A MASSACHUSETTS FISH HOG AT LARGE. 



I am an interested reader of Recreation 

 and greatly enjoy the manner in which 

 you roast pork. It is the only system and 

 would be more effective if some of our 

 sympathizing friends would take hold and 

 help baste a little more. I send you a 

 clipping from the Milwaukee Sentinel of 

 August 10. You will note that the names 

 of the 5 are not given and it is a relief 

 to me to read that the big hog is from 

 another State than ours. We have fish 

 and game hogs here, but nothing that I 

 have ever met equals the depravity shown 

 by this picture. 



Fishing in the lakes and streams in our 

 vicinity has been good this season. Ger- 

 man carp are increasing rapidly and un- 

 less measures are taken to exterminate 

 them they will overrun the waters. 



H. B,. L. Gorman, Madison, Wis. 



The clipping to which Mr. Gorman re- 

 fers shows the picture reproduced here- 

 with, and the following text accompanies 

 the illustration : 



Epworth Heights, Wis., Aug. 9. — Just North 

 of Epworth is a resort known as Piney Ridge. 

 This resort is located on Hamlin lake, one of the 

 hest inland fishing grounds in Michigan. Some 

 phenomenal catches have been made there the 

 past week, and Epworth people have had their 

 share of luck. The greatest catch of the season 

 was made this week, when over 1,000 pounds of 

 pickerel, bass and muskalonge were caught by a 

 party of 5 in one day. The largest single catch 

 was made by S. E. Hanson, of Worcester, Massa- 

 chusetts. Two guides helped him lift the string 

 of fish on his back and he was barely able to 

 carry them from the boat to the hotel. 



I wrote Hanson for confirmation of this 

 report and he replied : 



I caught in Hamlin lake, Mich., in about 

 5 hours, between 200 and 300 pounds of 

 pickerel. This is a true statement to 

 which I am willing to take my oath. I 

 should be glad to send you a photo of my- 

 self with the load on my back but as I 

 have only one print left I would not be 

 without that for any price. If you will 

 please write Mr. L. F. Swarthout, Living- 

 ton, Michigan, he will send you one. 



S. E. Hanson, Worcester, Mass. 



When Hanson got my letter asking for 

 corroboration of the fish story, he hied 

 himself to the office of the Worcester 

 Telegram and unloaded an interview on 

 the editor, from which I quote : 



S. E. Hanson, 241 Main street, finds that his 

 fishing luck and skill are bringing fame nearer 

 than he ever expected. His reputation, after 

 circling around East and West, has reached New 

 York city, and Editor Shields, of Recreation, 

 has written to get information of his trip and 

 photographs. Mr. Hanson was surprised when the 



letter was brought into his office yesterday after- 

 noon, and he found it was from the editor and 

 manager of the monthly. 



Mr. Shields wrote he was informed Mr. Han- 

 son had caught 100 pounds of black bass and 

 pickerel in one day on Hamlin lake, and said he 

 should like to have it confirmed. He asked Mr. 

 Hanson if he could furnish photographs, saying 

 he was willing to buy them. He expressed his 

 interest in the trip and said he should like to hear 

 about it. 



Mr. Hanson replied, expressing surprise that 

 his fishing in Hamlin lake should have been no- 

 ticed, and said he would give all the assistance 

 possible for the proposed article. He said he 

 couldn't supply photographs, as he had only one 

 of each for his own use, and referred Mr. Shields 



S. E. HANSON, WORCESTER, MASS. 



to the photographer, who drove 16 miles through 

 the woods to Hamlin lake to get pictures of big 

 catches. 



Mr. Hanson said the editor of Recreation is 

 misinformed regarding the nmber of fish caught. 

 Instead of catching 100 pounds in one day's fish- 

 ing, he caught between 250 and 300 pounds of 

 pickerel. The time was not a day, but between 

 4 and 5 hours. To this Mr. Hanson is willing to 

 take oath. 



Early in July Mr. Hanson went West as the 

 guest of Mr. Bohlander, of Chicago. The men 

 made for Hamlin lake, Michigan. They fished till 

 they were tired. The catches beat all records in 

 that section. The Worcester man became fa- 

 mous. Local Chicago papers told of prowess with 

 hook and line, and all wanted his photograph. 



Mr. Hanson has shown a number of Worcester 

 friends the photographs of the catches. One of 

 them shows him with his day's catch on his back, 



277 



