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THE FLOWERS COLLECTION
VOLUME XLIV—NUMBER ELEVEN.
Jttlm.nta, Ga. t IVeek Ending May 26, 1906.
50c PER YEAR—SINGLE COPY 5c.
(Tarpon
Fishing in Texas Declared
Ring of Sports
By HILTON CASTLE.
Written for The SUNNY SOUTH.
O the sea angler, the coast
country of southwest Texas
is abundantly Interesting,
for herb the metropolis of
the tarpon world, the favo
rite home of the king of
game fish,
game fishes.
southern waters. Its popu
larity as a game fish came
into vogue in 1885. Until
within recent years Florida
was the chief resort of tar.
pon fishers. But today
southwest Texas has a fame that has
girdled the tarpon world.
The tarpon is found as far north on
the Atlantic coast as Long Island, but
not in sufficient number to insure good
sport. Along parts of the Florida coast
and along the gulf coast of Louisiana
and Texas they are plentiful; chiefly
around Galveston inland, and in Aransas
Pass channel, near which are the towns
of Ftockport, Corpus Christi and Tarpon.
These places may be reached over the
Sap road from San Antonio.
CONDITIONS ABE IDEAL.
Speaking of the last named famous
fish, edited by *.\Ir. Caspar Whitney,
fishes, edited by Mr. Caspar Whitney,
the Editor of Outing, the author says;
“The midsummer tarpon grounds of
Aransas Pass are tempered by a cool,
constant breeze. The health conditions
are apparently perfect, with a complete
absence of malarial taint and few, if
any, mosquitoes. In fishing from 8 to 12
o'clock, or four 'hours, daily, and some
times in the afternoon, the angler may
expect to take from one to five tarpons
a day.
“The time of my visit was considered
an unfortunate one, owing to the fact
that the recent floods had filled the
waters with -mud; which seriously inter
fered with the fishing; yet, at its worst,
I doubt if there is anywhere else such
tarpon fishing, or so many fish con
stantly in evidence. Texas should add
the tarpon rampant to her escutcheon,
as sooner or later the fame of this splen
did fish and the remarkable fishing
found along her shores, will become one
of the prime attractions of the region.’’
MARCH TO NOVEMBER.
Fishing for tarpon with rod and line
is accounted the finest sport to be had
in America. The season at Aransas Pass
is from March to November. Of the three
ways of fishing for tarpon, trolling, har
pooning and bottom fishing, the first
the popular
at Aransas
•... •... •... •.,
named
Pass.
The tarpon hunter goes out in the
channel about half a mile in a small
boat, which has a square cut stern. .His
throne is :• chair, roped to the boat, and
facing the stern. The guide, facing the
same way, sits behind and keeps a strict
watch. The bait used is a live mullet,
but Texan tarpon are very accommo
dating and will rise to even a stale bait.
Aransas Pass holds the record for the
largest single day’s catch, which was on
June 9 last, when I 17 tarpon were
caught. On June 13 twenty-four tarpon
were caught here by Air. T,. G. Murphy,
of Indiana, which is the largest in
dividual single day's catch on record.
The number of tarpon caught this sea
son, March, 1905. to June 15. 1905.
are 1,065. These numbers place Arapsas
Pass at the head In the tarpon world.
They were sworn to, by anglers hailing
from New York, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma
and Texas. Tarpon are not killed here as
in former days, except ror the purpose
of mounting them for trophies. When not
wanted as trophies they are cast back
into the water afVer being gaffed.
Many ladies have become noted anglers
in the Aransas Pass waters, among the
number being a daughter of General
Trolling for Tarpon at Aransas Pass, Texas—Showing the Way They Fish.
Borrowed Plumes
By LESLIE THOMAS.
N the corner of an otherwise
oVnpty corridor carriage sat
the Honorable P» ter Ing
ram, regarding with com
placent eye the reflection
in the small hand-glass
which he held before his
face; and although his sole
remaining hirsute adorn
ment clustered more partic
ularly to .Ills head, he
smoothed down an imagi
nary parting carefully, giv
ing a grunt, or two express
ive of satisfaction as he did so.
The platform without was apparently
deserted, and, having halted for a brief
interval at a litth-frequented station, the
train was now slowly gathering sliced;
hence Mr. Logram's disregard of con
ventionalities in the matter of attention
to iiis toilet.
