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Douglas County Past: Fishermen flock to Brule River; Somerville four win Twin Ports title

Mar. 31—March 31, 1933

Jail to house prisoners

Sheriff Frank Carlson advised Friday that he has signed a contract with the federal government to house prisoners at the Douglas county jail at the rate of 55 cents per prisoner per day.

The signing of the contract followed by a month of government inspection of the jail by Inspector J.H. Strief, of the department of justice.

The government placed a ban on the county jail following the double escape of Clarence W. (Red) Haggerty, alleged narcotic peddler.

Efforts of the sheriff and the Association of Commerce brought the inspection and the return to good favor in governmental eyes of the local jail.

April 1, 1933

Pleasure ride on Brule at night is dangerous!

A sight-seeing trip on the Brule river at night almost ended disastrously for two Superiorites Friday night when they ran into the arms of the law.

Warden James W. McNaughton paid a visit to Big lake about 8 p.m. and encountered an automobile parked near one of the cottages on the shore of the lake. Out in the stream was a boat, with a light shining in it. From the boat came sounds of spears as they struck rocks on the bottom.

The warden waited. Finally the pair came ashore and were halted. They had no fish, were dressed in low oxfords and "best clothes" and told the warden they had come down to the river to see the rainbows spawn.

They said they had discovered the boat on shore and had appropriated it for their use, using two fish spears found in it to propel it. McNaughton took their names and Saturday morning, after a conference with District Attorney Claude Cooper, the two were released.

"Their wives were in the car on the bank waiting for them," explained the warden. "It was obvious they had taken no fish."

Nightly vigil is being kept on the Brule by special wardens and individuals. Within the past week four have been convicted and sentenced for spearing and dynamiting violations.

April 1, 1968

Special trout opener "slow"

The 1968 special trout season on South Shore streams Saturday brought out a near-record number of anglers. On upper Wisconsin's Brule River trout were uncooperative, however, and a minimum of fish were taken the past weekend.

The little town of Brule literally "came to life" and was bulging at the seams with what was described as a "record number" of down-staters and non-residents to try the famous Brule. Trailers and tents were in evidence all along highway "H" to Lake Superior.

Early Saturday morning, fishermen were almost "elbow to elbow" in some of the choice "holes." There were scattered reports of a "few" taken on various spots, but most diehards agreed that in general it was a "poor" opener.