CAPTAIN IRA WOOD. 



STRIPED BASS IN FRESH WATER EARLY GREENBUSH. 



I KNEW him better in after years, for he was only a 

 child when he left Greenbush, and while his older 

 brother, Reuben, oversaw the capture of my first fish, 

 as before recorded, it was some years later before I had 

 the pleasure of fishing with Ira. Along in the early '5o's, 

 perhaps in 1852 or '53, he came from his home in Syra- 

 cuse to Albany and called on me. He was then a young 

 man of medium height, closely knit, muscular, and the 

 owner of a deep chest voice, which was pleasant and melo- 

 dious. He had been an actor, and had an engagement in 

 the theatre at Albany to play old men's or other parts, and 

 next week I was to go with him to the theatre to his 

 dressing-room. Like many other young fellows, I had 

 thought the stage a most desirable place to strut a brief 

 hour, although my choice did not lay in his direction. 

 Stars did not travel with their own companies then, but 

 depended for support on the stock companies, and as they 

 usually had two or three different plays each week the 

 members of the company had to study hard, and there 

 was always an after-piece. But this was a rare treat for 

 me. I knew Charley Kane, the low comedian, who also 

 tortured the bass drum in Johnny Cooke's brass band, 

 and Shel. Hitchcock, my sparring tutor, who raised the 

 curtain ; but this did not give me the privilege of the stage 

 door. Ira did. 



The week opened with Mr. Eddy as the star. Ira 



102 



