that come handy. TIL old man might a
shot him easy, but he didn't want to fer
he'd got a fool notion in his head that
he could ketch the bear alive, an sell
L.. = L I. -