Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-06-06

element has existed for two or three months
past among the good people of New Jersey
in consequence of a large number of valua-
BILE pearls being found in muscles taken from
the rivers and smaller streams in the State.
Many people forsook their regular employ
ment and rushed to the streams to dig for the
pearls; and the owners of the land, in some
cases, found 1t so difficult to keep the tres
passers off of their fields that there was dan
ger of serious collisions. The discovery of
the first pearl was accidental, ard is said TO
have been in this wise. In the latter part of
February, Mr.. David Howell, poor shoe
maker of Patterson, finding work scarce,
money hard to get, and bread too difficult to
procure without either, at the suggestion of
neighbor, collected quantity of muscles from
"a little stream known as the North Brook to
make a dainty meal for himself and family.
He first boiled the she'll fish, but finding that
a single cooking did not render them tender
and palatable, he afterwards fried the same
over the fire in fat, which SO Tar scftened
their obduracy as to render them eatable. In
the course of the repast, Mr. Howell discov-
cred in one of the muscles stony substance
of spherical shape and of considerable SIZE
Having some vague ideas upon the subject of
jewels, he preserved the curious stone and
submitted it 20 jewaller for axarnir ot;o.,,
He was then informed that the stone was a
genuine pearl of dimensions which dealers
in precious stones considered fabulous until
the specimen was placed before their eyes,
and which, had not its lustre been utterly
ruined by the several culinary operations to
which it had been subjected, would have been
worth at least $25, 0o0. Instead of the TWEEN
ty-fye thousand dollars, however, the pearl
being entirely ruined Mr. Howell sold it to a
ieweller as a curiosity for twenty five dollars.
FL,
in the waters near Paterson and other parts of
the State, mostly small, and many of them of
consiG cradle value.
A writer who went to see some of the speci-
mems of tie treasure, describes the following
| pearls as being in the hands of Mr. Jacob
! Quackenbush, his three brothers, and Mr..
Templeton, partners:
One genuine, very beautiful, and perfectly
round, pink colored pearl, three eighths of an
inch in diameter.
One pearl as large as pistol ball, perfectly
round, light rose color, (the largest yet found
that is undisposed of)
Two perfectly round white pearls, about the
size of rifle ball.
Three oblong balls, rose and pink colored,
and the size of peas.
Fourteen pearls, about the size of buck
shots, of various colors and forms, some of
them being imperfect.
Six of the same size, but of good color and
perfectly round; besides large number of
very small pearls and others of various sizes
with but peculiar or imperfect colors. This
entire lot is estimated by the possessors MS
worth $4,000. They were all obtained on
Monday and Tuesday of last week, by the
four parties who own them.
Another lot, in the hands of Jacob Quack :
enbush, consists as follows:
Two beautiful and perfectly round pearls,
OF pink color, and about the size of a large
pea.
Two OF the same description, as large as
common pea.
Two of the same description, the size of
small pea.
Ten of the same description, the size of No.
shot.
Fourteen of irregular form, different colors.
and the size of peas.
One large as pistol ball, of obong form.
and pink color.
This lot is estimated at being worth two.
hundred and fifty dollars.
David Van Ordin has fourteen pearls the
size of pistol balls, all perfectly round, and of
good colors. He has several smaller ones,
worth one or two shillings each. His lot ia
estimated at $500.
Henry ConlSin has a large one, the size of
slhali iuarole, perfectly round, of pink color,
and valued by him at $500. Besides these a
great many have been sold lately. One Of
the the Messrs. Quackelbush, has sold pearl to
Tiffany 4 Co., for 5000, which is valued by
the present holder at $1,000, and may yet be
disposed Of for a much larger sum.
That pearls have existed in this region of
New Jersey, and found occasionally for many
years past, will appear to many surprising,
out such, nevertheless, has been the fact.
Mr.. David Quackenbush, the father OF Messrs.
Jacob and John Quaekenbush, and several
other old inhabitants Of Patterson and vicinity,
state that about forty years ago there was n
similar discovery, which created good deal
OF talk The true locahty OF the treasures
was at that time kept carefully from the
public, and few knowing spectators bought
the ''pretty stones" of the boys for 81, 90 or
$500 each. Why the business was discon.
tinued, whether the fishery was exhausted or
whether the fishers could not lind market,
does not appear.
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