AN AIRY FISHING TOUR. 



My fishing propensity, said A. L. Tiiomas, of Lord & Thomas, proved 

 to be the foundation of my fortune. By incHnation, almost by instinct in 

 fact, I am opposed to shooting or fishing for the markets, but in the instance 

 referred to, I think you will all agree with me that my course was entirely 

 proper. I was one of the pioneers in the Lake Region of Minnesota, and 

 owned a small farm, but like many frontiersmen my tastes led me to 

 indulge more in the wild sports of the West than in the occupation of a 

 farmer. In one of the lakes, near my farm, the pike grew to large size, 

 and on two occasions I had hooked a monster which broke away, leaving 

 me vexed and more determined than ever to catch him. Finally I decided 

 to put out a long string of set lines running nearly across the lake, and 

 having no special use for a large quantity of fish, I intended to liberate all 

 except the big pike, which I was after. 



I rose early the next morning after setting my lines, and found an 

 immense flock of wild geese on the lake. There was a great fluttering 

 and commotion as I drew near, and upon loosening the rope upon which 

 the short lines were attached, the entire flock of geese rose into the air. I 

 had fastened the rope to my wrist, intending to haul in the fish, but to my 

 astonishment many of the hooks had been taken by the geese, and I was 

 carried up into the air trailing after the largest assemblage of fish and fowl 

 I had ever seen. The geese rose to a dizzy height, and then started 

 directly for the North Pole, as nearly as I could estimate. 



My position was not a pleasant one, though it was sufficiently exciting. 

 After flying several miles in this manner, the weight of the fish and myself 

 seemed to tire the geese, for they gradually' settled down, and finally, much 

 to my relief, the rope became tangled in a huge branch of a hollow tree, 

 which had been broken off at the top. Into this hollow tree I fell to the 

 depth of perhaps ten feet, and discovered that I was standing knee deep 



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