The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-06
A BE SKIDMORE'S
AFEATHERED FISHERMAN
What an Aid He Was to Sport in
Canarsie, but H. Met a Hard
Fate at Last.

CANARsiE, n Y, Sept. 3.-Abe Skidmore
Of this thriving settlement has been seri-
ously annoyed this summer by the loss
Of his shrimp bait, which has been both
scarce and dear this year. Bait has been
held at the almost prohibitive price Of 81 a
quart, n so per cent. rise over previous
prices. So naturally a constantly depleted
bait-can worried Skidmore, and he kept n
close watch to catch the thief
The other morning he saw an old drake
pry open the top of his shrimp box with
his bill and then shovel up shrimp like a
grain elevator. BY careful stalking Skid
his landing net. At frst he was inclined
to twist tho birds neck, hut compromised,
by taking the old fellow home with the
intention of making him into a pot pie
But in the night a brilliant idea came
to SkidmOre. He determined to make the
drake earn the eGuiva lent of the shrimp
which he had eaten. and when ne went
out to the fishing ground the next day
he took the drake along
Abe anchored the drake with brick by
one leg, To the other leg he tied piece of
fish line to which WAS attached bass hook
baited with shrimp. At first the drak
resented this treatment by fving lIp in the
air and Tapping the water with his wings,
but he soon became quiet and rode the
waves, an animated bohber. literally ike
a duck
The first bite the drake got listed him
over to port, but by vigorous padding he
soon got back on an even keel The second
tug soused him two feet under water but
he quickly emerged, qlacking loudly and
sending fountain Of spray all about him.
BY this time Skidmore had gone to the birds
assistance. He pulled in a fuke rs big as
the top of n bushel basket
Skidmore set the drake again. and in a
few minutes the bird had hooked another
fish This time the victim proved TO be a
gymnastic buefsh, fresh from the sea
who went around in circle and kept the
poor drake revolving like the weather
button on the barn door The savage
sea b'rserker pulled the leg Of the drake
so severely that Skidmore became a fraid
the bird would lose flipper, and fastened
TO pull both the bird and fish into the boat
1t became the subject Of general comment
that Skidmore brought in more fish than
any OF his friends, and the secret a his sic
cess would probably never have been
revealed had not the drake met with an
untimely and tragic fate.
One afternoon SkidmOre anchored his
feathered fisherman in the Fishkill Channel
in Jamaica Bay He was quietly waiting
in Sai u, l,it lac, . ba Ia
suddenly disappeared Skidmore waited
for few minutes, thinking the drake
would soon come Ia the surface as he had
previously done in similar Instances, but
no drake rose 10 the top. Skdmore began
sadly 70 pull up his anchor preparatory to
going home, when b. RE on the quickening
breeze he heard the familiar "quack quack"
Of his foathered fisherman
Skidmrre himself told 1t later.
Il u "lt my thTOat with an "el-skln If
that ere drake didn't seem 10 say, Help!
Help There WaA a stlfl breeHn and a
strong sea running out Every once In n
while ! could Ese the drake half n mile
away, hoppln' UP IN the air, and then
spIashin back IN the whter. and all the
time squawHu' thai heat breakR cry
1T made me- feet 50 bad that couldn't
scarcely get up my maInsail, but when
! did got II up jest rIIrDwed over the I!Ilsr
and went f,I thHr ere rrahe ne hard NJ
could sail H. vas brriu' tuWrd straight
~ ards the inlet and -barIlu' wHiar with
hI, wings fDT al he WIS worth. AMI -leayln'
rms behind nina like an eEcprsi"u boat
"Jual 'ere dog -hrh sAs roo mUrh for
him III kept agoiu', and the water