Barnsey's Bio

BARNSEY’S BIO - Spider Boy years 1935-1950.

Allegedly born in Bridgeton, New Jersey, but more likely hatched from under some storm deposited pile of seaweed type debris, I moved to Ocean City as a kid. I remember the great storm of ’44, going to the movies to watch the nukes going off on the Japs signaling the end of World War II, but most of all, I remember sitting on the bay at the pier at Dan’s Seafood in Ocean City and catching sea bass and Cape May goodies by the bucket. I recall having the best-bribed baby sitters in the whole world at the time.

I was absolutely awed when the boats came back to the dock with their catches. My addition began its firm and undetachable grip on me at that time. Since then, I’ve been to many a scholared man, seeking help for this overwhelming affliction, but alas, to date, I have found no cure. Conversing with these scholars of wisdom, I found this disease had no name. How dreadful! I’ve got this damned affliction without a clinical name, looking ahead at my tombstone – R. Barnes – died of ? What a fate. Well folks, the disease has a name - Fishingitus sounds clinical to me.

We moved to Somers Point in 1948, once more too close to the bay for my own good. As I found myself at the docks once again, being a Spider Boy and a pain in the ass to all, it seemed to me that bribery is a very old way of getting people to do what you want. I was a very well-bribed Spider Boy at the docks. People would heap on me great treasures of hooks, lines and sinkers, cold cakes, candy, cookies and on occasion, a quarter or two, all just to stay off their boats and docks.

Somers Point had about 1500 residents at the time, and life was great for the Spider Boy of the docks. Small town politics favored me with a small portion at Stan Haines.