The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-08-23
SCIENCE IN SELLING FISH
THAT, BUCK HAWLEYf THINKS,
IS WHERE HE rs WEAK.

2 'hutt w htedO W eAo
Johnboat on the Ohis River-scicnce
Used Also in Selling Q sunken Bost.
PApucAH, KY. Aug. 21.--aCo'se thah's
@ heap o. scienoe bout f1shin,. but, thah's
a heap mo- In KNOWN how TO soll 20 fish,
said Buck Hawley as he sat on the rear deck
Of our houseboat smoking his corncob
pipe and gazing into the gathering twi-
light. AN that's whah ] was alfus weak.
sellin my fish. Nevah was able TO get
what's comm to me- he resumed after .
few moments Of abstraction. and again
relapsed into silence. Z,
We were floating down the Ohio on our
way from Pittsburg to New Orleans and
were just OF the Falling Run Hight which
marks the southern limits Of the city Of
Louisville O short distance below the little
Portland canal which connects navigation
above and below Ohio Falls. It was q
delightful evening with q fresh. cool breeze
after q sultry day. From the willow fringed
bank the might creatures were calling.
Down from Fountaine Park. Louisvile's
Coney Island, ioated the familiar strains of
O Soisa march.
We had picked up the old fisherman
SOM time before rowing leisurely along
in his johnboat. He had accepted my
invitation to tie to. remarktng as he flled
his pipe and borrowed q match to light II,
sRidin' is easier n rowin', an I don't add
much to 20 load
He was fishing down near Beeler's Land
ing and had been up to the city for grub
and bait. he said, and he polluted TO his
boat where a covered pail. q jug with o
corncob stopper. and q burlap bag Of pro.
visions could DO seen. There might have
bsep either grub or bait in that jug. but his
vo,ubility did not show It.
He told me his name and business and
asked mine. after which he remarked: Wall.
I s'pose 1t takes all sorts Of folks to make
world.' and again was silent. The artist
and I filed our pipes and smoked in silent
oompanionship. Interesting characters.
some OF these rivermen, with almost
always . story to ten. but they viii only
tell It In their OWE way.
Suddenly there came a deep chuckle
from the Aeathery throat Of the fisherman
and the rays'of the swinging lantern showed
a smile breaking the countless lines OF his
weakened and weatherbeaten old face
into innumerable crissorossee.
Il been a-fshin' tn Ohio mon twenty
years, an down the Mlssissip', whah l
was bon, fore at. an tn mo- I live M
mo- I'm andin' out how hard 1t Ia TO- q po'
man to get along an keep homes he went
on. 'w'y, they's a wholesale hsh dealer up
in Iou'ville at wouldn't buy a poun' o
fish DIN me Z / was stahyin', an II all
came out'n a joke-yes sub, same rs
might happen to 20.
sIt was this way. Me and my pardner.
lobe Smith. caught q catfish up }ee'
blow, the falls at weighed twenty-elgh
pounds. a right sizable fab. with q mouth
like tbs gate to n O. those yeah Cincin-
natl beer gardens.
..Cripes. w'ot a mouth says lobe, Bet
he could sw allow q couphn' PIN
Bet you tn drinks he couldn't isays.
.Tobe takes me. an goin' up long the
railroad track We finds q coupin' pin an
darnei II he didn't push IL right down the
cats throat We joshes about 1t a while
an I done clean fo'xot all bout tn coupliif
bin an takin' tho fish up 70 tn market an
iayin' 1t down on the scales sot O. ca'ul.
/ painters 'em To- a trade.
-'0eet' says tn fish a that's q besnty
mawnin' To- q big Ash rom . s'loon. vant 1t
70 they lunch counter. I'll pay ten tents
'Done.' says l. 'Jes' as 1t lays.
. Jim, jes' give Buck Hawley $780, he
says to his cashier. an pockets my money
.Nss' day . l was passin''th tn place tn
fish dealer called me.
lilo Buck. Buck Hawleyt aays he.
That's mo- says l..
I'm soin. 70 have 70, Looked up. says y he
" That's whah / ovah playe1 my han:
I had no business shown that l knowed
what he meant. -.
~ know that says. he. but Tn soin'
to have yo' looked up To- stealth i: 4 n.
Tsi!r ssia 1rsn To- thas CATFISH catasS. 70, 'oDpun P'o
Il wasn't looked up. but l nevah could
sell that man no mo- Ash -,
For as much as a minute or two the old
fisherman smoked In silence, then
the collar OF his faded blue shirt:
Some folks is that unreasonable: Now.
tn American Restaurant In Lou'viIle they
let me in tn do TO. that matter.
70 see. two yeahs ego black oas' was
they was sellin' at s. cents q, poun'. Ne
an 'Tobe was Hshin' up jes. below the falls
an one night We caught about q dozen O.
EN- runnin' a poun' an a half apiece.
We had an ole seine, all worn out utn
g them sinkers 'thout trouble. an I took
tn string up to tn American.
"The boss looked at EN-. a q eeetn' they
was fresh handed EN- ovah to q niger
to weigh-made jes' % poun'. an he paid
me ali right. Say. boes. II 20. ever buy
any fish jes' hold each n up BY tn tall
an stake 1t.
-The trouble came fore I got back. Tobe
he caught TO more bass an sent his boy
up to. tn American to sell en-.
--'Who sent your asked the boss. 49,.
Buck Hawley an Tobe Smith tn
kid says. -,
20 20 back to Buox Hawley an Tobe
Smith an tell EN- I a buy lead at the Junk
shop TO- three cents q poun. an don't
want no mo- O. their fish, Seemed to be
kind O. peevish bout 1t, tn boy said.
Pears like tn fishe'man's up agtn IL all
tn time resumed Buck Hawley after an
other period Of silent smoking: @Thah's
Jack Pigley fishes down here q piece. Been
on tn river mon twenty years. Use TO have
q shAnty boat till Jack got on a spree an
his pardner run Oh nth they shAnty boat.
an a pig they all was q raisln'.
Jack ives pow'ful wo'ked up oveh that.
Said he dida't mind tho loss o. tn boat but
he sho' did went that shote, Jack went to
boa'd nth a widow oomrn at had a house
an lot Of her own-lived in West Lou'yille.
an had a COW en- pig an chicken, an'a lite
monev In tn Rank. Then he married huh,