Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-08-04
A SPIRIT LAKE FISH STORY.
A Monster Catfish Almost browns
Pig and the Owner of the
Pig Killed the Fish.

While the writer was at Lake Oko'
boji last week he obtained the follow
ing remarkable fish story from Captain
Bert Thompson of the Steamer Des
F. Moines and we know him to be a
! truthful, reliable gentleman. He has
+, been a reader OF the LEADER fol-
years and when he read Sexe & Ring.
helms fish story offer he couldn't
resist the temptation, even though
some may be skeptical enough to
doubt the story and here it is:
| ''Lake Okoboji used to be full OF
catfish but there is nothing left there
now but bullheads, while Spirit Lake
contains thousands of the old time
cats, and occasionally lucky fisher.
man captures one with line but the
big fellow that almost drowned a pig
was killed with a pitchfork. It's an
| interesting fish story and worth print
ing" said Captain Thompson, who as
sured us the story had not reached
the local press of that county because
| he thought the facts might lead
the people to think he had been a
witness in the Lorimer case at Wash
ington and he had no desire for memb-
ership in the Ananias club.
81 am not giving you this story
second handed because | saw the
whole transaction while fishing with
in one hundred feet Of the pig when
it was almost drowned, and say, you
never heard pig squeal as that pork
er squealed before the big fish got it
into deep water"
| 'I was sitting at the end of fish
ing wharf that extended out into the
lake about SO feet when several pigs
came down to the lake from farmer
Pollock's pens. 1t was during the
hot days in the early part of July
when man and beast sought relief in
the waters Of the lake. l had
captured few perch and one good
sized pickerel and was watching my
bob closely when one Of the pigs gave
squeal and grunt com bined which
instantly drew my attention, and l
saw something was giving his pork
ship trouble. The pig seemed awfully
frightened and squealed continuously
until the water covered It's snout. l
pulled in my line and ran to the beach
before the pig ceased to struggle and
| | yelled to farmer Pollock to come
quick. He was standing by a hay
stack pitchfork in hand and bolted
for the beach.
''There it is" said /, pointing to a
commotion In the water and in rushed
the farmer"
"Look out" yelled, sit may be a
big fresh water TURTLE" but he was
downright mad and waded until the
water filed his hip pocket, then he
made vicious jab with his four tined
fork and there was something doing
at once.
"The tail of a big fish lashed the
water furiously for few seconds and
then the pig and fish appeared, the
pig apparently dead and the fish
dying Pollock grabbed the pig by
the ears and hauled 1t to shallow
water and l helped him drag it out
on the beach, and to our amazement
the big fish clung to one of the hind
legs of the pig. We supposed the pig
dead and turned our atteD tion to the
big catfish still holding the pigs leg
in it's mouth. After separating the
fish from the pig we found the pigs
tail in the mouth of the fish and
figured out that the fish had bit off
the tail then grabbed the leg and was
preparing for pork chops when the
farmers pitchfork ended the fight.
We turned to examine the pig when,
to our surprise, the pig showed signs
of life and then we gave it first aid
help and I'll be gol darned If that pig
didn't begin to grunt and in less than
fifteen minutes it got up and walked
away. It's leg wasn't hurt much and
the loss of it's tail didn't seem to
bother it. as it had a two inch stub
left.
We hauled the fish up to the barn
and weighed 1T and found that that
| pig eating catfish weighed 1924
pounds.
I took my fish and went home and
resolved that l would never tell the
story, assuming that everybody would
class me as an officer in some Ananias
Club, and steam boat captain has a
horror of such reputation, but after
reading that offer Of Sexe u Ring
helm in the LEADER that they would
give prize for the best fish story l
decided to give you the catfish and
! pig, and If any man or woman doubts
the truth of the statement let them
call on me and l will show them the
stub tailed pig and introduce them to
the man who killed the 1884 pound
catfish with pitchfork."