Evening journal., 1909-08-25
GIGANTIC FISH
FOR THE HUDSON
Sturgeon That Weigh 1000
Pounds Will be Placed In
American Waters

VIII be revived if the efforts OF Horace /
G.. Knowles. former American Minister
TO the Balkan states. are seconded by
the authorities and the public. says the
New York Tribune. Mr.. Knowles who is
now minister to Nicaragua, purposes 10
have planted In our rivers tie famous
sturgeon OF the Danube, which attains
a weight OF two thousand pounds IN half
dozen years. Such fish yields more
than half a ton Of meat worth from 70
to 50 cents a pound at present prices. ana
four hundred pounds OF caviar, which
now costs the ultimate consumer 81
pound. or course. the successful breed
ing OF the quick growing and prolific
sturgeon would transfer the flesh and
roe from the class OF luxuries TO thar
OF almost ordinary articles Of diet, ana
might even, Il Is hoped, react on the
predatory prices OF beef.
With plenty OF sturgeon IN nearby riv-
ers the sportsmen who now seek big
game fish of the coasts OF California
and Florida could stay right az home and
get all the excitement they needed. They
would also have 10 make good their
boasts OF big captures for they could
not plead the impossibnity or bringing
home their prizes and thereby the cause
OF truth would be advanced. As for the
ordinary city denizen who amuses him
self with hooking Insignificant porgies
and things. imagine his intoxication-and
alarm-when he has htched his craft to
fnny creature the size OF a Texas
steer And II will be a joyful day for
tho dealers IN fishing tackle. harpoons
and life preservers.
All these advantages and benefits viii
depend on the way the American people
treat the Danube sturgeon when he ar
rives. Through Mr.. Knowles efforts the
Roumanla government has promised 10
donate carload OF sturgeon fry not 10
mention some cans Of young sterlet.
which Is a smaller food ish, 20 populate
our waters.
An agent OF tho United States Fish
Commission viii take charge OF the car
at Bucharest. escort Il 10 Hamburg or
/ Bremen. and SEQ that the cans are prop
erly loaded on fast steamer for New
York The first consignment OF several
hundred thousand fry will probably be
planted in the Delaware river. There Is
\ hardly any question that the FISH will
thrive IN the Delaware. n the laws OF
the three states bordering the river are
I NNANhnlN MNNfMuNNr ANI IH'IN MnNl 70 NN
vast quantities OF native sturgeon In
these waters not many years ago. The
fish experts Of this country and Profes.
sor Gregory Antipa, OF Bucharest. who
knows most about surgeons OF any mar
in the world. agree that there Is no rea
son why the Husso giant Of the Danub'
should not flourish IN American rivers
Il IS simply a question Of prevenun
the poisoning OF our rivers with sewag
and factory waste. and especially OF for
bidding the premature slaughter OF stui
, geon In 1883 the Delaware river yiels
ed 6.0o0.OO0 pounds OF sturgeon. Fly
years later the catch was reduced on
lhalf. and this year It Is estimated
, 10000 pounds. The native ilsh have be-
practically exterminatcd by ruthio
.. wastefulness and lack Of harmony b
(, tween the iaus OF New Jersey Pen
sylvania and Delaware. Sturgeon we
captured only for their roe. and millioi
, OF pounds Of good flesh went to the fe
J, tlizer factories. Male sturgeon, who
taken I'm net. were knocked on 4
7. head and thrown back IN the river; the
we're regarded as a nuisance. Plac,
. along the shore were. Uttered with th
. decaying bodies OF sturgeon. The lac
Of harmony IN the state laws is rlu.
tracted by the fact that a fisherman ma
not catch sturgeon under hve feet !
length on the New Jersey side while o
the Delaware side Of the river he Is per
mittod TO catch them down 10 three fee
IN length. II is a rarity for a three hun
dred pound sturgeon 10 be captured !
the Delaware today.
Imported Sturgeon VIII Flourish.
D., The New York Times says; The In
- dams used 10 catch with their noo1es IN
sturgeon. which was native TO our coas
al and inland waters Those strane
food taboos that have condemned tribe
and nations TO slow starvation In land
teeming with edible fish and flesh pr
vented the early colonists from relisl
ing the sturgeon and the shad TIL,
: filled the waters from Maine TO the Dc
I aware bay and southwark from Il
Chesapeake. -.About 1850 the taboo WI
lifted so far that the big sturgeon, son
= Of them Weighing 600 pounds. attained
" market price OF from 12ia TO 80 cen
70 apiecel The fact that in 1899 lot
'r sturgeon were auctioned off for som
s. thing over $40 each completes this col
G. mentary upon the curious conversion
the human palate with respect TO stu
TO geon and its products
ch Mr.. Horace G. Knowle recently mi
en- lister TO the Balkan states and now a
le credited 70 Nicaragua. has introduc
H. Into this country a dimlnutive Carpat
m Ian watermelon that bids fair 70 supe
sede In time our Georgia monsters. al
"A along with II fry of the roval Danu
y sturgeon and OF the most highly priz
- Of European food fishes. the stcrlet L
like the shad which It rivals. the ste
n- let Is never out OF season. Federal Cor
pc missioner Bowers hopes that after u
l. purlfcation Of the Delaware and Hu
IN son waters the imported sturgeon W
OF flourish and will furnish the basis OF
W vast industry
Little by little with the help Of Sta
and Federal hatcheries, the fishes mo
valued by the angler and the epicu
are being restored TO our streams. v
are not working so destructlveiy up
\ our natural wealth. and there are m
like Minister Knowles-none too man,
- who are augmenting this wealth frc
{ abroad.
BUSY TIMES AT SHELLPoT.
] - I