The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-05-10
Here Finny Prizes of the
Sea Are Barred in Their
Spring Progress to the
HeadWaterS by Swiftly
Rushing Currents and
May Practically Be
Picked Out of the Wa
ter in Some Places. :.

in his possession, he would have paid
the modest sum OF s175. But he wasn't.
Two negro boys, who have been fish
ing with rod and line, come along the
bridge, one of them staggering under
the weight OF potato-sack full OF her.
ring "Yassuh. cotch dem this mawnin'.
Sence o'clock, sab. Oars bout
hundred in yere" They are on their
way home to clean the herring and try
to sell them for the mornings market
1t is profitable business for them even
at the lowest market rates. Shad in the
New York markets bring s45 per hun
bred, If they are. of good size. Down
on the Washington wharves they are
selling at from 20 to 40 cents apiece. AZ
the retail stalls a fairly big shad brings
so cents Herring. which &c from
pound to a pound and half in weight.
are usually sold by the hundred weight.
Look Out for Rocks.
Occasionally the man who has just
felt nibble from "a big one" is really
justified in giving vent to large, full
grown. mans size cuss word. when ne
pected prize by a man who appears sud-
denly on the bank waving his arms
wildly, and shouting. GO away" in
vexed tone. But then. 1t is really bet
ter 10 lose a fish than to disregard the
warning, and be thumped on the head
by a stray rock from a blast at the ac-
Joining ouarries.
Every street in town, sooner or later
in the day, hears the cry OF the negro
boy from his ramshacklety cart,
Fre-s-s-sh f-s-s-shi Roe-sha-a-a-ad.
Fre-s-s-sh herrinT'' But in negro quar-
tiers he has a hard time in disposing
Of any of his stock to any household in
which there is a lord and master or
son. Fishing is the chosen avocation
of the gentleman of the color. Watch
him summing himself on his door step,
and listen to his reply as friend comes
up and greets him with:
'Huccome it 20 amt hwukkin today,
Mistah Johnson"
''Yah-hah. ali doan' half T. wuk All
aI1ays gut two bits in nah pocket. and
tn shad is runnin' fas.' %
What more can he ask?
Cooking Their Catch.
AS the noon hour approaches, columns
Of smoke begin to rise, at scattered
points along the banks. The hungry
fishermen are building fires in the
shelter OF the rocks, and preparing TO
bake shad and boil coffee for the mid
day meal. With an appetite aroused by
hours in the open air, the west wind
blowing IN your face. the swirling river
at your feet, the broken music of the
shrill, wild cries of plover and "tip-up-"
rock snipe, and 'sleast sandpiper" in
your ears, and the ishcrows Tapping
slowly far overhead, you are sure TO
make a hearty meal
Early in the afternoon most of the
fishermen are ready to start for home.
Then is the time to compare catches,
and condole or congratulate Some days
ago one nan caught 164 fish. aggregat-
ing 200 pounds, in one afternoon. A
car conductor, who came down for a
recreation, one day last week,
displayed huge shad OF five pounds
weight. to an admiring throng.
How d you get him?' asked one of
the crowd, tncautiously.
Caught him on a silver hook" was
the reply.
You don't sayi Never heard of that
trick BEFORE" blundered on the un-
fortunate.
Yep; silver hook. Paid a silver
quarter for him.