The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-20

Returnfng-One and one half trouble
Instigator-Jay L. House, mayor.
PerpetratOr-Roy Crawford.
Victims-Billy Wikidal, Harry Mar
tin; the writer
IL Purpose-Ffsh.
Result-No purpose.
That, in short, is the story of the
annual pilgrimage of the H-C-W-M-C
Fin Five, q Topeka quintette with a
constitution of iron and determination
and bylaws of five long years OF
anxious but fruitless ambition.
For a twentieth of a century this
organization, fathered, fostered ana
Unclaimed by Roy Crawford and Jay
House, has ventured forth in the
spring in search of bait and biters'
and each year it has ventured back
again with alibis and tangled lines
lies
permanent fishing organization IN
town that never carries a jug. NOT
does it carry a fish.
Heretofore the party has held forth
along the banks of the streams cb una
adjoin the Crawford ranch in chase
county. This year-juSt week ago
the H-C-W-M-C fish feeders, after
months of promises and tales ofyester.
years, trailed across a large halt OF
Kansas to the youthful bass haunts OF
the mayor in Neosho county. They
found the creeks the mayor nad
named-true to geographical location
and description. They found the land
marks and the scenery and the MS
torical acknowledgements as the mayor
had mapped out. And that IS all
they found.
of course the mayor could not be
blamed-but somehow or other the
fish he used to know down there near
Erie have either died without the
mayors scrutiny of the obituary col
umn OF they have moved to other
parts. At any rate these old I'm
friends of his youth were not at nome
when Jay House and his hungry horde
called last Saturday and Sunday.
The mayor says it was the bait we
used. Roy Crawford says he went too
early in the year. Billy Wikidal says
it was too cold; Harry Martin says
the moon wasn't quite in the right
place. I will admit they are all right
but would like to add that there are
no fish in the bloomin' creek
The party started out all fishing
Darties-late The original plan called
for ) o'clock Saturday morning II
was postponed until 6. Them the
MAYOR baked and 7 was agreed upon.
Finally. after Harry Martin had gath
cred together his forgotten lmple-
ments of fish destruction, the party
seated comfortably and luXur1ouSly IN
Roy Crawford's new glass and ma
hogany enclosed gasoline chariot,
slipped out of town just as the town
bankers were sneaking in from their
sleeping porches.
CLEOPATRA said: "Give me mine angle;
we'll to the river: there, my music
playing far off, 1 will betray tawny
filmed fishes; my Bonded hooks shall
pierce their Shiny jaws
Ibid might have said "as no man is
horn an artist, so no man is born an
angler" but every man in that 1zaak
walton troupe was born so-in his
own mind.
The trip to Erie that Saturday was
ideal The roads-as far as roads
90 in Kansas-were good. Roy
despite the varied advice from the
other four members of his party
kept to the road admirably, and was
complete master of his car. The road
map was consulted. insulted and
widely construed, but the motors
hummed away toward Erie. Quail,
rabbits, poultry, live stock and the
birds on the wing of spring, cooed.
leaped, sQuawked, mooed and chirped
from our path as that tobacco filled
glass Gagged vehicle swung into the
highways and byways of six Kansas
counties.
Problems of engineering. agricul-
ture and nature were settled within
crossed but what its construction could
have been improved upon by that
learned party. No road was graded
to the fancy of these drug store
theatrical = cigar factory newspaper
critics No farmer along the route.
despite his outward indications of
wealth and prosperity, was sufficiently
equipped and informed, according to
these soft-fisted toilers of the city.
World wars, international politics,
kI-s--
overlooked by these wise men of east
ern Kansas.
And when a fish story was related
it was laughed down by the others
who discounted all in their assurance
of the morrow. For Alexander wept
there was infinite number of
worlds.
1t always pays, when en- route on
a doubtful fishing expedition, to main
tain plenty of diversions in scenery,
habits. and activities, that any mis-
fortune may be Salved with interest
along other lines The H-C-W-M-C
party. rather slack in finances in one
or two spots (said spots representing
the newspaper men) found great ami
nation in watching the pumping oil
wells along both sides of the road.
sQueaking their toll of riches to the
owners of land and leases. For miles
III that southern Kansas country these
little handles may be seen jumping
up and down as the connected pumps
drew the black gold fluid from the
ground to feed tanks and pipe lines.
All of which brings to mind a story
that Don Wells of the Erie Record
told while the party was hummiEg
along to an alleged bass hangout Dor
dering Farmer Loves place south of
Erie.
1t seams there is a dentist in Erie
who is living a life of sublime hap
piness by a practice that keeps him
and his family and his proud Aire-
dale dog in daily comfort Now this
dentist isn't trying to get rich on
mouth troubles. He lives in a good
town. is contented and resigned to
life and pays nc taxes on money in
the bank. But he is a farsighted