Evening star., 1937-09-12
Fish Catch
Puts Boy in
Fame Glass
He Has Also Served
as Editor and Has
Formed Clubs.

NOW iHAl De puIleu lOuT-
pound bass out of the fountain
basin at Lincoln Memorial Pool and
become one of Washington's better
known fishermen, IA year old
Charles Stebbins. jr, is finding that
fame puts a young hero on the
spot, more or less.
The boys over at the neighbor-
hood playground keep stopping him to
ask for tips on fishing. And Charles
says he's no authority-even if he
is president of the Foggy Bottom Rod
and Reel Club. and even if he did
catch fish where few Washington
anglers knew a fish even existed.
Il just have to tell people they prob
ably know as much about it as 1
do" Charles declared in an inter-
view at his home at TOT Twenty-sec-
ond street. I'D been trying for that
fish good while, but when 1 hooked
it just. pulled and ran in the oppo-
site direction"
10 AAnNNso W lhSil. lilOuSil. ana
has done a little surf casting on the
North Carolina coast. He hopes.
too, to take up former Representa-
tive j. v. McClintic of Oklahoma
on a promise to teach him something
about casting. The former Con-
gresham. you remember, disclosed
after the catch that he had placed
the bass in the pool Charles met
him twice and McClintic has invited
him to look him up some time"
Fame has its good points, however,
and Charles scrap book has been
considerably enlarged by his fishing
exploit with newspaper accounts of
the experience.
That scrap book, incidentally, re-
veals Charles as a leader in many
other activities which have moth
ing to do with fishing.
Several years ago he was editor
OF the Foggy Bottom News, a neighbor-
hood newspaper published twice a
week with a circulation Of about rs
subscribers.
While he was running the paper
Charles decided one November that
washington ought to have an artificial
skating pond, so he wrote the editors
OF several local newspapers about the
idea. In his letter he reminded the
public that the water in the Memorial
Pool Is too deep to freeze quickly and
urged that shallow artificial pool be
constructed for the benefit Of would-be
skaters.
on previous occasion Charles and
his sister Mary, who is two years his
senior, addressed letters to the Presi-
dent of the United States. pleading for
the preservation Of the Municipal
Swimming Pool on the Monument
Grounds.
Ihough newspapers all handled the
stories, neither of his crusades did any
good, he admits regretfully. Hes
ABOUT decided he won't start any more.
Charles has been more successful
IN helping to organize the boys In his
neighborhood into various clubs. how
ever.
The Foggy Bottom Rod and Reel
Club has been operating actively for
several months. John Bender. IA. is
vice president; Robert Durrett. IA
secretary; Robert Ayers, IA, sergeant
OF poles, and Omer Durrett, is. quar-
termaster. John Bender's mother was
pressed into service as treasurer be-
cause the boys thought it would be
safer to have grown-up handle their
finances.
Another club in which he has taken
leading part is bicycle club called
the Royal Brothers Of Goo. Cycle
Three Division An odd fact about
this club Is that its first president was
dog-Bill-the 5-year-old dwarf
Airedale which is Charles constant
companion. Members Of the club ex-
planned that Bill is by far the best
behaved member Of the club and made
an excellent officer
Charles, who attended Gordon Jun
ior High School last year, is interested
in variety of athletics. He hopes
to get an appointment to Annapolis
Naval Academy when he's completed
high school.