A Large Rock Cast From the Sidelines

One Saturday a number of years ago my co-workers, Milo, Jack, Saunders and probably Dick Ressler, went over to the Mississippi to get in a little river fishing. Monday morning I asked Milo and Jack how their luck was. The story jumped immediately past the fishing and went directly the bar afterwards. "There was this minnow eating contest. There were rows of beer mugs, half with beer, the other half with a dozen Crappie minnows in each." (Crappie minnows are as small as possible.) "The idea was to drain off most of the water through your hand, sloosh the minnows into your mouth and chase 'em down with the beer. There was this tall thin kid, he'd take a drink of minnows, hold them in his mouth a while, couldn't swallow, then, putu! putu! putu!, spit 'em all back out. He tried three or four times before he swallowed any. Once he got the hang of it, he swallowed 13 dozen minnows! After he won, he asked what his prize was. The bartender just smiled and said, 'All the beer and seafood you eat!' ." S.A.L.T.S. - GB, across town at 1410 Oakwood