The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1903-12-18

Peculiar Industry That II Carried ""
In New York state ON the
oneida River.

YORK industry, WAlch - NhAV'''Nt'~~ "-
total extinction, is the catching OF eeis
In eel traps in the Oneida river, az
Caughdenhoy. For many years the resi-
dents of this pretty little village have
built their eel traps, or weirs, year after
year. without any fear OF molestation;
but now they are face to face with
threatened lawsuit, which, If success
ful. will totally destroy their livelihood,
says the New York Tribune. The hight
against them is being made by farmers
living along the river bank between
| Caughdenhoy and Oneida lake, and along
the western end of the lake, who claim
that the building of the traps causes a
rise In the river sufficient In many IN
stances to flood their low lands along the
water front. The suit, If brought, Will
doubtless be against the state. as fish
ermen are permitted by law to build
these traps; but the ultimate result
would be. should the suit be successful,
| that the state would forbid their use.
| This phase of the question is troubling
the fishermen very much and this can
be easily appreciated, when 1t Is stated
! that Caughdenhoy has been built up
practically on eels, there being no other
business in the village, except farming
on limited scale. The fishermen claim,
and with apparent truth, that as their
traps are never over Is inches in height,
It is impossible for them to cause rise
! in the river sufficient to flood lands lying
two and three miles further up the river,
let alone the western shore of the lake.
II is probable that the excessively high
waters Of the last two years in that re-
gion have had most to do with the food
ing OF the low lying lands.
There are IA of these eel traps, val
ued at about 81 400, owned at Caugh-
denhoy, and the manner Of building
| them Is as follows: Heavy stakes are
driven into the bed of the river until
they are Just about even with the surface
during a medium height of water They
are driven in such a way that when
| completed they extend from shore to
shore in the shape Of an immense 'W,"
with the open portion facing upstream.
When in this shape 1t makes two traps
When only one is to be built, the shape
Is a 'v" with the open portion up
stream A framework of planks Is
then built around these stakes At the
two lower tips of the wv" small open
ing is left, which is later occupied by the
trap itself. This is usually made Of lat
tice work, built either rectangular or
rounded, and with the lower end Of a
larger diameter than the upper. From
the sides of the mouth long laths run
back into the trap, until they almost
meet in the center, leaving only mar
row opening about four or five inches in
diameter between the ends of the laths.
During certain seasons Of the year the
cells migrate down stream to Lake On
tario. and thence to the ocean, and it
Is then that the fishermen reap their
harvest. When the eel reaches the side
wall it follows slowly along this until
1t finds a narrow opening which seems
to present way of escape; but upon
wriggling along it a few feet 1t finds it.
self in the large end of the trap, with no
means of escape.
For many years each fisherman did all
his own work. from the making OF the
trap to the marketing Of the product;
but a few years ago the trust fever
seized even them. and they held meet
ing and decided that they would com
bine hence there is now only one smoke
house among them all, while the finished
product is sold and the money equally
divided. whether the fisherman catches
one eel or 900 In this way the losses
and profits are divided in the same pro-
portion.
All the cells caught are smoked, none
being sold fresh. AS soon as brought
ashore they are split from the head to
the vent and the viscera removed. The
head and skin are then taken off, after
which the esls are immersed in a strong
I brine for "a hours. On removal from
the brine. they are washed with stiff
brushes to remove the slime and sur
plus salt They are then strung on iron
or steel rods. and are hung in the smoke
house. A hot fire Of kindings and
later of corn cobs is first used In cooking
them. after which the fire is covered
with sawdust, which partially smothers
IT, causing a heavy and dense smoke,
which soon cures the fish. Great care
must be exercised during the early
stages. for if the heat becomes too great,
lhe fish will curl out of shape Smoked
cells keep a shorter length Of time than
almost any other smoked fish, from five
10 twelve days being about the limit;
hence they must be marketed as soon as
possible after being removed from the
smokehouses.
The Caughdenhoy fishermen drive to
Syracuse with their smoked eels. and
find ready market for all they can pos
sibly bring in. They are unable TO ex-
pand their business. however. as they
ind it more and more difficult each year
to secure enough TO supply the local de-
mand. Last year was very poor from
financial standpoint. while this year
so far. has been even worse. owing ITO the
excessively high water which has pre-
vailed in the river