EAST FAREWELL
NEWS
Thursday, October
20, 1955 Vol. C538
LOCAL
NEWS
‘BIG CHARLIE’ CAUGHT AND
RELEASED
East Farewell – The mystical “Big Charlie”, the largest bass
ever seen in Lake Charles, has been realized by local fisherman, David Gettingsomwear,
last week when he caught the elusive and historic fish after a forty five
minute battle. The fish had become a legend among local fishermen after he was
sighted jumping in the middle of the lake back in 1938. It was estimated that
he weighed from fifteen to thirty pounds depending on who you talked to. ‘Big
Charlie’ was stalked and sought for decades with only occasional sightings and
rarer hooks. He was always able to get away and would defiantly jump out of the
water as he swam away, as if to mock the hunters. Several photos exist of ‘Big
Charlie’ taken by local fishermen but no one had been able to reel him in until
last week.
David
Gettingsomwear is a lifelong East Farewell resident and an avid angler. He has
fished Lake Charles all his life and is well versed on the history of Big
Charlie. “I heard about him way back in the thirties but I never saw him until
the summer of ’42. I was with my buddy, Jimmy C., and we were way up at the end
of the lake. Jimmy got this big hit and then he said he hooked something big.
Well, he fought it for a while and the this giant bass jumps out of the water,
I knew it was Big Charlie as soon as I saw him, then he yanked on Jimmy’s line
and it snapped, just like that. The next thing we see it Big Charlie jumping
again and flapping his tail on ythe water. He was like showing off or
something. It wasn’t until just the other day when I was back up at the end of
the lake with Buddy O. and I hooked something giant. I worked it for almost an
hour and got him to the side of the boat. Buddy happened to have a camera and
he snapped a picture, I don’t know why, but he did. As I was going for the net
I looked down and knew it was Big Charlie, I just knew. I reached down and
grabbed him by the gills and tried to pull him up but he looked at me like he was saying ‘Come on, give me a
break’ I just couldn’t drag him in. I looked at Buddy and I said, ‘I’m letting
him go.’ And Buddy just nodded. I let go off him and he swam away. About twenty
feet away he jumped and slapped the water. Buddy and I laughed, I bet Big
Charlie was laughing, too.”
It looks like
the legend of Big Charlie lives on in Lake Charles. It will just have another chapter added with
a picture the make it even more real.
Big Charlie saying goodbye
David Gettingsomwear with Big Charlie
SPORTS
COUGARS LET CANARIES SING FOR HOMECOMING
Slate Mountain – The Cougars made the Slate Mountain Canaries
Homecoming a very happy and exciting event last Friday. Besides losing 24-21 to
a mediocre team, they lost in the last minute on a come from behind scoring
drive topped by a closing second field goal.
In the last three minutes Canary defensive back, Joe Regal, intercepted
a tipped O’Conner pass and returned it for a score, tying the game. Then a rare
fumble by running back, Davey Wilson, let the Canaries drive in to the seven
and kicker, Walt Emerson, kicked a field goal, straight and true.
“This was not
our game, I know these kids and they can play much better than they did today.
They were one step behind all game,” said Coach Burcowitz after the game, “I
know we are much better than that. Those Slate Mountain kids played a great
game but we certainly helped them along with our mistakes. There will be a lot
to talk about next week at practice.”
Next week the
Cougars host the Sun City Eagles for the Cougars Homecoming. The game will
begin at 1:30 on Saturday. A bonfire and pep rally will be held on Friday night
on the Fairgrounds. There is also the Homecoming Dance scheduled for Saturday
night.
NATIONAL NEWS
WILLIAM WOODWARD JR. SHOT BY WIFE BY
ACCIDENT – GABLE EXPECTING CHILD – DEMILLE’S SECRETARY DIES IN TRAGEDY
William Woodward Jr., wealthy owner of the racehorse
Nashua, was killed by a shotgun fired by his wife, thinking
he was a prowler. When she switched on
a light and discovered what she had done, Mrs. Ann Woodward called police
screaming and sobbing. The couple had been married 12 years. Nashua beat
Kentucky Derby Winner “Swaps” in an August race in a $100,000 match. The couple
had spent the evening at a party for the Duchess of Windsor at a nearby estate.
Clark Gable and his wife, the former Kay Spreckels are
expecting a baby. It would be the first
child for the movie actor.
Mrs. Rose Jones Finigan, personal
secretary to film director C.B. de Mille, dies from the result of a tragic
mistake in which she and a neighbor drank from a wine bottle that apparently
contained termite exterminating fluid
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