The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-06
Copyright, 1903, by John Kendrick Bangs.
Ix-MR: HOMES SKATERS A TRADL-

IlONs
Anaastonishing development at the last
dinner Of the 1zaak Walton Club Of Hades
so aroused the suspicious of a we'll known
figure in history, that set myself to
work about a week since to show him up
in his true colors. Now that have dis
covered the actual truth as to the real
George Washington I, almost hesitate to
set it upon paper.
(. The Izaak Walton club is an organiza-
tion composed of the most distinguished
fishermen of the realms of Apollyon. Noah
is its president, Jonah It's secretary, Baron
Munchausen its trea surer, and many other
great names are enrolled upon its mem-
sbership list. The chief function Of the
club is a dinnersonce a year, at which each
member is expected to be ready with a.
"Reminiscences Upon the occasion Of the
Inost recent banquet,4sI had the honor to
be present as a guest and I listened with
aYidity to the marvellous tales that were
told by old Walton himself, by MUNICH
ausen, Jonah, Bonaparte,>; and: Noah's $
promising son, Shen1. They were good
stories, and they were indubitably fish
stories, and i was delighted ard highly
edified until George Washington arose to
give his recollection of an early fishing
episode, which shocked me beyond endur-
ance.- .s.z q eA,.,-. - .. s
II do not recall any special fishing epi-
sode in my careed, gentlemen, said Cen
eral Washington: (which had in it any
elements of an unusual. nature. In MY ex-
IRENE youth / used to take my sbuckskin
knee breeches occasionally and inlmerse
| them, tied UP at the knees, so as to form a
| sort of :bifurcated bag at "a. narrow point
! of trout stream near my home and then
! beat the surface of the water for a. hun
I dred or more yards above the point of i'm
| mersion with a hickory; rod, until the
startled fish, in blind endeayor to escape.
had crowded tosthe number of half a thou.
sand into the nav of my waiting gar
! ment, when L would gather them In, with
perfect ease.p - s:ss:a ~ p.
! Most unsportsmanlike!' cried Walton.
+ ,."No doubt said Washington; but that
was in q day, sir, when the canons OF
| fish craft were not making the welkin ring
with their thundrous roar. I knew nc
better until my good father one day sur.
Eprised. me-, in the act, and applied sucf
corrective measures as convinced me thai
buckskin breeches had better uses. Al
fI grew older, I adopted other: methods
1 remember one occasion, on the Kappa,
hammock, when sitting idly i'll my boat
having neither bait, pole nor line, sus.
4 pended a bit Of paper tied to a small piece
Of thread from one end Of my project
! ing oar in such a fashion that the shad
ow it cast upon the water resembled {
worm SO strongly that the fish focket
ITO the surface in shoals to snap at 1t
to be met there with "a rap between tn,
eyes from a small clubysI carried in m1
fright hand The rap. stunned them s,
feffectively that had no difficulty in catch
q ing them with my hands. and not infre
fquently have in this manner landed be
tween three and four hundred two pound
lers in the course of an afternoons sport.
Naturally very little applause greeted
! this statement and, indeed, it was witt
! great difficulty that Baron Munchausel
was prevented from moving the expulsion
J, Of General Washington from the club 70
unsportsmanlike conduct As for myself
r was amazed; but what was to FOLLOW
was the cause Of my resolve to expos
the true inwardness OF this mans chic
| reputation. as based upon the cherry tire
episode.
Probably the most interesting ishin
experience ever had, however, con
tined Washington. blandiy was durin
the famous New Jersey campaign agains
the British and their Hessian allies. Afte
+ much difficulty with our friends, the enc
] my, had reached the banks Of the Della
3 ware, In the dead of winter. and was en-
: camped on the shores about opposite I
/ Trenton. Many stories had reached m
e of the sufferings Of our followers In thi
E famous New Jersey village. and had. i
Z fact, received word that at least three {
my personal friends In the Hessian-ridde