Suddenly, however, the sound of rapid
steps and the panting of a runner caught
his ear through tin. open window. Evi
dently a belated passenger was ma..,ng
one linal sprint in the effort to board
the moving train. Warning shouts same
from a zealous official anxious for tho
safety of the new arrival; then an ad
jacent carriage door slammed violently.
“Idiot!" muttered Mr. Logram, testily.
“Deserved to be killed! Why couldn t he
have allowed himself more time ?”
He .picked up a wig of thick, black hair
'from a box on the seat beside him.
"Might as well try this on, too,” he said
to himself, ruminatively, setting it upon
iiis head.
He adjusted its position with tin;' nicest
precision, so that the neat parting rested
exactly in the center. “All this makes
one feel quite a child again,” he thought,
smiling. "Much better than having a
chap from Clarkson's down, by Jove!
Good thing that fellow, whoever he was.
didn’t get in here just now, thouga.
He’d have disturbed me at a most inop
portune moment, to put it mildly.
He brought the glass nearer.
• * • That seems to fit very
looks almost natural, in fact,
limelight it won't be noticeable.”
"Ys. very useful tilings, aren t they?
said a quiet voice at the door. “Come in
handy now and again.”
The ' Honorable Peter turn'd abruptly
on the intruder, an individual attired in
a top hat and frock coat, with obvious
but unavailable—pretensions to smart
ness. Ills clothing was somewhat dis
arranged. Ids tic awry. His face was red,
as if from r coni exertion; indeed, he
still mopped it at intervals with a silk
handkerchief of various shades of blue.
“I beg your pardon,” said the Honor
able Peter, icily, when lie could speak.
“Don't mention it!” beseech*d the new
comer. airily, with a wave of the hand.
“Don’t mention it at all! I was only say
ing what useful things those By
’H'm!
Well —
In the
gad!” he cried in amazement; “why, If it
isn’t ’Daddy’! Good old ’Daddy’!” And
lie advanced with outstretched arm.
Mr. Logram was somt what taken aback
at first. Then his choler rose. “What
the ” he spluttered. “How dare ’’
“Hardly knew you at first—with all
that black hair,” said the top-hatted gen
tleman. calmly. "It's a darn good wig
that. Shouldn’t wonder if it took all tile
'tecs' in, either. Why, you’re got up tit
to kill—absolutely regardless,” he added,
admiringly, weighing uip the Honorable
Peter's outfit with a practiced glance.
•' 'Daddy,' your'e a. marvel—a (perfect
marvel!”
“iJow dare you, sir!” Mr. Logram
brought out at last. “I've never seen
you before in my life, sir, and—and don't
want to again! 'Daddy,' indeed! Of all
th.e pieces of impertinence !” lie gasp
ed.
The other man broke into a roar of
laughter. Good—deuced good!” he
chuckled, jjmuscdly; "but it won't wash
with me, you know.” He prodded Air.
Logram’s ribs playfully. “Quite right,
lie went on, sobering down somewhat,
“quite right to keep up the game before
a stranger. But I ni ail right, old chap—
though you've never met me, as you
say.” He went into fresh paroxysms.
“I'm one o' the boys, I am,” lit ev-
plained, confidentially. “Name o’ Car-
shot!—Jimmy Carsliott. They've often
told me about you down at the club. Be
sides”—-he looked at Air. Logram half-
reprovingly—"you're a public character,
you are, you know. They've got a copy
of your.'physog.' at every big police sta
tion in England, I should think!”
“Do you mean to imply ?” The
Honorable Peter was comparatively calm
now.
"Course they have! You know that as
well as I do," said Air. Carsliott, sharply.
"1 quite liold with being property cau
tious—and all that. Don't blame you at
all,” he added, indulgently. “Needn't
try to ’conie’ it over me, though, ’cause
it won't wash."
"But. look here,” Air. Logram expos
tulated, “I’m not the man—the—er—
friend of yours that you suppose.”
"Oh, alieese it!” said Jimmy Carsliott,
rudely. “Be sensible, do! To come to
business, now. Have you got such a
■thing as another o' them wigs and a
change o' duds for me in one of those
bags o' yours? if so. I'll hire 'em from
you for the day.”
