The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-19
Sturgeon and Caviare.

From the Philadelphia Record.
The first of this seasons catch Of stur-
geon reached Philadelphia yesterday.
There were 80 fish and they ranged In
weight from 70 20 10 pounds. Daily ship
ments viii be received here until the
season closes.
Sturgeon fishing is regarded as one OF
the mcst important industries Of the Del
aware bay, the season opening usually
ABOUT TINS time Of the year and lasting
until the middle Of June The sturgeon
are not caught simply for their flesh.
Whlch IS generally considered rather
coarse, and, after being sailed ana other
wise prepared. appears as caviare, OF
winch the Russians are so fond.
mere IS a fleet OF about 100 sturgeon
SKIS engaged In the work on the Della
ware during the season. with two men
10 a boat The fishermen, mostly Della
Nareans start in at the Delaware Break
water and follow the FISH up the river
- Tar as Trenton. Each boat carries a
20 to 30 fathOm net, with a depth Of "A
10 30 ieet and a Pinch mesh. They make
a catch OF 30 TO loO sturgeon at a haul,
the nsh running from six 10 eight feet
IN length. The smaller sturgeon slip
through the meshes. When the demand
Is equal TO the supply these sturgeon are
worth $40 apiece. The roe itself will bring
-. Sometimes the whole catch is maize
Up OF bucks The average is two bucks
to one roe.
The fishermen extract the roe while
the sturgeon are yet alive. They pack
~ IN air-ught kegs. and il is shipped to
German and Russian ports. Shortly af-
- -'-aA.-lA llfAA VI II - sent DdEk TO TINS
country IN tin cans and sold as genuine
imported caviare There is no good rea-
son why native caViare should not be as
good as the foreign article. The foreign
method of treating the sturgeon roe IL
Jeaiously guarded, and this probably ac-
counts Ior the caviare not being prepared
on TINS side of the Atlantic.
A story is told about two Young Ger
mans VINO came to this country about 1915
Wheh the Delaware fishermen sold their
StbuIgeon roe Tor a mere song and often
III ha.
N1iuS ana started right in TO purchase.
an they could get. They bought cheaply
S eApofteu II extensively, and to-day
wealthy There are numerous agents
, aOout curing the sturgeon season, some
Lepresenting New York and others foreign
several fortunes have been made in tho
business i since the two young Germans
nrst started started the profitable trade
a large part of the seasons catch -
snlpped direct to Philadelphia where the
surgeon are skinned and packed in ice
, ana sent TO all parts of the country for
oiiS,uiiiipu9h.Ihe meat IS usually smoked
VI plckleu before it is eaten, but there are
many VINO ENJOY a sturgeon steak cooked
Ilsnt from the cut. The skin is boiled
anu, with the head, is made into a ferti-
IZer, and also furnishes an oil
Lately there have been many counlaints
tlat the sturgeon are being exterminated
py the wholesale way in which they are
h I'm IN speaking on this point the other
Jay, Charies W. White, a veteran stur-
Seoil Hsher ana member Of the firm of
smith & Milden, on Dock street. said.
i ran TO see IL. The supply depends on
conditions over which we have no control
ana which legislative enactments can
never reach.It is just like the run of shad
one season shad will be plentiful in the
Potomac and Chesapeake and mighty
scarce in the Delaware. Another season
Ihe Delaware Will be full of them and the
rst-named waters almost barren.
30 1t is with the sturgeon They start
from southern waters, like the shad. and
gradually make their way north. A few
may bait along the coast. but very few
This season the market may be glutted
with sturgeon, as it has been, many times
before, and the following year the supply
may take a big drop"