Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-07-17
Pearl and Pearl Buttons.

duction. perhaps the charm * IN the mate
broad shell, which we know TO lave
been, u while ago, 1t the bntion at tile Indian.
seas Tie ruinl,Ow light, which glears from
the surface, seetIIs to show to us the picture
Of where this shell once WAS, nnh what was
done about il. This is not from the Gull of
Mexico-this shell. Many come from tIIenre;
hut this is uf ton gnud u quality for those
western seas Nor is il lrutu Manila, though
the Manila shells nre very fine. This COMES
from Singapore. and is of the best qualify
To get il, What hopes aud fears, what enter
terprses and calculations have been undcrta-
ken and undergone! What boafsiul bar
barinus went ont, amidst the nmttering and
chnngiug Of charms, To the diving for the
shells Tor our hnnding How gently were
they pnddled over those deep clear seas, where
the moon shines with u golden light, aud
sends her rays Tar down into the green depths
which the diver is about 10 inlrude upon =
As the land breeze comes from stirring The
forrest, and breathing over the rice-grounds,
TO walt the bonls out To sen, the divers pre-
pared l0r their plunge, each singing his loot
on the lIenvy stone which was to carry hlin
down, nine faihoms deep, to where his prey
WIS reposing below. Then there VAS Tie
plunge, aud the wrrnchiug of the shells FROM
the rocks, und putting them into the pouch
nt the whist; and the nsseut, amidst u vast
pressure of wnter, causing the head to scCthe
aud roar, and the ears 10 ache, aud the i'm
prisoncd breath TO ruliyulse the iratue ; aud
then there was the Tear of sharks, aud the
dread spectacle of wriggling aud shooting
fishes, and who knows what other Sights =
A I'D iIcn, tl.e breath hastily snnlcIIed aud
the fearful plunge Ia I've made ngnin! Aud
then must have followed the sale TO the Sig-
npore merchant; aud the shipping to Eng-
land; mud the laying up IN London, 10 gniller
uu enormous price-lhe article heing bought
up by u few rich rnerclInnt-nlId the journey
to Birmingham, where tlle finest part of the
shell is 10 be kept for buttons, aud the cUarser
pnrt sent on TO Sheffield, To make the handles
Of knives, paper.culters, and tile like.
Through such adventures has this broad
shell gone, which we now hold in oilr hand.
In the middle is the scanned, imperfect part,
liOm which the fish was torn. From that
centre, all round TO the thin edge, is the fine
part which is TO be cut into buttons. From
that centre hack TO the jnnt is the ridgy por-
lion, with its knots, will serve for kniieundles.
There is, perhaps, no hnrdcr substance
known; aud strong must he the naclIine that
will cut il. II is caught aud held with an
iron grip. while the tubular snw culs II III
circles, II quarter of nh imrl Tor more) thirk.
Some of the circles ARE nn inrll aud II hall
in diameter; others us small ~ the Tiny but
tolls seen on haby.cloilcs. They are, one by
one, clutclrd hy Il sort of pinrrrs, aud held
against revolving cy Under To he PUBLISHED
with sand aud oil. Then, each is fixed on II
lathe, and turned and smuulhed adorned
with roncenic rings. or with STARS, or leaves,
or dots and then corded ur niled at the
edges, with slreHks almost tno tine to he seen
with the nnked eye. The figures ~ the mid
die nre 10 mask The holes 10y which the hutton
is sewed on. In II small depression, in the
centre OF the pattern, the holes are drilled ny
sharp hard point which pierres the she'll
The edges ut the holes are sharp, ns house.
wives well know. But for the emitting of the
thread, IN the course of time, by the edges,
pearl buttons would wear for ever. Now
aud then, the thin pierced biz in the middle
breaks out but much olieuer, the hutton Is
lost bv the cutting OF the thread. They last
so long, however, ms To make us wonder how
there can be any need OF the vast numbers
that ARE made. Birmingham supplies almost
the whole world. A very few ARE made nj
sheffield; and that is ALL IN the United
States, where the merchants can get almost
| amy quantity Ol the shell, from their great
trade with Manila aud Singapore, the buttons
are not made. The Americans buy an III
credible quantity from Birmingham. Many
thousands Oi persons IN this town ARE employ
! ed in the business; aud one house alone s"nds
out two thousand gross per week, aud very
| STEADILY for fashion has liIile or nothing Ia
! do with pearl buttons. The demand Is steady
| nnd increasing; aud it would increase much
insier but lor the restriction in the qunnIiiy
of the material. The profit mnde by the
manufacturer is extremely snall-so dear n:
the shell il. The Singapore shell was sol
not many years ago al siXiy-iive pounds pei
ton now, il cannot he had under one hun
dred aud twenty-five pounds, ten sllllings
per ton. The manufacturer complains D
monopoly. II this he the cause ol the dear
ness, the evil will, in the nature OF things
be lessened before long. Tine will show
wleIher the shells nre becoming exhausted
like the ilrs of polar countries. We venInr,
To suggest, while looking round at the pile u
shell Fragments, and heaps of white dust tia
accumulate under tho lathes, that it seems
pity to waste all this refuse, seeing how val
liable manure il would make, ii mixed will
bone-du or g,nno. The reply was, that
is impssihle To crush n substance so hard
that there il no machine which will reduce
these fragments to powder Ii So, some sol
vent will prohably soon he found, which vii
act like diluted sulphuric acid upon bone.
While we were discussing this matter, M,
hegging n pint or quart of the powder iron
under the lathe, To Try small agricnlnru
experiment with, n workman mentioned tia
when he worked nt Sheffield, meighborin
, farmer used to come, al any lime, aud at an
Inconvenience TO himself, TO purchase shell
powder when allowed to fetch il, declarn
il 10 he ineslnable as a manure. In place
like Birmingham, where the sweepings un
scapings of the floors OF manufactures ar
$ sold for the sake of the metal dust that Inn
have fallen, we venture 10 predict that sue
9 heaps and masses of shell fragments as W
r saw, will not long be cast away MS usele,
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