Evening journal., 1897-12-31

eaviare is shipped TO New York for ex-
port to Germany, France and other |
countries Of Europe, Ger |
many getting the bulk of it and send |
ing some Of il back to this country in
its perfect state.
While the Wayfarer was at Mahon's
river last Summer he saw a keg of
these valuable and highly-prized fish
eggs in the hold Of a fishing sloop
there. They somewhat resembled small
peas in shape, and were greenish black
in color In fact, they did not look as
though they could be converted into an
apetizing dish.
Passengers on bay steamers which
stop at Port Penn and Delaware City
can nearly always see several large
fish lying on the wharf for shipment.
Their bodies are skinned and their
heads are missing few short hours
before they were able-bodied sturgeon.
but had fallen victims to the snares of
their human enemies, and were simply
taking their place in the chain of de-
struction which demands 50 many
lives to form its links.
On the Delaware side Of the river the
sturgeon fishing industry has assumed
large proportions. There are about
fifty beats engaged in the business at
Delaware City and Port Penn Three
or four men control the outfits and
employ the men who do the work.
Sturgeon skiffs are usually twenty
four feet long and are the staunchest
and best weather boats on the Atlantic
aeaboard. They are out on the Della
ware bay at work when the little fore
and aft schOOners have sought refuge
from the storm When not loaded
their sterns set high out OF the water
but when the nets are aboard they set
in the water. and it is n pretty sight
to see the fleet at work, and especially
so when it is making for harbor under
sail
The early part Of the season is spent
in the waters of Kent and Sussex
counties by the sturgeon fishermen.
II is down there that the long nets are
used As the season advances the fish
come farther up and the fishermen
keep pace with them, shortening their
nets as conditions may require.
The drift is much like that made by
shad fishermen. but the boats, nets and
fish are heavier and the work proper
tiOnately more laborious When a
sturgeon is caught the Tease" of the
net is taken up to bring the fish near
the side of the boat. While one man
holds the net another takes stout
| iron hook on a short staff and drives il
into the body Of the fish just behind
the head. Then he holds it while the
man who is holding thenet gets similar
hook and drives IL into the other side
/ The net is dropped, both men pull and
/ the fsh is dragged into the boat. II
It struggles, so much the better for tbl
men, for fishermen have told the Way.
farer that they find 1t harder to handl,
a passive sturgeon because It is dead
weight, while the fiounces Of the fisf
help them in their work Of dragging il
aboard,
| Sometimes as many as fifteen oi
eighteen sturgeon are caught by a sin
| gle boat during one drift and when Il
is considered that the fish range from
100 to 400 pounds apiece some concep
ton of the work may be gained. Th'
| fish live longer on q cold, cloudy day
than on a warm and sultry one. Some
times a fish will let fly its tail anC
knock a man overheard. The roes ar,
taken out while the dsh are alive. o.
almost Immediately after they expire
Just which. depends upon circumstance.
and the convenience Of the fishermen
but they generally waste no time, an,
ii the fish is given time to expire befor
being disemboweled it is due to n,
consideration for it's feelings
There was a time when the body o
the sturgeon was ground up for ferti
lizing purposes, but now it is shippe,
to the city. smoked and used for food
The meat is good, but rather coarse.
The roe. when taken from the fish
is covered with a transparent skin. II
remove this, and leave the eggs free
the roe Is placed in a seive with a
Quarter-inch mesh and rubbed over tn
wire by hand, the eggs dropping
through and the skin remaining. The
the eggs are placed in selves of small
Ter mesh and allowed to drain. From
there they go to the kegs, and then tn
| cold storage houses receive them 70
shipment abroad in the fall of the yeal
In picking them the salt is sent owe
from Germany. and is composed @
beautiful crystals. No salt found /
this country will preserve them. Tn
kegs hold from 140 to $50 pounds, an
at one time the duty imposed by tn
2 German government was $40 a lzes
Some local fishermen affect to Xix
} caviare. but most of them say tha
/ like the taste of olives, appreciation c
cavaire as an article of food has to b
T. cultivated
r The Delaware towns profit largely
= the gastrcn0mic taste Of the German,
r and the money spent by these fishel
? men keeps many a store door open, an
r drives want from many household
3 The government has dop4tlitNe {
j nothing in the way of propd&ating th
a fish, but the annual catches have bee
a such OF late years that it will sooner {
later have to do so, for the greedy Ge
= mans are eating. in egg shape, a
3 Of the young American sturgeon tn;
a | they can obtain.