Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-02-06
COLONY OF SHRIMPERS.
A Peculiar Settlement Near New Or
leans

Hidden away in the labyrinthine
of bayous of lower Jefferson parish and
scattered about the margins of Grand
lake, Little lake and the unsteady
named Cheniere Caminada is strange
colony, the bare existence of which is
practically unknown. 1t numbers, all
told, at least 1000 people, three
fourths of whom are Chinese and the
rest Manilamen and undesirable
mongrels. They live in brushwood
camps near the edge Of the water,
their habits are incredibly simple
and semi-savage, and their business
is the catching and drying of shrimp.
This singular settlement recently
came to the surface in some litigation,
on the calendar of the local courts,
over the ownership of piece of adj
jacent property, but the industry has
been quietly pursued, from time out
of mind, in almost unbroken isolation.
It's product is never seen in the New
Orleans market, but is shipped direct
to San Francisco and New York and
consumed entirely by the Chinese.
At certain seasons the shrimp are
caught by the millions in rude hand
nets and spread in layers on plat
forms, built over the surface of the
water. The hot sun soon shrivels
them up and they become disiecated.
When thoroughly dry they are brown
and brittle and have a sweet, nutty
flavor that is far from disagreeable.
In this condition they are packed
loosely in barrels holding about H.
pounds each and sent to native mer-
chants on Mott and Doyers streets
in New York and to the famous China
town of Frisco. At both places they
are in lively demand and are eaten
either as condiments, without fur
Their preparation, or with curry of
rice. Even American barbarians
find them very good.
The scene at the shrimping camps
is SO strangely oriental that it is hard
for visitor to realize that he is in
the neighoorhood of a big American
city AS a matter of fact the indus
try is imported, and exactly the same
process of fishing and drying is pur-
sued on vast scale in China. Al
most all the colonies come from fami-
lies Of shrimpers and when they
save sufficient money return to the
fiowery kingdom and send back rel
atives to take their places. There are
thousands of common Chinese fans
in the stores of New Orleans bearing
pictures of shrimp fishers and divers,
and, no doubt, many purchaser has
puzzled over the queer oaubs and
wondered what it all meant. The
same thing precisely could be wit
messed by making a trip to the outly-
ing bayous of Grand lake.
Secluded as they have been, the
litigation already referred to is not
the first event that has brought the
Chinese shrimpers to the attention of
New Orleans officials. About IL years
ago a tremendous row was raised at
the post-off1ce over some unknown
matter that was tainting the mails
with a peculiar and villainous odor.
The trail being as evident as the aura
of a soap foundry, the government
sleuths we're not greatly overworked
parcels, decorated all over with Mon
golian hieroglyphics. The bundles
contained dried shrimp, prepared after
special and Odoriferous formula, and
sent as tidbits to friends of the colony
Needless to say, they were promptly
cOnfiscated under the rules of the
postal service, but the mailing went
To mil nh, Of
test, until it was stopped by a peculiar
incident. One day the superintendent
was passing his window just as
Chinaman dropped a tabooed parcel
in the slot. The official was man
of action. Grabbing the package, he
hurled it instantly at the retreating
Celestial, who turned just in time to
stop it with his nose. The Chinaman
emitted howl of anguish, and from
that day to this not single shrimp
has ever perfumed the mails.
But the most remarkable story con-
nected with the shrimpers is that of
the Chinese prince. It is true
story, and so curious in it's details
and so grotesquely sinister in it's de-
nouement that it might easily be
elaborated into a striking romance of
Anglo-oriental life. However, the
plain facts are these:
About seven years ago a Chinese
prince Of the blood came to New Or
leans for his health. He was not i'll,
but he had reasons for believing that
he might live longer if he removed
himself temporarily from the neigh
borhood of the court and enjoyed a
complete change of diet. Exactly
what these reasons were nobody
knows, for, like all orientals, he kept
lie own COUNSEL strintlv hut ho mas