The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1901-11-01
BIG FISH PLENTIFUL.


BIG FISH PLENTIFUL.
RANDOLPH A. FOX DISCUSSES PAsCA.
aOULA AND DOG RIVERS.
Times-Dem0crat.
There are some big fish In the Pas.
cagoula and Dog rivers in Mississippi,
according to Randolph A. Fox, who
has but recently returned from
hunting and fishing trip in the coun.
try around Moss Point. Sturgeon
from six to eight feet long gambol in
those streams and the big ones do not
always get away, as Mr.. Fox assisted
10 catching one that measured eight
feet five inches long, and while II was
not weighed its weight was estimated
at from 300 to $50 pounds.
''That is the greatest fishing coun.
try l ever saw" said Mr.. Fox yester-
day. II was at Louis P. Hackenjos'
sturgeon fishing grounds, and while I
know that tish stories are not consid.
cred quite as reliable as sworn tes.
timony, yet it Is a fact that we caught
one that measured eight feet five
inches and weighed at least 800
pounds. Near Mr. Hackenjos' camp
the PascagOula has three forks. The
sturgeon are caught in seines as they
refuse to take a hook. The lrst
evening was at the camp the man
in charge set small seine at the
mouth OF each OF the small streams
and bly, seine across the Pascagoula
just below the entrance Of the two
smaller streams. We had to wait on.
ly short time until the big seine was
seen to strain and jump. We have
one anyway said the man. We pull.
ed the seine in and entangled In its
meshes was the big sturgeon. There
was only the one, but it was enough.
l had never seen a sturgeon, and was
never so surprised in my life as was
when the big fellow was landed on
the raft. ...
1--WE left the SeineS set all night
and at daylight the next morning
went to see what they contained. We
pulled the big seine In and after 1t
was emptied we had seventeen fish
from six to eight feet long, which
weighed in the aggregate no less than
5000 pounds.
"Mr. Hackenios has gone into tho
business Of catching sturgeon for the
market. He has killing sheds, ice
houses and refrigerators and every.
thing needed to conduct the business
properly. He has made contracts 10
New York for his entire catch.
While he is prepared to cure the fish,
he has not yet done so as so far he
has shipped only the fresh dsh. These
bring from IL to Is cents pound
In New York. .,.F
"rhe presence of sturgeon in those
waters has been known only during
the past year. They are salt watel
| fish, and while II is known that they
20 up the rivers to spawn II was mol
known that they got so far from th'
sea. Mr.. Hackenjos discovered then
by accident.
"a man who Is an expert sturgeon
fisherman was 10 that part OF tn
country for his health and discovere'
the fish. He interested Mr.. Hacken
Jos In the proposition to catch ther
for the market and the business the
: now have Is the result.
"When the fish are caught rope
run through their gills and they ar
kept alive until killing day, which !
once q week. They are then draw
to q platform and their heads cut Of
With an ak. They bleed like beeves
and are then put into a cooling room
after which they are skinned, packet
} lin Ice and shipped. A sturgeon ha'
no bones within It's body. The onl!
thing about them which resembles
bones Is q hard enamcl.like substance
on the back, q sort Of boney rldg'
down the back.
"They are not game tish and whei
they arst get Into the net will 0gh
for two or three minutes, then turf
over on their backs and give up th'
struggle. 40
"From the roe Of the sturgeon o.
Ware is made and from the bladde
isinglass 10 obtained. This part o
the business has not been developet
1t the Hackenjos plant, but will b
next season." ST
IL The press Of the STATE can b
taken % indicative tand u always Il