New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-01
THE JERSEY PEARL FISHERY

sey mud the public naturally skepticai, anu uis-
posed to look upon the whole thing as testaceous
trick, bivalyular hoax-in short, FISH story. But
when it WAS rumored that jersey pearls had been
offered in the NewYork market and that single one
had been purchased by Messrs Tiffany d Co. for the
substantial sum of 81 ,OOO air of authenticity was
given TO the stories and the thing seemed worthy of
investigation. One of our reporters was dispatched TO
the scene of operations and he learned that not only
have quantity Of valuable pearls been found by
cdent but that the prospect of obtaining more is
good that number of persons in and about Paterson
have abandoned their regular avocations and beaken
themselves to pearl fishing, in the hope, which may
not in ali prove delusve, Of speedily realizing
fortunes.
The discovery of the first pearl was purely accidental
the Jerseymen supposing that pear-oysters
existed in their freshwater brooks than that diamonds
grew their peach trees that every head of cab
bage in the land was stuffed with rubies and emeralds.
In the latter part Of February, Mr.. David Howell
poor shoemaker of Paterson, finding work scarce,
money hard to get and bread difficult to procure with
out either at the suggestion of neigbor, collected
quantity Of muscles from little stream known as the
Notch Brook to make dainty meal for himself and
family He first boiled the shelfsh but finding that
n single cooking did not render them tender and palat-
able he afterward fried the same over in lat, when so
far sotened their obdracy as to render them eaable
In the course Of the repsst Mr. Howell discovered IN
one Of the muscles stony substance OF sphercai
sbape and of considerable size. Having some vague
ideas upon the subject of jewels he preserved the Gu
rious stone and submitted it to jeweer for exarnina-
ton lie was then informed that the stone was gen.
uipe pearl of dimensions which dealers in precious
stones considered fabulous until the specimen was
placed before their eyes, and which, had not its luster
n 4 IL. o,t,Va iona
to which it had been subjected, would have been
worth at least $25 600. Here Cleopatra outdone
with vengeance. She RECALLED her sweetheart An
tony with few small pearls dissolved in vinegar
stew and for this trHe the carping world has called
her e1ravagant. What win they now say of the
jersey journeyman shoemaker who served up to the
partner of his bosom for lunch $2j, 900 pearl in
fried clam
Dir. David Howell, this fortunate unfortunate, re-
solved to make the best of his happy unhappy fortune
He accordingly sold the big pearl for twenty-five or
thirty dollars curiosity and recalling to mind the
old proyerb: "There good fish in the sea rs
have ever been caught he took of his coat, and set
to work TO find more. He has since that time abjured
the apstone and successfully continued his search for
the treasures. His abors have been rewarded by the
discovery of number Of smaller pearls of considerable
value none Of them, however, approaching in size the
first one although he considers these smaller
luxures too costly for his private table, and has
disposed of them to persons who could better afford all
the decacies of the season, snd who at perfect
liberty to cook them, if they think fit.
The news of Mr.. Hewell's fortune soon leaked out,
his nechbors became interested in the matter and re-
solved also to 90 pearishing Messrs. Jacob Quack-
enbush boss carpenter of Paterson, and his brother
John, went on Exploring Expedition in the Notch
Brook, and found several of the valuable gems and
among them the largest which has yet been offered
for sale and which was purchased at risk by Tiffany
81 Co. for $780, and is valued by the present holder at
81 800 and it is not impossible may yet be disposed
of for a much larger sum- The other smaller ones
found by Mr.. Quackenbush and his brother were sold
for sums ranging from s. to $75 EACH 1t is the inten
ton of Tiffany CO. to send the large to Paris to
find market and it is not at all impossible that the
big jersey pearl may yet adom an Imperial dadem.
Mr. Lewis Van Orden found four handsome pearls,
of fine color, which he disposed Of to Mr. Quacken-
bush Many other persons have searched for them
with varying success; the most of them, however,
being disappointed and obtaining nothing. So great
was the crowd at one time that the of the land
through which the streams put up large piacards
warning off oil trespassers under the penalty of the
law; the notice however came late in the day; the
stable was locked but not until the steed gone;
and now every one of the brooks in the vicinity OF
Paterson has been raked and searched, until their
waters hide no shesh large enough to be visible to
the naked eye.
The pearlbearing muscles have also been found in the
Rock Road Brook, about four miles from Paterson,
and in the Godwinsvle Brook. number OF speci-
mems very beautiful in color, and regular in shape,
though not of great size have been found near Suf-
ferns Several of them have been taken by hunter
from the stomachs of muskrats; the muskras devour
the muscles but the pearls puzzle their digestive APP
paratus and if the animal chances to be killed mme-
daiely after his repast the gems may be recovered
In one or two instances the bivaves have been dis
covered with perorations in the shells through which
the pearls have dropped, and have been found IN the
bottom of the stream, spoiled by the action OF the
water.
The pearl muscle is found on the bottom OF the
brooks or sticking in the soft mud at the sides, and
the manner of taking them is by simply wadng in the
wafer and cropping in the mud with the naked hands.
The streams in which they are found are throughout
mos, Of their course, very ehallow-not more than
p;slee deep. Numbers of the shells contain deposits
of the nearly matter jagged shapeess scales which
are vaueless except as mere cunosltes. Some OF
those Of form partially globular are worthless on ac-
count Of some imperecton in the shape or color Many
of them are Of dead white, or dull ash color and
lack entirely the peculiar rainbow-hued semtrans-
parent gsten Of the valuable peari-what those wise
in such matters term the "Orient luster ana these
are good for nothing The shells of the largest OF the
muscles in which they are found are perhaps SIX or
seven inches in their long diameter and about Two
thirds as wide Some of the pearls found are not
larger than the point of PIN and therefore oil no