The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1910-07-16
HIS FIRST FISHING EXPERIENCE.
John Ferguson Writes Prize Story OF
His Adventures At L'Anse.

His Adventures At L'Anse.
The following clipping was recently
published in the Inter-Ocean prize
stories.
with the approach of warm weather
my thoughts usually turn to cooler
locality and as soon as the necessary
sum is saved it's me for Lake Superior.
In 1907 was surprised to receive an
invitation to spend the summer at
L'Anse, Mich, little town of 500 in
habitants at the head of Keweenaw
bay. The man who invited me was an
old French Canadian by the name of
Batiste Belanger with whom had
shared bunk in lumber camp some
years before.
! arrived in L'Anse on the morning
of the fifteenth of May and found to
my surprise that it was showing. AS
! had failed to notify my friend of my
expected arrival he was not at the
station to meet me, and l was forced
to remain in the town over night.
Next morning / met Batiste on the
street. He had not expected to see me
so soon and consequently was unprepar-
ed but after some planning we arranged.
to rent small lumber camp at the
junction of the Silver and Fall rivers.
The camp had been closed for the su m
mer.
We ate an early supper the evening
we arrived, and retired early. awoke
next morning and lost no time in TAX
ing look at the weather.
''It's going to rain," / exclaimed to
Batiste unable to conceal the disappoint-
ment felt, as my visions of good
catch of rainbow trout were dissipated.
Batiste arose later and after glance
at the weather conditions told me the
sun would shine before 9 o'clock. He
was right and at $50 we started two
miles up stream to an old dam.
With grasshoppers for bait located
directly opposite the old lumberman
and tried to overcome the monotony
with my pipe. We had been fishing
nearly two hours without getting bite
and was thoroughly ydisgusted. had
started in Batiste's direction when sud-
denly heard him shout. Believing his
luck had changed hurried to the spot,
and preceived Immediately what had
caused his excitement. Floating down
the river either stunned or dead, were
hundreds of the finest specimens of
brook trout had ever seen.
''DynamitersW Batiste cried 81
must notify the game warden at once. "
He motioned for me follow him and
both of US made for the camp. Here
he armed me with a shotgun, and told
me to stay in the camp until he return
ed.
He was back before long accompanied
by the warden and we retraced our way
up as far as the dam. There Batiste
took the right side of the stream while
the game warden and l followed the
left. 1t was about II o'clock at night.
We had been walking about two miles.
when we came to camp fire with a
tent in the back ground. The warden
signaled Batiste to join US and we pre-
. pared for the raid.
We could hear the fishermen discus
sing plans for disposing of their ill-got-
ten fish. When the game warden gave
us the word, we approached them and
demanded an explanation.
They did not put up a fight, but stoutly
denied their guilt. In searching the
tent we found dynamite and nets Of
all descriptions. The fishermen were
| handcuffed and stayed up until o.
, clock in the morning with Batiste and
the warden, who remained on the watch
all night long. Next morning we
took our prisoners to L'Anse and turn
ed them over to the authorities. will
4 always remember the incident as my
: first fishing experience in Northern
: Michigan.
/, JOHN FERGUSON.