New-York tribune., 1909-08-08
Fishin' from the Wharf

EISHIN' off a dock or pier or strlrsIlece or .-
i hanging bridge. trestle IS Al! T'Et to" u --e
not too many toi.s aTouE.di De -at
one Of those deserted, tumhledown sort o. docs
,.;e-s or vbatrot al which even The mud and e
barges have stopped anChoTlng because me ol --s
has switched toa point farther up OF down tne
one Of those docks or strirgf leees winch tae l
ho,s with their keen unfaIlIrg eve have ignite "a
as their sximmin headquaTters- But don '~ %
10 any fshin' when the boys are N s"lrn1nt- e
cause their sTlashiIg would not oTIt putcJ@It II
serenity tut disturb the tsh-lt tne-e are any 81
around here at all, that IS % say:
This writer has done heap Of ashln from deserted
docks and stringpeces and such IKE se. -lIs --s ~
lite- and generally some grlzzled tugboaJ s- -r
or similar wise individual has come along after
sat for hours without obtaining a Elonle--snc re
sortented over the situation. AZ tnat,-and rs.- rs
seDtenti0,1s1v that they hahn been nary nsh ~
OF II that dock fl forty year. eeI TN caslor..
eel These sardonic persons always were great -,--
rrised after they'd thus Informed Us, 70 note =
went right sitting there and ALLOW lHS our -a %
remain in the more less roily water and after
ttrnrlatirg Us closely and TuzzleclE tor io-- r.
thevd 90 Oft. uutterlLg ard shaAt1g rleIT --
f1,,,s clearly indicating that they considered u
Iess i-nbecles. But We never minded that Ne e-e
fshir or imagined that We were- often It cones -1
the same thing-,rd So It dlcn fctner u~ 7-- --r
grizzled, strea1n-wlse ones thoug--t an orc U.s.
All sorts Of pleasant, soothing httle sounds -- ~
eflents To- dspel the mOnotory-li there Is a- ----
rCt0nv-Of tshin' off a deserted dock or s-rl-- --e
The eddies swirl musically arOuad The mossE r.---J
u,leS and YOU watch the oCzv moss rise WITH he
lifting water and then vety hug the crurnblr- wood
when the water tails away y "-eeZE- IC~- ------
reled tugboat out IN rlIe.streaTl. throbs a7e --t
racks its in ards pulling away ~ string q ---i
barges on which bare-legeed men in red flame. --5
sit cOntemp latively smoking short clay pipes tl
YOU sort Of envy those fellows the tne open arr -e
free life they must have Of H. with nothing o. ut
% sit on the edge of 1re large mud barge I'D
smoke and dange their feet II the water
Navbe a small boy with dog JOINS you on lie
deserted dock or stringpiece. The dog, after r
at YOU and Your can O. bait. tops down ae-i'-e u,
painting and bIIks sleepIly; and then the
seeing that his dog approves OF You. squats . --I
beside the dog and after awhile the boy asks . II
YOU &c ever killed any pirates and YOU tell nm n Z
Of course YOU have slues and slathers OF en- AMI u
describe how once when YOU were IN cOuTnarc .- F..
-inety-eght-gun frigate or the Barbary Coast. -'.
YOU sailed into hull rest of terce, cutlas--
Barbary pirates, and how YOU srapPled then IN
ship and capt tured the boss pirate and would .-.-
ordered his ears cut OFF. Only that might be too
Then YOU feel maybe a Very feeble. lacIa'i.----
sort of tug Your lire. and You haul IN. and -----
an arerniC sad-eved eel seven eIghr lretvs ed
length on Your hook, but YOU reflect, an eel
tsh and
But wait a minute an eel a hsh, And
isn't a tsh. what he doing biting on bait Iu--
fish, Why, o. course an eel must be q hsh
Let the anglers angle. We're for hshln 1---. e