*T have not!” said the Honorable
Peter, firmly. “Your conduct, sir ”
"Tell you. why,” Air. Carsliott con
tinued, unmoved. “I had two of 'em
from Scotland Yard—Jenkins and a pal
of bis—in plain clothes, you know—on
my track at the last station, and only
managed to catch this train and get
away from ’em 'by the skin of my teeth.
They’re sure to wire on, too, you know,
according to their usual unpleasant cus
tom; and tilings'll look rather awkward
for me at the next stop.”
“That's not for half an hour,” Mr.
Logram reminded him.
“Oih, good egg!” commented his com
panion, cheerfully. "May be able to do
a bit of a change in that 'time. Ducky
thing, rather, me hanging on to this
train. Bit of a dash it was, I tell you.
Then, you see”—reminiscently—“I was
just walking along to find a nice, com
fortable carriage, and who dliould I catch
sight of but you, ’Daddy’! ‘Here's a bit
of luck for you, Jimmy, my boy,’ I
thought. ‘Here's a positive genius; here’s
one of the shining lights, so to speak, of
the profession to ask advice of!’ Now,
surely you can give me a tip or two!
You’re an older hand at the game than
what I am.”
The Honorable Peter shook his head
helplessly. He was past speech.
"Oil, well,” said the top-hatted gentle
man, sharply, "if you've nothing to sug
gest ” He shrugged iiis shoulders.
"By the way,” he added, suddenly, for
got to mention it before—chaps at the
club were talking about it tilie other
night. Hard luck on you, I call it!" re
flectively. “I expect you've heard,
though. What I mean to say Is—your
wile's on your track again. Thought 1 d
just .mention it."
"Aly what?” asked Mr. Logram,
sharply.
"Your wife,” repeated his companion,
firmly. “Your old woman. You know (
your first—the Newcastle on.”
“But you're in error, my good sir. I
am unmarried,” said Air. Logram,
fiercely.
Jimmy Carshott whistled expressively,
then lifted a reproving finger.^
“Oh, you naughty old man!” he re
marked, playfully. "Mean to say that
last one at Sheffield—O oh! His^ face
assumed a shocked expression. A\ ell,
she's after you, anyway. Better be care
ful.”
The Honorable Peter made a remark
of no importance. Then he rose hastily
and began to collect bis luggage. I
think it would be better." he said, frigid
ly, “if I were to change into another
compartment, Mr.—er—Carshott. I wish
you good day."
"Oh! Don't want to get mixed up with
me when the ‘tees' look in. eh? I quite
understand, p'r'aps? Righto! I know
my place. I shan't interfere with you.
By-by!”
Air. Logram. scorning reply, picked up
bis bags and moved off toward the ad
joining compartment. But it was full,
and as he came to the end one he caught
sight of a familiar face through the
glass.
"Lady Parkinton!” ho stammered, bur
riedly. “Lady Parkinton and her girls!
AY hat infernal luck! Now what am I to
k?o? I must get rid of this"—he raised
a hand to his head—“somehow. I can't
very well take it off in the corridor,
either. If any one should see me * * *
And, besides !”
Disconsolately, he wandered back to
his former carriage. Mr. Carshott. from
the corner in which he was lounging, his
feet upon the seat, looked up as he en
tered.
AA’ade Hampton, who counted thirteen to
her string during her visit a few sea
sons ago. Among a number of enthusi
astic millionaires who delight in the
sport here is the sou of famous Hetty
Green.
HUNTER TARPON.
The tarpon travels in schools oif from
one huundred to many hundreds, and it
is considered somewhat dangerous to get
into their midst. An immense school of
these fish was seen in 1903, driving
multitudinous shiners before them which,
when they neared shore, they rounded
up, much, the fisherman said, as a cow
boy would round up his cattle. The
water being very clear, they could ea
sily he seen. Occasionally tlic bull tar
pon, the leader, would make a gigantic
leap. R. ports are that as many as a
hundred tarpon were to be seen leaping
in the air at once. Short work was made
of the shiners when the shore was
reached. As the tarpon is the prince of
leaners, and one of the most beautiful of
fish, the picture presented must have
been one to be remembered.
“Tarpon fishing,” says the wizard. Edl-.
son, “is better than all other kinds of
fishing because of those silver leaps.’’
Pome of these fish exceed eight feet in
length, and weigh more than two hun
dred pounds. They have been known to
jump to a height of 12 feet.
