Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-11
JED PROuIY'S

on Inc group was IN
con.L.e,e, Hiram. Putney. the village au-
thority, being absent. His hardness had
been remarked, as well as his absence
the previous day. He at length arrived.
explaining his non-appearance the pre-
vious day by saying:
Il was out on tn pond, showing that
cousin of Maria Hopkins, up from Bos-
ton. where tn black bass be-
What luck. Hi? Ketch any big ones?"
he was asked.
WELL draw!ed Hiram, II showed tn
young man where they be. but he warn't
much at ketchin' of 'em, and bout all
of em be in TIL pond STILL
I'm fact" continued Hiram after
pause. Maria Hopkins cousin warn't as
I say. much at ketchin' of 'em, and after
he'd missed likely number of strikes
/ ups and says. says l: Pears to me as
eff We hadn't he'd much practice ketchin'
black bass He says he haint, and l
says, says I: Black bass is queer crit
ters-miehty easy one day and hard to
ketch TIL next. And they do be ALFRED
smart, tew,' says l. And then ups and
asks him eff he heerd tell of tn one Jed
Prouty he'd.
9TH young Teller says he hatn't, and 1
ups and tells him tibet Jed Prouty was
one of them folks we see now and then
tibet kin dew most anything with ami
mails and all otter critters. In fact. Jed
was a-forever trainin critters, maxim 'em
do things tibet ye'd say couldn't be done,
and so when one day Jed give it out
deown to this very store tibet he'd ketch-
ed and trained black bass. why. III
swan eff there be any Of us tibet knowed
Jed tibet keered to dispute him. Tibet is.
nobody but Isaac Warner. thets dead
and gone meow. Ike, however. was one of
TIL disputin' kind. and when Ike ups and
says he don't b'lieve it Jed he ups and
saws says he: Eff I don't prove 1t III
treat tn huIl durred villa"e few cider.
Ike, ben' sight fond of cider. TUX
Jed up on tn proposition, and tn next
day Ike, Jed and a parcel of us started
deown tew tn pond tew see jed prove of
what he said. Ike and myself gets in
Jed's boat, and Jed he rowed round
piece tew where he said he kept that
trained bass of his. When we got there
Jed pulled up live box and showed us a
black bass in it with a helf Of bout four
or five pounds. Jed he'd his fishin' tackle
long with him, and when he h rowed
off tew where We knowed tn fish was
likely tew be found. Jed he opens of his
live box and turns tibet bass of his intew
tn pond.
with thet," continued Hiram, after
borrowing a match to light his pipe, like
set forth as tibet would be TIL las; we'd
see Of tibet bass. But Jed he said he
knew what he was bout, and he let's on
tibet tn bass he'd turned loose knew
foIl, ba n,opfinp
didn't. Then Jed called tention tew to
TIL fact tibet black bass he'd good deal
of tn human sperit in EN-, a-Wantln a
thing most when they see one of their fell
low-bein's a-wantin' of 1t. What thet
bass Of mine will dew, Jed ups and says,
says he, will be tew swim round till
he see a Teller bout his size, or mebbe
a mite smaller or bigger. and then he'll
make a Decline fer tibet bait of mine.
TIL other bass whether feelin hungry or
not, will take in tn situation, try tew
outswim tibet bass of mine for tn bait,
and then. as they git near it, tn Teller
I've trained will take durn good care tew
swim fer 1T jes a leetle slower. TIL con-
sequence bein', gentlemen. tibet tn other
bass, jes out Of what we might call hu-
man contrariness, eff nuthin' else, VIII
swim faster, grab tn bait, and then. gen.
tlemen. I'll proceed tew dew tn rest
"Of course" said Hiram. after borrow
ing another match tibet was one thing
for Jed teW say, and another thing Tor
him tew dew, but durn my buttons eff he
didn't. For we hedn't been settin' there
five minute, mebbe less, afore we see, tn
water ben' unusually clear tibet day, teW
big bass a-comin for Jed's bait. One,
we see, was Jed's, for he loked sorter d1f-
rent from any other tibet we'd ever see
afore, and jes as Jed he'd Gale ated. we
could see his Teller kinder slowin' up
when they got near tn bait, and then we
see tn other bass make suddin jump
for tibet bait, grab 1t, and make OF with
It. Course Jed landed him, and Jes teW
to prove what he'd said more and more,
burned eff he didn't hev tibet trained bass
of his dew tn same thing several times
over Finally. when tn hull of US, In
cludin' Of Ike, said they was satisfied,
Jed begin splashin' in the water with his
hand, a-whist in at tn same time, anu
what does tibet trained bass of his dew
but come swimmin' up tew tn. side or IN
boat. and low Jed tew take him out tn
,,,a,er and put him back intew tn live
box. , 1r,n, u,r,s
IN, only trained fish tibet l ever see or
haar tell of. but when 1 sec tn mess thet
cousin OF Maria Hopkins was a-makin
with tn strikes he got yestiddy couldn't
holm thinkin' sech fish would be all
fred good kind OF one for some 70 ks tew
take fishin' with em. Jed used tibet bass
for lest sech purposes till he sold him
few a Teller tibet come up this way from
BOSTON one day. TIL Teller TUX him or
with him, and l hain't never heerd tell of
thet bass Sence.