Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-07-03

iot wisconsin 8 lakes they called his
attention to the surprising loveliness
lof theirs. These things irritated
him.
Fishing at Santa Catalina.
Just before Christmas the rain
stopped for few days, the sun came
out, and Sneed hungry for chance
at some of the wonderful fish about
which he had been told, and outfit
ted under the direction of a native
sportsman he had met, went to
Avalon, on Santa Catalin, and flshed
for three days for bass and. tuna. He
caught some.
Now It happened that on the even
ing of the third day the entire party
of sportsmen adjourned over to Long
Beach on the mainland and INDUCED
in little social session. During the
evenlng when everybody was feeling
pretty good and telling fish stories
Sneed tried to tell about some good
catches he had made in Wisconsin
and the upper peninsula.
He never got to finish even one
story. Nobody paid any attention,
and all were bored. Finally one
said: 30, that's all right, Sneed.
IT'S alr right for fresh water fishing,
but It isn't really fishing"
This was too much. Sneed arose
in wrath and said
"By the big log jam in the Flam-
beau, I've listened to you Callfor-
mans brag until I'm tired. I've
stood for your sunshine through
weeks Of pouring rain, your big
trees, when l wac freezing for want
of wood, your flowers when roses
cost Sc a dozen, your oranges when
every one buy is too darned sour
to eat, but I'll be blamed II I'll stand
for your fish. I'll bet a healthy mus
kie could lick any fish of twice it's
weight you have got, and I'll be d
- II bar sharks"
Wager of $500 is Made.
Sneed was mad. He was so mad
that he was ready to back up all his
statements with cash. Most OF the
fellows tried to smooth over the sit
uation, but in the party was Ron
Jackson, one Of the best rod and
reel fishermen along the coast, rich
man, ard an inveterate better.
Before the argument was ended
the strangest match In the history
Of the soprting world was arranged.
Jackson and Sneed wagered $500
and n banquet for the crowd and
made the following agreement:
Sneed was to produce a hve.
healthy muskellunge. of any weight
he chose, at Venice. Cal.
Jackson agreed to produce FISH
from the Pacific Ocean, caught with
liz twelve miles OF land on the Cali
fornia coast on rod and reel, double
the weight of the muskie from Wis
consin, and they were to be permit
ted to fight to a finish, or until one
Heu from tne otner,
The crowd regarded all as a great |
joke, but not so with Sneed. He be- |
gan wiring East that night. and the |
next day continued TO send tele-
grams. His messages created some ex- |
citement at Fiheld, Wis. After their |
purport was fully understood Abe |
Wiley, who keeps the hotel, and who |
received the messages, set out word |
to some guides and then telephoned |
out to Pike Lake to see II Uncle Dan |
MeDermott was there.
Sends to Wisconsin for Muskellunge.
George Sneed wants the biggest
live muskie We can catch" was the
word he sent around.
Everything was under snow, but
If George Sneed wants anything in
that part of the country he can have
IL. So Uncle Dan and Jack the Rip
per and Fergy went across the
woods and lakes on snowshoes from
Pike into the Springstead region,
ana through the Ice on Stone Lake, Ii
The best muskellunge lake in the re-
gion. they dragged Case, after catch
ing several smaller muskie. The
next day, carrying the gigantic fish
IN a half barrel of water lashed TO
s9ed. they came down the river to
Fifield, and Case started westward
m charge of Leon Greuber in an ex-
aquarium.
January 20. Sneed sent out word
hat he had his FISH at Venice await
ng the coming OF any Pacific Ocean
ish Weighing 4s pounds that any one
wanted to bring. Ron Jackson ac-
the receipt of the note
Ind two days later appeared at Ven Ii