Evening star., 1958-07-06
WIN. LOSE OR
DRAW ;, FRANCE, ,1A~u
A Case of Yankee Ingenuity
~ FRANCIS sTANN

THIS WAS THE LATE Herman Hickmans country . .
the blue-green mountains and the clear lakes and the
thick draws "You want to git yosef bar bass"
Herman used to say, "you-an to 'TINN-ess-ee"
Sometimes the football COACH gourmet story-teler and
poet would put it all in a sonnet.
There was no special urge for bar but smal-rnouth
bass for breakfast struck chord and the first day this
recent Tennessee visitor at m and groped through
the fog that veed Center Hill Lake, casting like mad
for the fish. Nothing.
cit you some live MINERS" native advised. The
mnnows for sale three miles away by boat The bass
didn't like EN-
George Abney said, Save them mnners for Dream
The young un might like catch mess o. bream Bass
now well, caught mess the other day with a
Lucky 49," -
So back up the lake to the bait dock and Lucky 10"
plug which matched the minnows for futy so more
day went by one more morning Of eggs for breakfast
$3.50
THE LODGE WAS LOCATED on the side Of noun
tain overlooking the Center Hill DAM 1t roughly 80
per cent porch and living probably because it orig
nay built by gentleman who felt that evenings were
best spent at poker table with time out for the pause
that refreshes. eaa
1t was 52-nile drive over winding road to the
nearest town where newspapers repeatedly for SALE
But not many Knoxville Journals Nashville Tennes-
scans and Banners stocked and they invariably were
sold out all six copies True there was radio but all it
played was hill-blly music.
you have heard of those nasal hiy billy laments
you've heard them all Hickman of fond memory used to
meodiousy But there were two exceptional
radio moments. Once disc jockey, probably new boy
played Purple People Eater" and sounded like Toscanin
Another time the d. from "NAISH-vul Tim ess-ee"
interrupted:
Here is bit Of baseball news" he drawed Bobby
Bragan has been fired as manager of the Cleveland
Indians Joe Gordon exYankee and ex-Indan STAR has
succeeded him."
THAT WAS THE NIGHT spent in examining the
"Doll-hy" bit of Somber black feather with hook in
the middle, lure which another native had said was
o1lorop fn tnh hocc Won
who nice guy with toothsome grin, and you remem-
bered the afternoon when Frank Gibbons the worlds
biggest baseball writer few into Tampa from the Ceve
land training camp in Arizona and told Al Lopez manager
of the White Sox:
"Bragans got tough job He's certainly got no pen
nant winner and doubt if he's got frst-divson club
You can't lose Feler, Garcia, Wynn and Bob Lemon at
once and do much. And you know Frank Lane he won't
stand still when he's not winning"
And you thought of Joe Gordon also a nice guy and
In his day acrobatc second baSeman and dependable
If not gaudy hitter real pro- You thought Of the time
Spike Briggs when he running the Detroit Tigers,
fred his boyhood hero, Bucky Harris because too
jaded," such thing and then put the onus on
Harris coaches
One of Buckys coaches was Gordon, who never did
anything except try his best quit Briggs and the Tigers
the next day and took job in the Pacific Coast League
Whatever Frank Lanes faults he isn't blind to ability and
Gordon a sound choice.
Better than the Dol-y 1t didn't catch bass either,
the next morning
GEORGE ABNEY aforementioned is a laconic Ten
nessean who knows the business address of every adult
bass in Center Hill Lake and the Caney Fork River He was
assigned to find one for the visiting Yankee
Git you Bomber" George suggested "Thets a
lowerrdin plug than the Lucky 1S Fish amt feeding up
high. Too warm. Waters 80"
There trip to the dock and Bomber"
added to the tackle box At 430 am probing the fog
hard against the high concrete dam in Abneys low home
made boat it was all casting and no fish
Ever trva a skedt he tander
"Ahm too impatient" Abney drawled plugs is all
But few minutes later surrepttousy he reeled in his
plug and substituted feather Minutes later his rod sang
A bass, six maybe eight pounds, broke water
"a good un," George grunted. Then his face dropped
in diSmay. The bass and lure gone. The line had
broken.
Damn me If amt got the drag too tight" he NUT
tered sheepshy and that the closest to bass
breakfast.
THERE WERE FEW HOURS before time for depar-
ture The family in swimming hundred yards away
See WIN LOSE OR DRAW. Page C-s