The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-11-14
CARP ADJUDGED A CURSE.
The Entire Trade Has Been
Given to Chinese.
How the skillful Heather Dispose Of Them
to the Caucasian-Whst an Old
Fisherman Says.

The industry of peddiing carp has grown
TO immense proportions recently. Vendors
of the tramp order are daily to be found
with half a dozen or more, and they yell,
Fresh carp, fresh carp, just out OF the
water!'
They generally charge from % 10 30 cents
a pair, according to the customers inno-
cence or knowledge Of the market value of
the fish.
A CALL man. noticing an unusual num-
Der of fish Of that variety in Fish alley
yesterday and a number OF seedy-looking
citizens bargaining for them, inquired OF an
officer who is acquainted in that locality
VIII at kind Of traffic 1t was.
Are you speaking OF those fellows you
see there buying carp?" he asked.
Eyes"
"Well, they are the Migrants who buy
samshu or Chinese gin from the dens
around here. Formerly they were locked
mp half the time. but since that fish has be-
come SO abundant those who sell the tramps
gin have learned That they can convert
them into profitable beings for themselves"
How is that?"
"You see, they 60 security for these fell
lows for bunch of fish, and they go out
and sell them. OF course they come back
simply because they cannot get gin as
cheaply anywhere else. just go up now to
one of the dealers and see what you can buy
pair, of these fish Tor at first cost, as 1t
WERE"
The suggestion was acted upon. A stall
was approached where there was perhaps
100 or more Of these fish thrown together.
How much for a pair. John 2" was asked
OF the dealer.
You likee?" he inquired.
Yes; lkee," was the response.
He gathered up two large ones from the
stale mass and said:
Two tor 10 cents.
"Are they fresh?"
"Oh. yes, weliy flesh"
"An examination, however. showed that
! they were not fresh by any means and the
| supposed purchaser had au excuse for get
ting out of making trade.
Thus Ii was shown that nearly all these
| fish are sold TO an unsuspecting public by
| peddlers whose habtations are in China
| town and whom the police know as sam
shu guzZlers; also that In nearly every In
stance the carp are partially spoiled. be-
cause the Chinese purchase the fresh ones
| for themselves.
A patrolman for the State Board of Fish
| Commissioners was seen and asked how he
accounted for such condition of affairs.
The commission made mistake when 1t
planted the German carp in these waters,
| he replied, without hestatng. "They have
multiplied so that they have become CON-
mon and worthless, and only the Chinese
| VIII handle them. When white fishermen
catch carp they throw them away. Oh
| course they never throw them back, because
the desire is to keep them down as much as
possible and thin them out. We find that
they are destructive to smaller fish of Q
better variety, and are general nuisance.
Zone officer of the board has even re-
ported that they cause breaks in levees by
eating roots that grow in them until they
have eaten holes entirely through. O
course this causes the breaking of the leyee
and In many cases an immense destruction
OF property. They are more prolific thar
any fish in our waters, and it might not b.
improper 10 say less valuable"
Like the catfish. the old patrOlmaI
thought the planting of carp was grea
mistake OF the Commissioners.