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 is Big Charlie jumping again and
flapping his tail on the 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.
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
Many, many
thanks to www.mrpopculture.com for
contributing to this section of the East Farewell News.
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