The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-01
foot lake, Tennessee, or in the Arkansas
and ST. Francis rivers, in Arkansas.

|
soma curious methods are followe
by the fishermen, not the least interest
ing of which is called juggling. 1t ma
been said that the only use to whlch
large bottle CT jug is put in Kentuck'
is to hold whisky. While this may D.
a libel en- ,he Kentuclian, jugs are
very common commodity on the Ohi'
river where, while their original ant
| general use may be to hold whisky. the!
s,e frequently used for Juggling for cat
fish, ~
while the Missouri river catfish have
long held the palm for size and vorac1ous
| ness, those found in the ONO are NJ
babies. TIE writer has hauled out
| number of specimens which Weisheo iroii
so to 100 pounds each.
| when the fisherman desires to jug M
gets out a Gozen or two Of the jugs ane
| corl<s them up tight. To the hanole o.
| each is attached a stout cotton line apou.
three feet long with hook on the enc
and baitod with almost anything from ole
meat to spoiled cheese rind, the catnsf
appetite being not at all particular.
After everything is ready the fisher
man dumps lie whole lot into skifi
and rows up 4leam about three or -four
miles. The juNs are then dropped over
| hoard at Intervals of about 20 feet ano
the operator hlats along behind as they
drift with the current. In calm weather
| when the water is smooth, a one-pouno
fish will bot the floats perceptiply ano
larger fish will yank them around at
| lively rate; but 1t requires a Dig nsh te
sink them for half a minute.
| On n good day the fishermen will be
kent busy visiting the various jugs wher
| they begin to bob and go under water, IN
6icatine that a catfish has been hooked
The large fellows put up good fight.
Among the shanty boaters are black
smiths and carpenters, who tie UP theil
| floating shops wherever business looks
promising; junk dealers. who exchange
| groceries, crockery and notions for 1unF
| and in many instances eggs, chickens
and dairy products; travelling sawmills
which work up into lumber the floating
| drift. logs which the farmer has draw
| from the river as they were floating by
chairlnakers, upholsterers, feather anc
mattress renovators, photographers whe
are espeei tally welcome In the small
towns: shoemakers. timers. BARRIERS
| sewing machine agents, coopers. tramp
| printers, blind tigers, which sell moon
shine whisl;y--in fact. baout all trades
are represented.
At Tie present time there are about q
| dozen vessels in the Mississippi valley
| which are called noatlng pdldceS- HE
IL form of theatrical transportation
| .,hich is used only in this region Each
carries a well-equipped stage and COM
pany of from 16 to 80 actors and actresses
ard has seating capacity for from 200 to
| 1000 persons.
| Each Of the boats has a steam cal
| Hope. winch the Snowman guarantees can
| be heard for four miles around. state
| ment no enc who has ever heard one OF
| these Internal machines play doubts fol-
| moment On the steamer which tows
| Tie floating theatre, besides the boilers
| and engines there is an electric light
| plant. a Kitchen and dining room. The
! sleeping Quarters are on the theatre boat
| Along the route of the floating theatre
| the towns are often but 10 or Is miles
| arart therefore the jumps of the COM
| many and its boat are not long ones. ON
| the upper deck of the steamer is the cal
| Hope Long before the theatre reaches
| tile town in which it is to show the
sounds of this instrument may be heard
| rhe idle population of the river towns al
| once Le.,ins to assemble on the wharf
! AS tie steamer comes within a few hun.
deed feet of the dock the calipoe il
silenced and O brass band strikes rr
] familiar air When the boat touches the
I " harf or bank the sailors, some of whom
| are later transformed into actors. make
| the vessel fast and put the gangplank ir
| place The people come abroad and selec
| their seats, instead of doing from
diagram or shore. At night the theatr,
IL brilliantly lighted by electricity anC
a searchlieht flashes over the surrounding
| territory.