The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1914-10-17
The WONDERFUL
FISHERMAN.

I BrouSsaTdyille, v no has attracted
so much attention in the
last few months. Is & son of
humble farmer fox aud, ia all
probability, had no opportunity in
his eariy bog hood Of &" j'Hng even
The barpst rudiments of a common
school education. His age has
been variously Guessed at from "a
| 70 "a years. He speaks but one
/ language, French. IN his com
munity he had little need of any
other tongue, as 1t was common to
a!l'and was the medium for con
veying thought III both the social
and business circles of his world
Earlier in life be EN- baTked in the
commercial field ana veDinred his
fortune and credit in a country
store While the venture was
modest. it involved his all After
time he went back to the pur
suits most TO his liking and in
which a living seemed 10 come
through a channel Of he least re-
slstance-the catching of fish.
III business has become his pro
fes7io aud he has added to Its or
diua'y methods-as usually prac-
ticed by others certain trim
mugs, which have brought him
both fame and profit.
Upon his httle home place there
IA ravlne This he diked at the
lower end, thereby trapping a con
siderable body Of water, and max
ing "a fish storage pond, where be
keeps them in large numbers in
perfect condition. The report Is,
that anyone in his section, desir
ing fish tor special occasion,
applies to the owner Of this stOT-
age pond with feeling of certain
fy that there will be no dIsap
polntment. This certainty of sup
ply of live fish has greatly extend
| ed the radius of bis business Oper-
ations, without effort on his part
| 10 drum business. He sells from
the pond much in the same man
ner as poultry dealer sells live
fowls from his coops. The Gus
TONER indicates his desire in both
species and weight-ChOplln en-
ters the water of his pond and
calls forth the desired hSh-the
customer buys fish and at the
| same time witnesses wonderful
perfOrmance-that of Chopin TAX
ing live fish from the water with
his hands only. Many have bought
to see him catch them. His trade
has grown till it has reached the
very respectable proportions of a
hundred dozen or more per week
He says he cannot remember
when he discovered his power over
fish and his being able to take
them from the water with his
hands. He thinks he has been
practicing the art some sixteen
years. He says he understands
the power be possesses and knows
bow it is applied; but he regards
it secret that should not be i'm
parted TO anyone. After being
repeatedly opportuned to explain
DOW 1t was that he could cause
fish to swim to his hands, he said
he wOnld be willing to undertake
10 catch the fish necessary to feed
The members of large picnic if
We would organize and give such
somewhere in that section and
then, after letting the picnickers
see him In his peculiar work, he
would undertake TO explain how
he operated. But this was re-
mOte-we wanted the word"
now. lie then offered the follow
Ing explanation: "a, large limb
breaks from tree and tails into
the water. Its butt, in time, sinks
70 the bottom. The greater por
ton of its trunk will be held above
The bottom by the under outer
twIgs. Under this limb 50 resting
some fish will soon make its home
and there IT will lay 10 wait for its
passing prey and TODD. Knowing
the habit of the fab and finding
such a limb in the water, | apply
4 gentle pressure TO the outer
branches of the limb. causing it's
trunk to sink. The fish, if he is
there, will swim to the point
where the pressure Is applied aud
| catch him." We all laughed
and be Joined in, AS though he en-
joyed bis own humor.
Chopin says seriously that he
can best operate in such bodies Of
wafer as be can wade from shore
to shore. He says he can get but
poor results in bodies cf water
where he would have to swim or
where the fish might 20 into a
depth where be could not keep his
feet on the bottom while employ.
ing his hands.