96 



RECREATION. 



the fastest and best schooner on the Gulf 

 coast, Mississippi. Captain McDonald, of 

 the Queen, makes a specialty of taking out 

 parties for all kinds of fishing; and be- 

 sides being expert with the rod and reel, 

 he is a clever fellow and a good cap- 

 tain. 



We were somewhat delayed at the ice 

 factory in getting our ice supply; but the 

 time was well improved in catching sardine 

 and mullet bait. At 6.10 a. m. we were off 

 for Tarpon Keys, 6 miles South of the 

 Pass ; and after a delightful sail of 50 

 minutes, we reached the Keys at 7 o'clock 

 sharp. During the run out, rods and reels 

 were carefully fixed and breakfast was 

 eaten. By 7.10 all hands and the cook 

 were in skiffs, fishing in couples. Dr. Rob- 

 ertson and Captain McDonald soon had 

 strikes, as the water seemed alive with 

 tarpon. The sea was as smooth as glass 

 and the striking of the tarpon, either at 

 bait or food in the water, was a beautiful 

 sight. The glint of the silver scales on 

 the quiet water and in the morning sun 

 made a dazzling picture. Soon the wel- 

 come cry of "keep time" was heard, for 

 Dr. Robertson, after having had several 

 strikes, hooked his fish and the fight was 

 on. 



The tarpon made his usual wonderful 

 leaps, high in the air, to shake the "hook 

 from his jaws; but the Doctor was his 

 master and in 7 minutes landed his first 

 tarpon. The crowd cheered the Doctor, 

 that being the first tarpon caught by a Pass 

 Christian sportsman ; and his success stim- 

 ulated the others to greater exertions. 



Captain McDonald hooked a beauty; but 

 being a little over anxious, he put too 

 much pressure on his line and Mr. Tar- 

 pon continued his course for Havana. 



Soon the Captain redeemed himself by 

 landing a regular "papa" in 16 minutes. 

 Dr. Robertson completed his score by land- 

 ing a larger one than the Captain's, in 11 

 minutes. 



Then Oscar Wilson 

 worked one up in 10 

 inches of water on the 

 bank of one of the Keys, 

 but in its frantic efforts 

 to escape its pursuers 

 the tarpon beat the hook 

 against the shells and 

 was gone. Wilson did 

 not say much, but what 

 he looked was sufficient 

 to make a book. 



Before long Hanson 

 landed the grandpa of 

 the bunch, in 14 min- 

 utes ; and he was a beau- 

 ty. Hanson -claims that 

 by "expert knowledge" 

 he landed the first tar- 

 pon he ever hooked. 



Captain McDonald fin- 

 ished the catch with a 

 small one. The fishing 

 was over by 1 p. m. ; and 

 after a good luncheon 

 the Queen was headed 

 for home so photographs 

 could be taken. The 3 

 large tarpons measured 5 

 feet 6 inches and the 2 

 smaller ones 4 feet 7 



tarpon caught at inches each.^ 



Pass Christian offers 

 unlimited sport to all 

 lovers of the rod and 

 reel ; and the anglers of the Pass extend a 

 cordial welcome to all the brethren. 



PASS CHRISTIAN 

 AUG. 14, I902 



A TRAGEDY. 



A. L. VERMILYA. 



On a leafy bough of a maple tree 



That stands in a city street, 

 Is a robin's nest- — a masterpiece 



Of the builder's art complete. 

 Once above the nest a robin sang 



To her downy, cherished brood, 

 Or flitted lightly about the lawn, 



In quest of their daily food. 



But one sad morn when the mother stopped 



To drink by a little stream, 

 A boy with an air gun came that way — ■ 



Then closed her summer dream. 

 She lay with the blood stains on her breast, 



Close by the streamlet's brink, 

 While the cruel boy with his gun sped on — 



He did not care nor think. 



All day the nestlings cried for food, 



All day the sun beat down 

 On the nest in the maple tree that stood 



In the heart of the busy town. 

 All night the moon looked sadly on, 



As her light she softly shed 

 On the orphan birds in the lonely nest — 



Ere morn they all were dead. 



The straw built nest is empty now, 



And through the maple tree 

 The summer winds, as they come and go, 



Sing ever mournfully. 

 O parents, teach your thoughtless boys, 



With earnest, heartfelt words, 

 To walk in nature's pleasant ways, 



And love the singing birds. 



