Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 February 1886 — Mountaineer Trot. [ARTICLE]

Mountaineer Trot.

Not long since I followed one of these dashing trout-streams from the valley up the mountain. Nature seemed to have done her best to protect the little fishes that live in the dark, deep pools and eddies. The higher I climbed up the"mountain, the more fish I found; the stream became a succession of falls, some of which were three feet or more in height—the brook in its track forming steps down the mountain —and I began to wonder bow the fish Tame to be up tbere. In the village, I chanced to mention the subject to a friend who owned a mill on the same stream ; and he told me that the fishes’ ascent was a puzzle to him, until one day his boy called him 'out to the dam, where the riddle was solved. The dam was nearly four feet high, and to relieve the stream, several auger-holes had been bored in it, allowing a small stream of water to jet forcible out and go splashing down into the clear pool below. As my friend approached the spot, and looked through the bushed, several large-sized trout were seen moving about under the mimic fall, evidently in great excitement, and carting into it as if enjoying the splash and roar of the water. Suddenly, one of the fish made a quick rush that sent it up the falling stream, so that it almost gained the top; but by an unlucky turn it was caught and thrown back into the pool, where it darted away, evidentlymueh startled. Soon another made the attempt, dart-" ing at it like the first, and then rapidly swimming up the fall, but only to meet the fate of its predecessor. This was tried a number of times, until finally, a trout larger than the others made the dash, mounted the stream, and entered the round hold. The observers were almost ready to clap their hands, but it was not successful yet. As the water stopped flowing for a moment, they saw that though the althletic trout had surmounted the fall, the hole was too small for it to pass through, and there the poor fish was lodged. The lookerson hastened to relieve it, and fonxid that its side or pectoral fins were caught in the wood, but by pushing the fishes head, which you may be sure they did, they liberated it, and h darted away into the upper bond. Here, then, was the explanation. The trout climbed the mountain by swimming up the falls, darting up the foaming masses, and adopting every expedient to accomplish their journey. For these fish deposit their; eggs high up stream, so that the young fry, when may not be distured by predasory fish and other foes living in the lower water.— C. F. Holder, in SL Nicholas.