Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1903-07-23
II III z G. CATFISH
AND TIL + CAT
@ r. ? OCH UC X

~ a q ONLIuth tdIlIt llllS lllHc IL
seemed laboring under an emotion
which he was enGeavoring to suppress
Its news from pochuck," said he
dropping into his chair and moppins
his face on his sleeve. It's news from
Pochuck, and it's great. Bu. | wouldn't
a believed it. No, sir, | wouldn't "a
believed it,"
And I won't!' said Baldy, the land
iord, quickly and positively.
But | seen it," said the alleged Pc.
chuck citizen, eproachfully.
Yet doubt stood revealed on the
landlords face palmer than the warts
On crook-neck squash
You believe there's holler stumps
don't you?" asked the man
1ne existence of hollow stumps
couldn't be denied, even by Baldy, the
landlord.
And As TO yaller cats" the man
went on. There amt no doubt about
valer cats, is there? And yaller cats
has kittens. don't they?" said the wan
, 1erer from over toward Poehuck
"'Not if their name is Tom, they
1ont." said De Witt Green, of Jolly
Farm, who IS bound TO have things kept
straight or know the reason why.
The Pocnuck citizen having settled
that point To the satisfaction Of all, it
was admitte ed that there could be no
doubt tina yellow eats had kittens.
land there's catfish, amt there ?"
the man asked.
"You'd d think there was said Baldy,
the landlord, 'if you'd be here some
time when I've been fishing for EN-
Some folks would have wondered why
nobody said anything after that for
quite a spell, and why even the man
from pochuck grinned; but the land
sord didn't seem TO notice this behavior.
And as to families Of young cat
f1Sh," said the man, after awhile.
~Sech things has been heerd of,
hain't theE?'
OF course they had. Certainly.
Catfish and their young lives in
water. don't they?" asked the bearer
NJ news from Pochu;k, intent on set
ling himself straie I
No one had any record OF catfish
living more than q day or so on
land
md nobody that has read about
Noah and the food has any doubt
Mat water gifts high, now and then?"
asked the man.
The fact was well known.
on ,t+
Izen, with look of triumph at
Dildy, the landlord, 81 seen 'em ALL"
~When did you see the water?"
asked Badly, the landlord, malicious
{y, and Farmer Bill Leonard, who
lives opposite Goose Pond Noun
7,ain said: "Shame!" and Farmer
Green said: Tut, tut, Baldy!"
The man who stakes his word on
his homes being over toward Po-
chuck cracked the thumb on his
rght hand and three fingers on his
iefJ, as if defantly, and said:
"Them's the news I've brung over
'h4s time, and ] wouldn't "a believed
ern, First place, I'd been down to
2 Sprout Hill stone frolic. If you've
never been to a Sprout Hill stone
fronc it's a leetle hard to give you
AZ the p'ints a Sprout Hill stone
srcllc has.
When I got home from the frolic
ia the evenin', Uncle David looked
r11e over and | see he was kind O.
-egrudgin' me.
4 see it was a hummer says he.
4 said it was and | went to bed
gr6 forgot to milk the cows. Next
! thought I'd walk over to |
Ire river TO see if the water had fell |
ruCh. cause it had been uncom-
Vt omisin' high. see that it had fell |
e2t.sider' Bile, cause a big holler |
camp that had been all covered with
t.ter was shown above it for more
sI&l two foot. but the holler in the
..711np was full o. water yit.
u sot down to rest spell, and as
sot IL ere what should l see but
,asTish raise up in the water inside
hat hoiier stump and peek down
IVer the edge o the stump. l never
cen a bigger catfish than that one.
I'D I've seen some all gozzlin' big
mes IL them Drownded Lands wa
Srs.
When the catfish seen how far
Glow the top O that stump the river
al got. il looked scared. I tell Won,
nd it dropped back into the holIer.
That catfish has been hatchin'
S young ones in that stump, not
AlnEn' about the high water, I'll
~ h0ss,' | says, and it has been
etched there unbeknOwnst to it
L hadn't more than said it, when
+ 20 the top came the catfish
SaIn, and she had her mouth full
young catfish. She give flop,
nd out o the stump to the water
bs went. She released her mouth
= . young ones. gethered herself
p9ether, and sprung back into that
Iump. In less than ten seconds ont