The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-01-28
A RUSSIAN INDUSTRY.
How the Urml sturgeon Arc Caught BY the
COSsacks.


How the UrMl sturgeon Are Caught by the
CossacSs.
OF all the great Russian family, the
Cossachs are undeniably the most war
like and independent. Their peculiar
and isolated position, geographically
and politically, has developed these
traits in their character. The cars
have never attempted to subdue them.
They have been and still are too useful
in repelling the Turcomans, Kirghiz
and others pillaging Mongolian nolnad
tribes, who periodically harass the
jewellers on the borderland The poo
pie retain the Russian institution of the
Artil, or cooperative principle in all
trades, but they give to that principle
much broader application than is
found among the large western cities
Every male member of the Cossack FAM
lily is required to serve three years in
the regular army of Russia. A certain
number leave yearly the Ural and other
provinces for st. Petersburg and other
military stations, to relieve those other
members of the tribe who have served
their terms They inherit the custom
of ownership of land in common, and
have equal access, as far as practicable,
to all the productive wealth of the COM
munity. This system is well exempli-
fed in their great sturgeon fisheries on
the Don and Ural rivers, which are
their chief source of income.
The river Ural takes it's rise from the
Ural mountains, and flows southwark
about eight hundred miles into the
Caspian sea. Ga the lower part of this
river are the largest sturgeon fisheries
in the world. There are such fisheries
on the Don and Volga, but by far the
greatest celebrity, as well as CONNER
cial Importance, is attained by those of
the Ural. They increase greatly the
wealth of the Cossaclss of the district;
for the fisheries belong to them exclu-
sively, and no syndicate can interfere
with their rights.
The Ural sturgeon is cartilaginous
and almost boneless The usual length
OF the fish is from five to six feet, bat
sometimes Huso or Bielaya-of the
same family-is captured which meas
ures more than twenty feet in length.
The method of shing is peculiar.
Hooks and lines are used, but the hooks
on the sturgeon line have no barbs, as
have those used for the capture of other
| fishes. The Cossacks stretch across the
river, or from the shore outward, along
line floated with corlxs Ordinarily one
end of the line is fastened to the shore,
and the other to boat anchored in the
stream. From this line descend other
shorter lines, oftan more than thou
sand in number, carrying each at its
| extremity an unbarbed hook. The
hook is about ten inches long, and
| hangs in the water about seven feet
! from the surface. No bait is used.
The sturgeon seek spawning ground
in the fresh water, and at the approach
of the proper season they swim up the
river mouth, away from the salt and
brackish water, and toward the ground
they have selected for breeding pur-
poses. 1t is during this journey that
the fishing-lines are set for them, and
as the fish blindiy make their way ny
the river, they strike against the hooked
lines and are ''gaffed"-f1rst, perhaps,
by single hook. Upon being struck
thus, they slash their powerful tails in
their pain and anger SO fiercely and
! wildly that other hooks are imbcdded
in the Infatuated fish, until at last,
hopelessly hooked, it may be in dozen
| places, the sturgeon is firmly held until
the line is drawn in. 1t often happens
that nearly every one of the one thou.
sand hooks is found imbedded in some
part of fish.
In every commune or stanitza the
| fishing is carried on upon cooperative
basis The fish caught are divided
equally among the Cossacks of the dis
trict. Sometimes the division of the
spoils affects the direct welfare of forty
| or fifty stanitza, each one of which
forms in itself community. When the
season opens, the great gun of the town
of Uralsk is discharged as signal
for the commencement of fishing
No one dares fish for sturgeon
before this signal is given. Word
is then passed from stanitza to stanitza;
communal guns are discharged in all
the villages, and all the male Cossacks
make their way to the river. The fish
cry is continued about three weeks.
Another gun announces its termination,
and, after this, sturgeon fishing is an
offense which is severely punished, and
| which, therefore, is seldom known II
have been necessary.
The most valuable products of the
Cossack fisheries are the famous black
icaviare. and the caviare made from the
| sterlet--a small species of sturgeon
There is a common notion, even with
some of our cyclopsedia makers, that
caviare is simply the salted roe of the
different species of sturgeon. This is 9
great error The fresh roe, especially
the black, is much more highly priced
much more delicious, and consequently
more expensive than the salt Tit
price of either-black or sterlet fresh
caviare-in St Petersburg is ten shil
lings, while pound of the sailed ar
ticle costs only sixpence. It is almos
impossible to transport the fresh roe OIL
the sterlet. for it is SO tender that the
slightest shaking will break tho eggs
No perfectly prepared caviare, there
| fore, can be obtained except in the dis
tricts where the fish are taken.-Yanke,
Blade.
4 His Mistake.