MOLTEN SILVER.
A feature of the tarpon is its large and
beautiful silvery scales, which are some
times 4 by 3 inches in size. YA'hen the
sun’s rays strike them, as the fish leap
into the air, the effect is of molten sil-
v r. The scales an’ sometimes sold as
souvenirs, tied with a blue ribbon.
Unfortunately, the meat of the tarpon
is not tempting, though some oelieve it
could be worked up into a dainty disli
bv an expert chef- The fish makes a
good- fertilizer. Because of its great
beauty and abundant pugnacity, the tar
pon has earned the title of the Sun
King."
Tarpon Caught Off Rockport, Texas.
»et througn
want you for
“Hullo!—‘back again?” be remarked,
pleasantly: "Thought you wouldn’t be
able to tear yourself away from me like
that. Here, I say.” he interjected hasti
ly. "don't be an idiot now! Keep that
wig on. or you'll be recognized as r,ure
as eggs. As It Is. you may
all right. I know they
that Liverpool affairs.” i
What could he say? though Air. Log-
ram, in despair. Presently a slackening
o? speed heralded their arrival a: the
next station.
Mr. Carsliott withdrew Ills head from
the window.
“Be careful not to say anything that'll
give mo away,” lie said, beseechingly.
“Kid 'em for all you're worth, mind!”
And lie deliberately set himself to
crawl under the seat.
“Alight hang that rug o’ yours over
the edge a bit,” came in a sepulchral
voice from the depths; but Air. Logram
affected not to hear.
The train stopped. Outside, on the
platform, an inspector and two consta
bles walked along, peering with care
into each compartment as they passed.
As they opened the door abrutly, tne
sound almost awakened the Honorable
(Peter Logram. for lie grunted, and
shifted his position slightly before com •
posing himself again for slumber.
“Beg pardon, sir.” The inspector’s
tone, as he tapped the sleeper on the
shoulder, was distinctly apologetic.
“Haven't seen a chap in a top hat and
frock coat, small black mustache and
dark complexion, I s'pose? We’re after
him, you see, sir—and he seems to have
given us the slip. Shouldn't have trou
bled you, sir, only ”
Mr. Logram opened his eyer lazily.
“Eh! Have I seen what?” He waxed
indignant. “How dare you come here dis
turbing people like this! Can't you at
tend to your own business without my
help?”
“All right, sir; all right! Don't you
worry. If yo-u ve been asleep, of course
* * * ’’ The two constables followed
the Inspector in. “Just going to look
arounl a bit,” the latter explained. He
gave the Honorable Peter, who sat hud
dled up in a rug, a half-suspicious
glance.
Tho search could not have been called
a prolonged one. Rough hands presently
dragged Jimmy Carshott. dusty and dis
consolate, into the light of day.
Mr. Logram watched tho prisoner de
scend. with his ecort, to the platform.
His curiosity even led him, imprudently
enough, to thrust his head out of the
window to see the little procession de
part.
“Come along. Slim Jim,” said one of
the constables, almost rudely. “We go'
you at hist, my fine fellow! These ’con
fidence' dodges can't go on forever, you
know. Wonder you didn't try on your
games with that gent in your carriage.”
Struck by a sudden brilliant idea, en •
tirely foreign to his nature, he turned
to the Honorable Peter. “Didn't lose
Continued on Third Page
By R. E. VERNEDE.
The Lady (EX The Novelist
By R. E.
n
R. MORTON AIILL—Lady
AVittingdale. Air. Hill, my
dear, is the author of 'The
Sin of Lady Pi^ndcrly.’
Airs. Levy-Cameron, hav
ing effected the introduc
tion, surged away toward
her other guests, which
was a very creditable thi. g
to do, considering how
dearly she would have
loved to stop and listen to
what the two had to say
to one another.
The piquancy of the sit i-
tIon ’ of course, lay in the fact that Lady
AVittingdale was the L d. AVittingdale
of the scandal, which Hill hid taken lor
the plot of his novel. .
All that h;ul become public in ronec-
tion with the AVittingdale affair—ail c on
secmently. that Hill knew-was that the
lady had love-not. p. rhaps. w sclv but
most, most innocently—a „i :n who was
not her husband, and that Sir .Tam s
Wittingdale, finding her one day with the
other man at the station from which pc o
pic do sometimes start for Paris, had be
haved most atrociously, thrown her over
to the gossips and gone off mountain-
climbing in the Andes.
