The Penn's Grove record., 1915-01-22
THE CAVIAR MARKET PROSTATE
The European War Ruins The Sturg
0 Industry. Rivers Should Be
Closed By Law

Closed By Law
Few persons in Penns Grove know tina
III the small one-story building on Raj
road Avenue adjoining the railroad tina
more than $500, 900 worth of caviar wa
packed last year in /, 2 and 4 ounce an,
one pound glass jars or tin cans for tn
trade. Caviar is the sailed roe from tn
sturgeon and is a dainty article of foo
enjoyed by those with epicurean taste
in high life.
Our Older citizens remember when til
sturgeon We're plentiful in the Delawar,
river. They we're considered a nuisanc,
py the sllad fisherman who stabbed then
TO death when they got into the slia,
nets and tore them. Hundreds of ,deat
sturgeon lay along the shore and the stencil
was very offensive forty years ago.
Bendix Blohm, a German, who knew
the iood value OF sturgeon and the roe
came to Penns Grove about forty-fv,
years ago and began shipping sturgeon
and roe to New York. Sturgeon fishing
became a very profitable industry on Del
aware river and bay and continued so fol-
thirty years. Fifteen years ago the stur
geon began to greatly decrease number.
ana ten years ago the firms which ownec
several boats and nets had to give up the
business. Since then the catch has beer
made by a smaller number of boats and
nets each year until only a few fshed
last summer, with very small profits.
sIhey became so scarce thai roe sturgeon
was worth from $50 $50.
With tile decrease in the catch of stur-
UG0n tho Qoutar la0ot,to uor u0t.anhIn -,
TIL 1T worth from $l.75 to 1925 a pound
fetalls Tor from 81 to SIS a pound. When
the European war began last August the
price rapidly advanced. 1t was thought
1t would be scrrce because the largest
supply comes from Astrakan, Russia OH
the Caspian sea. But the price has gone
so low that a keg OF caviar packed
IN Georgia this month was sold III New
York last week, for fifty cents a pound
ny the express company to pay trans
portation, because there is no market for
1t.
Harry A. Dolbow, who has been.mana-
aer OF the caviar packing house in Penns
Grove Tor the Romanof Caviar Company
Tor the past seven years, states that the
rivers along the Atlantic coast supply
only about one-filth OF the caviar supply
while 80 per cent comes from tile Caspi-
an sea. He received a letter this week
from Ferdinand Hansen, in New York,
who's firm has a capital of two millions
OF dollars, and has houses in Astrakhan,
Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna and London,
stating that there is now $40, 900 worth
of caviar at Astrakan for which there is
no market. A lew keg of caviar were re-
ceived from Germany, by way OF Dem
mark last week, and that others have
been shipped, altho the American mar
is full. 1t will arrive in Penns Grove aud
be put into Theoretically sealed cans for
long preservation. Mr.. Dalbow invented
this process some years ago and it is his
secret which brings the caviar to Penns
Grove for preservation and makes a val
liable yacking business for several work
men besides the profits come to Penns
Grove, where they are spent and helps
build up the town.
Ferdinand Hansen has issued a circular
advising that all sturgeon fishing be sus-
pended for two years. 1t reads as fol-
lows;
GENTLEMEN:
The %world-war raging now is upsetting
all values, and years of peace will be re-
quiled to restore these values to their
former level. [ vainly look for an arti-
Gle OF luxury that has suffered as great a
setback as Caviar. 10 be sure, diamonds
pearls and other precious tones are want
ed neither by the waring nations or by
the neutrals, but the dealers can keep
their precious stones and jewelry indefin-
ltely without danger of deterioration to
their wares, which therefore retain their
original valtR, waiting for better times to
come. Not SO with Caviar, which should
be consumed within two years if canned
and ~pasteurized, but will not keep half
that time when not canned.
The war broke out on August LIST, a
time when all cold storages at Astrakhan,
Warsaw, Hamburg, aud Berlin tie four
chief Caviar markets OF the world were
full with Russian Caviar made on the
Caspian Sea III the Spring, awaiting ex-
p~ortatiou all over the world for con-
sumption during the Winter when most
of the Caviar is being used. But instead
of gay dinner and supper parties, we'd
dings, birthday and other celebrations,
events when well-to-do people in Europe,
and elsewhere elbow themselves" to Cav
lar, we ind millions of men facing death
the battlefields of Europe and their
wives and children at home in prayers
for the safety OF their dear ones, whilst
hundreds OF thousands are mourning their
losses. The use of caviar is, needless to
say completely forgotten; the spirit Of
festivity is gone, and not a cent is spent
such table luxuries as Caviar.
The greatest sufferer of the war in lives
destroyed is Germany which has develop
ed during her prosperous times into tile
largest Caviar market in the world. No
what the result OF the war, the
people will be ruined economical
ly for many years, and will have no money
for any luxuries. Therefore not only is
the whole OF 1914 Russian Caviar catch
to be placed OH the American market
shipments being already on tile way
here from from Hamburg, and Berlin via
Rotterdam and Copenhagen, but in the
years imports of Russian Caviar
to the United States will increase owing
to the elimination of the German mark
ct.
lNcROli iOih my chub Ol1lCC, dilO
those from Warsaw, Berlin and Hambur-
show that there are in those markets
something like 5000 kegs or 400, 600 pounds
Caviar. This is a quantity which
America can nse up only in three years,
if Caviar can be sold by the retailer at 20
for the ID. can. In order that the
retailer, wholesaler and Caviar.canner
may make a living profit, first class Stur-
geon Caviar cannot bring any more than
rs cents per pound delivered in New
York. This is all what the Russian Cav
lar will cost, and, if American fishermen
not see their way clear to sell at such
a price, | would strongly advise them not
to fish for sturgeon for a year or two,
waiting for the return of normal condi-
tions when the European and American
purses will be able to afford once more
the luxury of high priced Caviar.
l have given instructions to my Astra-
khan office not to buy any Caviar in 1915
and am urging Russian Sturgeon fishermen
not to fish any next year. All my Rus
sian competitors are doing likewise, for
chonld tho Russians fall AGAIN uavt voar