THE PENSACOLA JOURNAL — JULY 22, 1909
Deacon Bell, of Bayou Grande, Relates Remarkable Occurrence There
Deacon Owen Bell, who lives at the head of Bayou Grande, is the author of a fish story that about tops anything of the kind heard recently. He says he was fishing in the bayou a few days ago when he ran out of bait. He was smoking the stump of a cigar and it occurred to him to put what remained of his cigar on the hook and give the fish a chance at it. He did so and the trout took to immediately the bait lasting until he had landed some dozen or more speckled beauties.
While no one would of course question Deacon Bell’s veracity, the story is vouched for by Victor Goldbach and “Uncle George” Turton. It is not stated whether the fish thought they were smoking or chewing, but the deacon says that Bayou Grande fish exercise some very cultiated tastes and that they are capable of doing either.
From— The Pensacola Journal. (Pensacola, Fla.), 22 July 1909. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.