Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-01-13

in which they stay another year, and reach
an average weight of q to 81 pounds.
Loneliness produces melancholy, and in
order that the carp may not lead too
idyllic sort of dream life after leaving the
ponds where they spent their first two sum.
mers, and which are absolutely free from |
fish of prey, quite large number of other |
considerably smaller fish, such as tench, |
crucianr, pike, and even perch, which have |
been specially raised for this purpose in |
separate ponds. are during the year placed |
in the same ponds with them. These fish |
give the carp
SOME IDEA OF LIFE
In the great world, and by their constant
attacks, which, however. are generally
harmless, bring a little life into the quiet
society of philosophers, and to some ex-
tent act the part of shepherd dogs. But
there are other enemies of the carp which
tend to make the carp lvelier, reminding
us of those persons in "Gulliver's Trav.
els who had constantly to use rattles to
rouse the Lilliputians from their day
dreams and these are offers, heroDs, wild
ducks and geese, fish-hawks and human
beings poachers, who rob the ponds dur
ing the night. Thus the day of harvest
comes at last Three weeks beforehand
they begin to let the water flow of, and
the carp generally gather in the deep ruts
or holes of the bottom. On the morning
of the great fishing day they are driven
into basin about the size of an acre and
about one meter deep. This is done by
fishermen, who, armed with purse. meta,
wade, often with half their bodies in the
muddy water, and, shouting and yelling,
drive the fish before them. Slowly the
great mass of fish comes rolling on, making
the water of dark, muddy color. and
throwing great quantities of mud-like
clouds in the air. No one could tell that
these are carp, for the dark round backs,
which in innumerable places become visi-
BILE among the seething mud and water
rather resemble cells or similar fish.
THE WHOLE SPECTACLE,
Which is quiet in the beginning, remind.
ing one of the driving of flock of geese or
drove of sheep, gradually becomes quite
exciting, especially toward the end, where
from 5000 to 70. 600 pounds of carp are
crouched together in a narrow space
scarcely twenty PAGES square. Two simple
nets are, nevertheless, sufficient to close
up the two channels leading into the basin,
which now resembles caldron full of boil
ing mud and water. In this turmoil the
pike fare worst, for some of the carp,
which, like tame steers, seem in the last
moment to remember that, after all, they
possess considerable strength of muscle, are
continually dealing powerful blows with
their tails, which the sensitive and cow
ardly pixies cannot stand very well, 30 they
endeavor, as much as possible, to crowd
into a distant corner. Now the fishing
itself commences, and number of
men with two drag-nets each
holding about 5000 pounds of fish,
slowly haul that quantity in shore.
Here everything is activity and hustle.
Under an open shed we see large pair of
scales, with 100 pound weight The carp
are uninterruptedly brought up from the
pond in immense buckets, each carried by
two stout men, and thrown on boards by
the side of the scales. With lightning
like rapidity, one fish after another is
seized by men standing there for the pur-
pose, counting, One, two, three, four"
until. the scales are evenly balanced. Thir.
ty-one to thirty three fish generally make
the hundred pounds. The full scale is
then seized by two men, while an empty
one is being filled, and the fish are placed
in large casks on one of the many wagons
v hich stand at short distance. As soon
as the three casks, which every wagon
holds, are filled, the wagon is rapidly
driven along the turnpike. near which the
whole transaction takes place, to the Ham,
mer canal, distant about one kilometer
Is, 2S0 feet), where the fish are i'm.
mediately placed
IN THE HOLDS OF BOATS,
Which contain water. Each of these boats
carries $500 pounds of fish. Thus the
carp are, within few minutes, transferred
five times, without having suffered in the
least. Near the scales stands, in his rubber
overcoat, q note book in his hand, Mr..
Fritsche, from Frankfort. on the Oder, a
we'll. known fish-dealer called the carp
King" and, with Mr.. Berger's agent,
calmly notes down the number of fish to
every 100 pounds, while Mr.. Berger him.
self is busy arranging things, giving orders,
aud satisfying the many private buyers,
male and female, young and old, farmers
and town people, who have come with
bags, sacks and baskets to buy single fish
or small quantities up to 200 pounds. Mr..
Berger also attends to the picking out of
other fish, such as tench, pike, perch, ETC.,
which have been caught in the net. A
large quantity of still smaller fish, so.called
spoon-fish," because they have to be
eaten with spoon, are likewise brought
up in these nets, many of them al
most mashed by the heavy weight
of the carps, and dead few minutes after
they have left the water. These are
thrown in large baskets and are viewed
with eager and longing glsnces by the
many poor people standing around, who
here, for few cents, might procure more
than one good meal, and net Mr.. Berger
perhaps S24 extra. But woe be unto him
if he should dare to sell these fish the
MEMORABLE POLICE OFFICERS
Would at ouce refer him to paragraph of
the fishery law. according to which these
dare not to be sold, as not having the re.
quired size. Meanwhile the hour of noon
comes, and the ardently longed.for lunch
time, doubly welcome on account of
the pouring rain and the cold,
is fast approaching, and Mr.. Berger in.
vites his guests to his house, near by.
Among them we see, besides some landed
proprietors from the neighborhood, men of
inexhaustlble good 'humor and unlimited
capacity of stomach, the well known
Lusatian authropologist and reporter of
the Gartenlaube, DIR. Veckenstadt. In the
hospitable mansion we are RECALLED with the
products of the chase-snipe, reed. birds,
ducks, cartridges, etc.. and one of the
eDicurians present makes the remark,
which may be taken to heart by all good
housewives, that the flesh of the pike be.
comes infinitely more delicious if it has
lain in brine for twenty.feur hours.
The fishermen and drivers are meanwhile
taking their lunch in the sheds near the
ponds, and after short pause the work
begins anew until late at night, when
about go, 900 pounds of carp have passed