The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-02

posits Vide Poche A.! A. the skit, Up. sp-
and disappeared. A few days later the
fisherman was in the same neighborhood
and on his voyage across the river had
pulled out OF the water a long plank. On
approaching the shore there was the same
nately few feet further from the water.
Stealthily approaching, the old French
man drew his plank ashore and when the
alligator started the expected rush for
standing it on edge. 1t would not have
delayed his alligatorshp more than mo-
ment but that was enough to prepare a
slip moose and throw 1t over his head. He
was less than three feet long and not so much
Of an alligator after all. and bis distinc-
far as known he was the only sauran
The crawfsh wferewith the thirsty
satisfy what little hunger they may eI-
perienoe between evening drinks are caught
and at the end Of pole The net is lowered
to tho bottom Of the water In a locality
where orawfish abound and over it is sus-
pended. BY means Of a stick and string.
piece Of high, pork or any other r, meat t
food Whether the crawfsh smell the
carrion or taste it In the water nobody
knows, but the news OF its presence soon
spreads to every crawfish domicile In the
vicinity and all the craw6sh drop everything
When the bait Is raised to the surface
they hang on until almost out OF the water.
then drop and fit Of In every direction;
that Is, they try TO fit, but the net Is drawn
e ep az sn' It' Is the coasrdliest way Of
fishing ever heard Of said old Jean Batiste
Fourier, 'for the pore crawfsh haven't
got ghost Of chance to get away. Frogs
are hunted. not fshed for. The hunters go
with cat rifle and smokeless cartridges.
The veteran bulls are easily spotted by
the experienced eye as they squat along
the bank, and are shot one at time. They
are pick led up by a small net at the end
eoe ahs tepd9rs ri obes n ros - n on
the same bank, even ten feet away. and
IN the course Of a days hunting. The
sloughs and small streams on the Illinois
side furnish the best hunting grounds for
the bulls"
Trapping has already been mentioned,
but the operations Of tho trapper are now
confined to ninks and muskrats, both OF
which are to be found In comparative
ABUNDANCE in the wilds Of the River des PeT ire
tricts OF the Illinois shore. The skins
bring from 50 cents to 81 in the St. Louis
market.
Among the old fishermen Of Vide Poche.
along the flats east OF Bremen and Baden
and along the mouth Of the Missouri. there
are traditions In abundance Of the good old
times when turtles were two and half feet
across the she'll .hoaters" were numerous
and driftwood so thick that all you needed
to DO during soo time Da to ssnd hs d the
ashore as fast as you could work,
Il was Aleok lie Fevre who, while fishing
on the Illinois bank when young, man.
lost his knife while cleaning fish. and forty
years later found its remains In the hollow
Of tree he was cutting down, where it had
been carried by fish stealing mink. 1t
was one Of the Pigeon family who. while
cleaning a monster cat he had caught.
found gold watch and chain In its stomach,
and after the watch had been tended by
good time, too, for twenty years. No trace
Of It's owner was discovered along with the
watch In the interior Of the big cat, so what
steamboat captain or mate was swallowed
when the watch was gulped down Is sui
It was Pete Pernod, better known as
Driftwood Pete, who found fortune Of gold
and silver in hollow log he had caught and
was splitting od Pete alTays denied bIs the
story but his bel esT tbsa he msht
robbed, a very reasonable fear along the
river bank, and it was noticed that from
the date Of the alleged discovery Pete never
worked very much, but always had little
It was Amedee Barron who saw the ghost
in the river. He was crossing long before
day to the Illinois shore to visit his nets
when there came floating toward him
phostly fantom in the water. 1t had eyes
that shone like Are. and a luminous outline
from the eyes to a distance Of or feet
might be that Of mermaid or man or ur,-
known animal, but was most probably that
OF a ghost Amedee shook with fear. OF
holy water he had none. or course. his
beads and prayer book had been left at
home. so in default of divine aid he piled his
oars in desperation until the ghostly vision
had been left far in the rear. nor did he fully
recover even after he had seriously de-
pleted the contents of the bottle he carried
for use in such emergencies. A night or two
later other fishermen saw similar ghost in
an eddy on the Missouri side, and after piorls
ejaculation in veetigated the mysterious visi-
tor and ascertained it to be a large catfish
in a state of phosphoresoent deoomposj.
ton. But Am6dee could never be persuaded
to believe the fish theory about his ghost.
aSacre! What see was twice 40 big and he
shone like blazes And he did not float
He came right at me like diable. and had
to row 40 fast as my hands could pull to get
from him way.
Poor Amedee is now himself in the realm
OF ghosts, but his terrifying vision was not
the only one which frightened the old time
fisherman in the Mississippi, for it is not
reassuring spectacle to gee the head OF a
drowned man pop out Of the water beside
your skiff, even II the recovery Of the body
does signify reward Of $3.50.
TWO WOMEN KILLED IN BED.
~x,ter,ons Double Murder in Scranto