Hill, as a novelist, . had selected the
most consistent and moving explanation.
This was that Lady Wittingdale (“Lad,-
Prenderly,” as he called her), was a love
ly and noble-souied woman, who had
married a mere Philistine ana brute.
Then the artist, Gabriel Reyman, ap
pears. He Is her soul's counterpart,
(AA hy not? Novelists can mutch souls
as easily as a shopgirl will match you a
strand of wool.) Inevitably, the twin
souls decide to take the boat-train for
Paris, en route for Italy and some beau
tiful palace overlooking the Adriatic,
where they would watch sunsets—(ili.I
was rather good on a sunset)—and their
hearts would rush together.
The climax—in the book—was, natural
ly.. Sir James' accidental appearance on
the platform, just as Lady Prenderly lias
decided for the sake of her virtue, to
forfeit her ticket, go home alone and en
dure tlie pitiless hard future uncomplain
ing. But Sir James (who is seeing off
a Belgian actress) declines to believe ia
his wife’s innocence, behaves like the
brute lie is, and goes off, leaving her to
the tender mercies,.of the town.
It was a noble vinnieation of a peerless
woman and it had gone into eigut eui-
tions and made H.ll something o. a lion.
There was a moment’s silence, during
which Hill, after a hasty glance at the
little lady with tile big dor.i.ouse eyes,
looked anyw.here but at her. Then she
spoke:
“1’ve read your book. Mr. Hill,” she
6aid, in just the low, sweet voice as of a
flute that he had ascribed to Lady Pren
derly. “I don’t know,” slie said, with a
little sigh, “if I ought to forgive you
for what T understand you have done.
It isn’t—it wasn’t—just like that. But*-
I wonder how you knew? It seems so
strange
“How could any one look at you with
out .guessing?” said 1111. fervently.
Ho was so relieved at her attitude that
he did not pause to reflect that until that
moment he had never set eyes on her.
In his book Lady Prenderly had been de
scribed as having a starry beauty ai! her
own.
“The only thing I can forgive myself,”
he continued, “is mv failure to draw you
as—as wonderful as you really are.”
“Oh. hut you mustn’t say that.” Lady
AA'ittingdale replied.
“It's true.” he ventured boldly to say,
and was not snubbed.
“T thoueht T.ndy Prenderlv fenr'ully
sweet.” said Lady AA'ittingdale. “I wish
I were indoe.1 more like her."
“Phe was the cold type.” ni!l declared,
“of which you arc th* form and living
representative.’’
Lady AA'ittingdale did not seem to mind.
On the contrary, she seemed to like it.
U"ill and she had quit - a long conversa
tion and ATrs. Levy-Cameron had quite a
difficulty in separating her two lions and
distributing thorn fairly among an other
wise rather dull and commonplace com
pany.
Alorfen Hill asked leave to call, and
the leave had been granted. Lady AA'it
tingdale occupied Sir James' house, not
a hundred miles from Portman square.
There if you again choose to look at 1t
that way, as Hill did choose to look at it.
siie was working out her redemption for
having been too virtues. The fact that
it was her husband’s house and a com
fortable one—central, as house agents
say, for theaters and shops and other
places of entertainment—made her none
the Jess saintlike in Hill’s eyes.
As a .matter of truth, it was not sym
pathy that Lady AA’ittingdale asked for.
so much as that subtler form of friend
ship which helps one to forget. The
actual topic, upon which Hill had based
his novel, was naturally one which the
lady shrank from discussing. But, after
a little while. Hill was content not to
know. F* r one thing, it was so clearly
her wish. For another, there was Ga
briel Kayinan.
That creation of his own had become
distinctly annoying to Hill. Hill d'dn’t
even know what t^ie prototype’s name
was, but he knew that Lady AA'itting
dale, as well as Lady Prenderly, h id
been in love with him.
AVithin a month Hill realized that Lady
Prenderly was only a pale ghost beside
the warm and living Lady AVittingdale.
And Lady Wittingdale had begun to
think that Mr. Morton Hill wasn t such
an idiot as she had supposed from read
ing his absurd book. He could really
behave quite nicely.
He had been a little trying to begin
Continued on Fourth Page.
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