Year: 1873

Sau b pETICnCS Va ou AuhotCeHs


From the Martinsburg Independent.


A gentleman from the Western part
of this Stste, and well known in this
city, came here recently for q few days
recreation. and come sport with the rod
and line. He met with a series OF ad.
ventures which are 30 painful in their
nature that we would hesitate to print
them, were it not that they embody q
warning which may deter other enthu-
siastic anglers from rushing in where
angels fear to tread. Our friend, who
we will remark, is identified with the
medical fraternity, laid in a good sup
ply OF hooks and lines, q bottle OF
Bourbon, galore Of cigars, and other
necessaries, and with a thirty dollar
rod and one Of the finest reels ever
manufactured, he struck for the Poto-
mac, arriving at the fishing locality
late Saturday night Early in the
morning Of the day succeeding Satur-
day-we forget what it is called-he
sailed forth TO the opposite banks Of the
Potomac, in the pellucid waters OF
which the voracious bass pursueth
the sportive minnow, and in
whose oozy bed the ghsstly cat
fish lies a-wallow. Here, beneath
the shade Of a patriarchal elm. in
which q gray squirrel hung by his
heels and barked an indignant
protest at the intrusion, our fisherman
took his seat, bsited his hook, took
pull at his' flask, threw in and waited
for a bite. Expanding his lungs with
the pure country air, and inhsling the
ambrosial fragrance Of an adjacent
clover-feld, while q black-bird
preached a sermon in the branches
overhead, and q friendly pismire
crawled up his trowsers leg, he chewed
his tobacco with q sense Of delicious
repose, and ruminated on the mutabili-
ty OF human affairs. But our friend
had reckoned without his host in one
particular. The Arcadians OF Wash
ington county are q pious and God
fearing folk, who remember the Sab
bath day and keep it holy. just about
the time he was expecting bite, q
ferocious constable, clothed in butter
nut jeans and the majesty OF the law.
came down on him like wolf on the
fold, and in the twipkling Of an eye be
was that constable's meat He was
taken before q rural Dogberry, who
heard the evidence and sentenced him
to one years imprisonment in the pen-
itentiary. Our friend thought that
in consideration OF the fact that be
had caught no 6sb, and had fractured
but one portion OF the Holy Sabbath,
this was putting it on rather steep. and
he yentured q remoostrance, for which
he was sent 10 Jail for contempt Of
court. His whisky was confscated
and drank, and he was heavily ironed
and chained to Q wall. His rod vas
stolen and converted into stock for an
OK whip. His food was bread and
water. Finally, by pawning his watch
he succeeded in telegrsphipg 10 his
friends in this city, who went out and
rescued him after much trouble. The
Justice Of the Peace who had sentenced
him to the penitentiary. was on the
point Of forwarding him TO Annapolis.
when the Martinsburg delegation arriv.
ed, but the pious and indignant Justice
was finally induced 10 commute the
sentence to q fre OF s25 and costs
After bis return TO this city he was
singularly reticent on the subject Of
fish, and q day or two afterwards "fold.
ed bis tent like the Arabs" and quietly
'lit out" for bis home on the banks Of
the Ia belle reri1s.s the Western.end Of
the State.