The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-07-12
A REMARKABLE CATCH.

repuDllcans out or the country
A REMARKABLE CATCH.
Experience of Two Fellows Who Went
Fishing on Sunday.
On Sunday morning, while the writ
er Of this narrative and memberaof
the Union force were fishing with
three hooks on each line contrary to
the statute, most remarkable chap
ter of events happened.
The scene of operations was on the
Rum river, short distance below
town, where the mosquitoes were so
thickly mixed up with the atmosphere
that it was necessary to screen the lat
ter through muslin in order to pre-
vent choking to death. But mosqui-
toes have nothing whatsoever to do
with this statement of facts. Let's
see.. Oh, yes; we we're fishing. Well,
our bait consisted of overgrown frogs
the sort whose voices occasionally
fool the COWS in the meadows, our
hooks were large enough to land tar
pom and our lines were heavy and of
more than ordinary length. Casting
our three frogs apiece into the stream
and lighting a brush smudge near
where we sat, we anxiously awaited
results, expecting to gather in fish
Or two which had sufficient swallowing
capacity to bolt the bait. We knew
that they would necessarily have to
be monsters to gulp down these gigan-
tic believers.
Our attention was subsequently at
tracted to the peculiar movements of
a log near shore. This log was be-
ing propelled upstream by an unseen
and unknown force. While an inves-
tigation revealed the fact that two of
our baited hooks had drifted under
the log, we knew full we'll that a
couple of frogs, even though they were
prodigious in size, possessed not the
strength to roll this tree upstream, or
downstream either, even if assisted by
such current as was running at that
time.
At last the log commenced to re-
volve with the rapidity of an old-fash-
Toned mill wheel and from beneath it
emerged that which from distance
seemed to be an inverted rusty soap
kettle with big snake protruding it's
head and neck about four feet from
it's interior. AS the monster made for
shore we fastened our lines to a sap
ling" and climbed a giant oak to re-
connoitre. And then, again, we
thought it better to be at distance
for fear the monster might land and
attempt to introduce ITSELF It merely
bumped against the shore, however,
created landslide of a ton or two
and turned tail. AS it proceeded
toward midstream it became entang-
led in the other fshline,s and about
that time we descended from our point
OF observation. Approaching the
bank, we commenced to haul in both
lines, and gradually the big, repul-
slve-looking mass was brought nearer
shore. AS we were about to pull it
up the bank a fearful commotion
arose. Another monster of some sort
had evidently been caught on one of
the hooks and it was turning somer-
saults in the water. But we pulled,
pulled, pulled. just then a muskrat,
disturbed by the noise, swan from
beneath the bank, and, in passing
over the ENHANCEMENT of line, Topped
an ear too near a fish hook and Joined
the victims.
When the catch was eventually
landed it consisted of one swapping
turtle with a rich brown moss inter-
spersed with shrubbery covering it's
back, and weighing perhaps 100
pounds, one dog6sh FIVE feet long and
one muskrat as large as a wildcat.
Not having any particular use for
either the amphibians or the dogfsh,
we cut the lines and again climbed
into the oak tree. Not that we were
afraid of the amphibians, but the tree
afforded better point of view from
which to watch them scamper for the
stream.
nrrI,