Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-27
Historic Walton
Cottage Is No More

NOttoSO 40 1NO NAOAO
Fishermen will be saddcned to learn
that 1zaak Walton's matched. half
timbered cottage at Shallowford. Stat
fordshire, has been destroyed by fire.
England has lost one of her best
beloved literary landmarks and fisher
men the home of the arts most famous
exponent with the destruction of Wal
toms country home" says the Ma.
tional Geogra phic Society.
las st. Andrews. Scotland. Is the
mecca for golfers and Stratfordon-
Avon the shrine of drama lovers, go
Shallowford has been the place of pill
grimage for fishermen continues a
bulletin from the society. stafford.
shire, unrolling it's green. cultivated
hills and valleys midway between
smoky Birmingham and busy Liver
pool, was the birthplace of Walton
and the scene of those fishing expedi-
tons wherein he angled and caught
with the same hook trout. and many
paragraphs we still acclaim.
Famous Fishing Places Cited.
Northwest, few. miles from the
Shallowford cottage, lies Madeley,
country seat of John Off1ey. esq. to
whom Walton dedicated the 'CompleSt
Angler in appreciation for permission
to fish on Offieys estate. Northeast
ripples the Dove through Dovedale. a
green carpeted. English sort of can.
yon, where Walton fished with that
young rake. Charles Cotton. who add
ed to the 'Compleat Angler the sec
tons on fly fishing. Near Beresford,
at the upper end Of the dale. stands
the famous fishing house built by the
impecunious, creditor ridden Cotton
for the use of Father Walton and
himself.
Nothing could be in greater contrast
to an American sportsman's fishing
camp than Cottons fishing house on
the Dove. The latter presents the
appearance of q rather large private
mausoleum. Its walls are cut stone
Thanking the arched stone doorway
two windows admit light to the fishing
house through diamond figured, loaded
glass panes. Within, the single room
measures Is feet square. Black and
white marble squares pave it's floor
A black handicapped table occupied
the center of the room, and at one
time painted panels of scenes on the
Dove and of Cotton and Walton in
dress of the time ornamented the
walls Amid classic magnificence the
only human note can be found on the
fireplace, where the initials c.. c., L.
w. record the famous friendship
Over the doorway on the outside runs
the inscription. 'Piscatoribus Sacrum
Not Merely a Fisherman.
walton did not take his fishing
straight. He mixed trout with kind
ly philosophy and poetry. The An
gler's Song tells why he thinks fishing
Is superior to all other sports:
OF recreation there is none
| So free as fishing is clone;
All other pastimes do no less
hand mna ao and n2d work SGh can de-
| so can fish and study. too.
"The most famous fisherman of
them all was so unprofessional as to
let his pole and line fish unattended
while he sought shelter under tree
to talk with a pupil on Montaigne or
worms. He also preferred worms to
flies for catching trout! And who but
1zaak Walton or the greenest begin
ner would. when a 'whopper' threat
ened to break away, throw the pole
in the stream after the fish?
'Izaak Walton was born in Stafford
in 1888. Fish. and live long. early be.
| tciiiC anu lie proved
his contention by attaining the age
of 80.
Lived I'm Turbulent Times.
eve regard the span of Walton's
life as one of the stormiest in Eng.
lands history. The Pilgrims were sail.
ing to New England to escape religious
persecution when Walton. at 81, ran
hardware store lin ~. by S foot
London room. With the defeat of the
) Royalists by Cromwell, in 1914. Wal
| ton retired to Stafford. All England
struggled amidst the tumult of revo.
luton. but Izaak merely moved from
the banks of the Thames to the banks
of the Dove. The 'Compleat Anglers
soothing prose praising the beauty of
an English field after q shower, ex.
planning how to put worm on hook
and discussing the excellence of the
Episcopal faith; this dissertation, mild
as May morning. first appeared in
that hectic year when Cromwell pro.
claimed himself lord protector and
England became republic.
No life, my honest Scholar Wal.
ton has Piscator advise Venator, mo
life SO happy and so pleasant as the
life OF a we'll governed angler; for
when the lawyer Is swallowed up with
business, and the statesman is prevent
ing or contriving plots. then we sit on
coWslip banks, hear birds sing, and
possess ourselves in as much quiet
ness as these silent, silver streams,
which we now see glide so quietly
by us.
Angling nInnocent Occupation.
Indeed. my good scholar, we may
say OF angling by DR.. Boteler said of
Strawberries. Doubtless God could
have made better berry, but doubt
less God never did," and so. if I might
be a judge, God never did make a
more calm. quiet, innocent recreation
than angling
ut is quite in keeping that Walton
should have inscribed tribute to the
meadow lark, which posterity treas
ures more than his observations on
the Eel
LAS first, the lark he wrote,
when she means to rejoice to cheer
herself and those that hear her, she
then quits earth. and sings as she
ascends higher into the air, and, hav-
ing ended her heavenly employment,
grows then mute and sad to think she
must descend to the dull earth, which
she would not touch but of neces.
sity.'"