The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1912-04-10

when the fishing season Is open IN that
land through which the picturesque
Allegheny flows, II is not unusual on a
pleasant day for friend to come stroll
ling along and interrupt your matutinal
diversion in the garden with the rake
and hoe by saying, "Come, let's go fish
ing today" Now, your own thoughts
have been centered on the proposition
that a rake and hoe aren't in 1t with cd
and line as a national sporting outfit, and
as you are patriotic to scommendable de-
gree 1t takes you just moiety of deci-
NAL fraction OF second to hang that rake
over an apple limb and sling the hoe in
behind the wood-house where you hope
you will never be able to find 1t again.
OF you go with the friend and what takes
place subsequently is an jther story-that
nobody will believe.
When the fishing season is open in
Southern Florida-and 1t is open the day
long and the year round "A friend will
come along and say, "Come, let's go fish
ing three months" and you lope off to-
ward the house for your tackle and
mosquito net with q celerity and avidity
equsled only by that displayed in the
Allegheny country.
And that's how it comes am up here
in lake 0keec1obee. did not accept the
invitation for three months but | shall
stay until l gather enough information
about the Everglades, the Seminoles, the
drainage canals, and the unexplored saw
grass region to make a story that will
cause the ten thousand pages of the Ever
glade investigation at Washington to look
like "locsl."
do not deny that / am some fisher
man. When first came to Punta Gords
had good success and peddled my sur
plus catch around to my friends. In a
short time the marshal came along and
made me take out license as a Who'll olesale
dealer. l had either to pay the tax or
drop back to retailer, so came to this
lake. And 1 am glad l came. took
over hundred photos on the Csloosahst-
chez, lake Hickpogee, the canals, and so
forth, with which to illustrate my non
official report. caught catfish that lay
on the bank all night long and mewed so
loud it kept us from sleeping in the boat.
In the morning kicked it into the canal
and it darted away like the understood
rock bass that Gus Carson throws back in.
| have written double "e" so many times
that it is about worn off this type machine,
and iu my next fear shall have to use
the quotation key in its stead. Compos-
| itor. take notice.
am seeing Florida vastly different
from the average Northener. l do not
stroll the beaches of the East Coast wear
ing flannel suit and wait Tor checks to
pay my hotel bill, neither do l stop at
some hamlet on the West side and make
a set of cooking utensils out of tin cans
and go to housekeeping. am hittin' the
old peninsula all over and where there
are things TO see. And if you want 10
know things down here you should see
them. Ifyou rely on what is told you
you make a sad mistake. l was sad
awhile making such mistakes but l am
real gay again. measure my own alli-
gators and weigh my own fish. 1 also
examine the land buy and fell into 40
acres "purty cheap"
met Judge Lindsey from Warren re-
Gently. The Judge said he had been
reading my Beresn Leaves from Florida
| in the REPUBLICAN and received exalted
edi6cation therefrom. The Judge is a
gentleman of the old school, great law
yer, and with others owns large tracts OF
valuable lands In this vicinity. also
met j. H. McQuaide, who went 10 school
to Judge Irwin of Tionesta. McQuaide is
working the presumption act for all it iE
worth and at the same time working 16O
acres of land. He lives in what is called
the Vermont settlement out near the GEN.
ter of the county.
1t was my intention to end this letter
right here. But l feel that all my ac-
quaintances will be rejoced to learn OF
my conversion-to the Whale story. No
one, having seen the leviathsns l baye
seen, will longer dispute that story.
Trolling in lake Hickpogee l hooked
something that stopped the boat. Then
the good ship began to move in a direc-
ton almost opposite to that in which we
desired to CO. The captain begged me to
cut the line, and finally consented. He
said it was a 1000 pound jew fish, while
the first mate said it was shark. What
ever it was know 1t was big enough to
swallow a man the size of Jonah, though
it might not have been able to keep good
man down long.
Take look at the photo inclosed.
These fish are one mornings catch of
myself and pal Joe" The fish hanging
next to me weighed lO2 pounds and we
worked over an hour tiriDg him out and
lifting him upon the pier. Notice my
muscles. 1 developed them pulling in
fish. Notice the size of my brain, did
that by eating fish. II Doc Hunter was
down here and pulled in fish for few
weeks he'd be able to pull out those
troublesome incisors and -pronged
bicuspids with the thumb and foreiinger
of his left hand. WALLACE CHADMaN.
Lake Okeechobee, Fla, March 81.
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