180 MEN I HAVE FISHED WITH. 



hunters. They are the natural habitat and breeding 

 places for frogs, reptiles and mosquitoes, as well as a 

 great resort for ducks in the spring and fall. During the 

 spring freshets the fish gather in them in large quantities 

 and are entrapped when the water falls, which is usually 

 in August and September. This year a large number of 

 German carp and black bass were taken in willow woven 

 nets by the boys, although this is prohibited by law. The 

 upper waters of the Mississippi were stocked a few years 

 ago with these fish by the Government. It is in April 

 and May, when the 'spring rise' overflows the banks and 

 spreads over the bottoms, that the fat catfish, buffalo and 

 other fishes are found out of the channels and main 

 streams feeding in the grassy bottoms. Then the boys 

 wade in and have their fun catching them. Sloughs are 

 creations of the great river and are part of it." 



The domesticated hog ran wild on these islands, and 

 once a man said to me: "Now, you will want some pork, 

 and you ought to buy a claim of hogs. I've got five 

 marked sows on the islands, and I'll sell you a claim in 

 'em fur a dollar." 



On inquiry Charley said: "That's all right. There's 

 about ten claims o' hogs on the islands. It's this a-way : 

 a man turns out a sow with certain ear marks, and all 

 the pigs found with her in the fall are hers if there's a 

 hundred. Give him a dollar and you can kill all the pigs 

 you want, only don't kill an old one with marks in its 

 ears." I bought in, and was part owner of, all pork on 

 the hoof that had two V's in the right ear and a round 

 hole in the left. 



Guyon, Bill Patterson, Henry Neaville and I went for 

 pork about the middle of September. Charley and Bill 

 skinned theirs, and this was the usual custom; but I agree 

 with Neaville that a properly dressed pig looked best, 



