The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-04-22
FISH, FISHING, FISH LIARS.

For The Robesonian.
AS the hart panteth after the
water brook, so doth the heart of
the 'compleat angler, when ma
ture has put off the sere and yell
low and dressed herself in the
bright colors of spring, long for
a day on river, brook, lakes.or
pond. The number of the catch
Is OF small moment, but of soul.
expansive power are the delights
OF Gods creation, at their best
IN sylvan retreats and purest,
sweetest, when unct Illuminated
by the fetid CONNIE. cialism of
city or town. The rhythmic flow
OF the stream, the rich incense of
Wild flowers, the twittering of
teathered songsters in the near
by forest joy, gladness every
where, we have left the strenu-
Gus and turned to the pastoral,
and we thank God for life, light
and love. And the noon-hour,
the lunch on the grass under the
spreading branches. with the rel
lsh which can only be found in
the woods, the fragrance of
Havana or brier-root, then the
old, old story about that fish |
once hung, too big for my tackle
and he got away.
l know not why it is, but l
have met with but few persons
who have not lied to me about
this self-same elusive fish.
Strange it is that men of un-
blemished honor and unquestion-
ed truthfulnpss in all other en-
gagements Of lie will lie when
recounting their experiences with
rod and line, but such we know
to be the case, the lie having it's
limitations only in the capacity
OF the narrator. With becoming
reserve and due diffidence, con-
fess that l am the only living ex-
ceptiOn to this rule, always ad-
herring strictly to the truth,
whether in speaking of fish, fish
ing or fishermen, myself or 9TH
ers, as will be seen during the
further progress of this nara
tive.
We have no authentic record
of the first fish lie, but l suspect
it related to the son of Amittai.
Far be it from me to charge it te
him personally, but if he did say
it was a whale, after having
lain three days and nights in the
belly of the great fish,, which,
with excusable inaccuracy, he
calls "the belly Of help, to be
"vomicked" from this somewhat
restrained and altogether unique
prison-house, he was, in conse
quence, doubtless a little stale
and any off coloring of speech b!
MIN should he overlooked. He
knew, anyhow, that it was ;
whale of a fish which had soak
ed him.
The story of the sea serpent
too, is as old as is mans goin,
down to the sea in ships; but O
this enough. There is no nee,
for it, as we have here, in Robe
son county, a number of as good
able-bodied, fresh water fish liar
: as any age or land can produce
| say this, too, after having talk
ed with the most renowned, an
therefore most imaginative, O
the fishers Of White Lake i
Bladen and Lake Waccamaw i
Columbus.
r Whether the primacy shall G
t to Maxton, Red Springs, Rowland
r Fairmont or Lumberton, has NO
yet been fully determined, bu
the chances are now favorable
. Maxton, due, l suppose, to tn
; marvellous accomplishments i
E fishing unveracity of two gentle
e men of that town, Maj. San
, and Hon. Gil.
Not many years ago piscator
al prevaricator, himself a major
who published and yet publishe:
d with great acceptability and III
8 doubted truthfulness, a mornin
! journal in the city of Wilmington
- was wont to visit in merry MAJ
= ton. In an unguarded, and fe
). him unhappy, moment, he essa,
ed, in the presence of these tW
s artists, to pull off a few of h
q alleged fishing stunts in SCUM
and on sea. Maj. San an
Hon. Gil started in at Cam
bells bridge, and before gettin
to Alma had the Wilmington phi
catorial prevaricator so far GU
distanced as that he would nevt
thereafter discuss any subject
- Maxton but girls.
h Red Buck also came down fro
q the hills, and unreeled few ca
9 fish yarns from the muddy w;
= tiers of the Yadkin and Catawb
r. but having learned that just b
: low Harper's Ferry bridge the
r. was a one-eyed catfish, this ey
! as big as the headlight of a
f connective, which fish never a
- cended the turbid waters of Be
# Swamp, because his mouth w
\ bigger than the mouth of tt
- swamp, he, too, wound up a,
retired.
nj Maj. San and Hon. Gil.
E. are nonpareil. We have gre