The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-06-21
BEAT THESE FISH YARNS.
kansas City StarO

AANeAAAoAt1 NAAJ DAetA >
I got the prize fish story" said A
5. Van Valkenburgh, United States dis
trict attorney, to a friend, E. X. Dur
ham, United States marshal, at the
Federal building the other day.
We'll, let's have it," said Marshal
Durham.
The United States attorney settled
himself in his chair, put his feet on tor
of his desk and got his cigar 10 going
good. Then:
When alarmed il is a we'll known
fact that fish scuttle into dark places
beneath the water. A friend of mine
told me of an ingenious plan adopted by
an old fisherman on the Blue river to
take advantage of this fish custom.
THE old fisherman procured bar
rell, bored a number of holes in il and
weighted the bottom with lead and
iron. To the top was fastened two
ropes attached to a windlass on a boat
Rowing out to the middle of the Blue
the barrel was sunk, resting on the
bottom of the river. Then the old fish
erman sent his four sons, two in each
direction. to points fifty yards away
where they entered canoes and COM
menced to beat the water with flat pad
dies, raising a great hub-bub. Gradu-
ally they worked down to the boar
where the old fisherman was ready TO
haul out the barrel AS they came close
To him he quickly manned the wind
lass and the barrel came TO the sur
face BY actual count there were
twenty-eight shad, forty carp. seven
teen catfish and nine jack salmon IN
the barrel. The catch weighed 100
pounds"
.'Uh-huh. that sure is some fish sto-
~" commented the marshal. reflective
ly. I heard a good one myself"
"Out with it, said the United States
attorney.
1.-TWO men, We'll call Jones and Smith,
had a great argument about the most
successful plan for catching fish-with
live or dead bait" began the marshal.
They couldn't agree, so resolved to put
the matter to a practical test. II was
agreed that in the presence of judges
they would take I'D positions side by
side on the river bank. Jones TO bait
his hook with a live minnOw and Smith
with an angle worm. The first TO catch
fish should be declared the winner.
The story of the event got around.
and on the day of the contest a large
crowd assembled on the bank of the
river Jones and Smith arrived at the
appointed time. and at a given signal
from the committee of judges cast their
lines into the stream.
For a time the excitement was in
tense. The crowd laid wagers on the
result and watched the lines intently.
An hour passed and neither contestant
had a nibble. The ardor of the con-
testants and spectators was somewhat
diminished, but they were game to see
il out
Another hour pansed with no sign OF
a bite One of the judges sought the
shade OF a tree and fell asleep. Jones
and Smith sat patiently, holding their
poles In the broiling sun.
Suddenly Smiths line was seen to
tremble, followed by a decided jerk.
"A bite A bite yelled the crowd,
and great excitement reigned.
Smith gripped his pole tightly and
gave a mighty backward heave. The
throw tore the pole out of the hands
Of the astOnished Jones. Together they
ran 10 see what Smith had caught.
They found that Jones minnow, be-
ing tired and hungry. had swallowed
Smiths worm. The minnOw was still
fast 10 Jones hook.
The contest was declared a draw"