FISHING-RODS. 203 



Pennsylvania with an old j:;unsmith, of Easton^ known 

 among us as "'Old Sam Phillippi." It was about the year 

 above named that I saw a split bamboo rod in his posses- 

 sion, and he informed me at that time, that he was the 

 originator of the idea; and to him, I earnestly believe, 

 belongs the credit of having first conceived the idea of 

 constructing a rod from such material. Phillippi's rods 

 were three joints, second joint and tip split bamboo ; butt 

 was made of ash." 



I have similar statements from other gentlemen, whose 

 names I do not feel at liberty to disclose, but their testi- 

 mony is to the same effect, qualified in some instances by 

 the remark that Phillippi's rods were crude affairs ; and 

 which, though true, does not detract in any degree from 

 the credit due him. Phillippi's rods were made in three 

 joints, or pieces, two of which, only, were of split bamboo, 

 the butt being ash, and stained to imitate bamboo ; but 

 the bamboo joints were made on the same principle as 

 those of to-day, though composed of but four strips. 

 Phillippi's rods seem poor things now, but at that time 

 they seemed wonderful. 



The first complete split bamboo rod, that is, all of the 

 joints being of this material, seems to have been made by 

 Mr. E. A. Green, of Newark, New Jersey, about 1860, 

 though some claim that the late Mr. Thaddeus Norris, of 

 Philadelphia, is entitled to this honor; however this may 

 be, they were both subsequent to Mr. Phillippi, and their 

 rods were merely improvements on his more primitive 

 efforts. Whether either or both of these gentlemen had 

 any knowledge of Mr. Phillippi's rods, or whether the idea 

 was original with them, is not material, and does not affect 

 Phillippi's claim of priority. Mr. Green being a skillful 



