New-York tribune., 1920-11-10
Harding Hooks
Big Tarpon, but
1t Gets Away
Elusive Fish Shows No Re-
spect for the President
Elect, Who Waits All Dav
in Hope of Another Bite
Sacrifices Golf Cam e
Crowd Gathered at Tee Is
Told Senator Is Detained
by ''!mportant Business''
From q star Correspondent


POINT ISABEL, Tex, Nov. 9--Sena-
tor Warren G. Harding hooked huge
tarpon here day but, like the big fish
of countless less distinguished fisher
men, it got away.
Those Texans who had promised him
that he would land one Of the silvery
monsters assured the Senator it was
all the fault Of the persistent moving
picture operator However that may
be, the fish did get away, and the Presi-
dent-elect, hopeful Of another more
successful strike, broke golfing en-
gagement and remained out in tiny
shiff all afternoons
Most of the eligible people of
brownsville were crowded about the
first tee Of the golf course, hoping to
word came that Senator Harding had
been compelled to postpone his golf
game because Of important business
Right that very minute he was seated
in the stern OF a skif tossing on the
wind -roughened waters in the deep Bay
Of Pass Brazos de Santiago, about four
miles off Point Isabel
wide high-crowned straw SOM
orero shaded his features from the sun.
Loose white cotton gloves similarly pro
tected his hands. Thus equipped he
sat there all day, and it is exceedingly
unlikely that through the long hours
he gave a thought to troublcsome
Article X, unless through association Of
ldeas his memory led him that wav
from wonder about Jim Cox hunting
bear down in Alabama.
Arising at daybreak the Senator and
his party made their way by launch
and then by skiffs out to the inlet of
Brazos Island.
Strikes Six-Foot Fish
The boatman fixed the bait TO Sen
ator Harding's line. The Senator cast
1t into the water and then prenared
to wait One hour passed and the
second had begun before anything &C.
CURED. Then the rod was almost
Jerked from his arms and SO wards
away 4 cleaning FISH, more than s
feet IN length, leaped more than its
length from the water and then fell
DaeK with a great plash.
There was loud shout from the
Senator. Then from Senators Elkins
and Frederick Hale, from Narrv
Daugherty and other observers. There
came food OF advice A moving
picture camera man chugged up in d
launch and pleaded for q chance to
photograph the struggle.
After bit Of hesitation Senator
Harding called CT, Go ahead; this IS
a whale.' Every leap and tug Of the
fish jorked the Senator'S arms. He be-
gan TO persplre. Then, after iiLtecn
minutes, he was canddly sweating and
IN half an hour the struggling fish was
showing signs Of weariness. The boat
man began to row toward the nearby
beach Of Brazos Island. intending to
Land the fish there. The Unsuitable
photographer pleaded, however, for q
tew more opportunities to record the
amazing leaps OF the strugglcr and
Senator Harding, with perfectly
human vanity in his prize, agreed
That WAS fatal. A few moments
later the FISH, with an uncanny display
OF Intelligence, darted into some pil.ng.
flashed its tail in the air and broke the
line.
1t is possible that Senator Harding
spoke his mind freely In the next few
minutes. However, ne had right TO-
One Of the coast guardsmen plunged
into the shallow water and tried to
catch the line trailing on the surface.
hut was unsuccessful Ns the nsa
nearcd deeper water It's strength
seemed renewed and then he disap-
reared