Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1875 — A Fish Story. [ARTICLE]

A Fish Story.

In the Missouri River, directly opposite Forest City, there is a large island, and in the center ot that island is a large pond, which, until a few days since, rested in peace, undisturbed by the rude alarms of a transgressing world. But the cold spell which came down upon the just and unjust with a z6al never before remembered put its seal upon the bosom of that fair lake—which a vulgar and contaminating people have miscalled a pond—to the depth cf two feet. There has never been a thing sealed up that somebody didn’t want to burst open to see what was in it, and so it was in this instance. The island lake, which had .remained inviolate through time, was visited by Jones Lockridge, who keeps the Forest City Hotel, and the seal broken. When the ice. was removed the space beneath was found to be literally packed with fish of all sizes and descriptions, from the common cat, weighing fortyfive pounds, to an animated silver not much larger than a pin. There were fish with shovels where their noses ought to be, sword fish, red fish, black fish and white fish, and fish of all colors and degrees. Some of them had scales and some skins, like catfish, and others yet rejoiced in a covering resembling that of the muskrat—but they were fish, for all that. Then the story flew all over the country, and people from far and near came down upon the island, armed with guns, spears, harpoons and lances, and all kind and manner of vehicles, on horseback and on foot. There came brave men and fair women, big boys and girls and smaller ditto; there, also, could be seen children in arms, and all strong in one intent—to get away with those fish, for these days are Lent. It is supposed that there must be some connection with this lake and the Missouri River, if not with regions more remote amd deeper down into the bowels of the earth. Many of the fish taken from this place were of varieties unknown in this section of the country, and no one has yet been found who can class them, or who has seen their resemblance elsewhere. All in all, this fish-pond is, in all seriousness, a remarkable discovery, and one that should be thoroughly looked into.— St. Joseph (Moi) Gazette.