Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-05
a BONANZA IN PEARLS.
A Gmausie conesss'sn-Eseiusive Rights
and Arbitrary Power. Gransed to san
Fssneisesns.


and shook their heads NJ they hunted In
,vbispers that the cargo concealed In the
hull Of the schooner was not OF the kind
usually shipped IN that direction. Some
even yentured to suggest that the conceal
mept attending her departure and the
objects OF her voyage pointed to the proba-
bjlify Of an expedition such N that Under
taken by Sir Francis Drake IN the days OF
tbe virgin queen. or rivaling the more
modern buccansering exploits OF MORAN
and Kidd. The veil OF mystery has. how
ever. at length been raised by untirin2
efforts OF the Chronicle reporters, and the
result is now given 10 It's readers. About
one hundred years ago Juan Oxio nrst
called attention TO the vast source OF wealth
concealed In the mud which lay at the bot
tom Of the waters OF the Gull OF California
adjacent 10 the eastern coast Of lower CALI
Iornia. He discovered their immense beds
NJ the pearl.0yster, and realized great
wealth by bringing their contents from
their ya.ery couch. lie fishcd principally
for the black shell (COnchd ndcdr), which
is found In great quantities from san
Sebastian bay TO the mouth of the Rio Colo
RADIO. After his death the industry was fol-
loged In desultory fashion Till about
1850. From that time until 1872 II was
uursued In q more systematic manner, tie
trade. however, being practically m0nopo-
lied by the agents Of wealthy European
houses, who established themselves on the
lower peninsula and purchased the pearls
and shells on the ground as soon as re-
moved from the water. Ab0ut that tune
some OF the merchants OF La Paz discover
cd that they could deal directly with Paris,
London, and Hamburg, and save the
profits OF middle-men, and the European
agents were, so TO speak, starved out:
Still the fishing was conducted on the ola
and ,ime-honOred system OF using divers
trained by long experience to remain per-
hans two or at most three minutes I'M
der water. In 1875. however, two schoO-
ners each Of about two hundred tons. one
from Australia, the other from England,
went to those waters, literally supplied
with diving apparatus. helmets. rubber
hose. and liie-lines, and thirteen boats and
boats crews TO operate them. With the
aid OF these appliances they made clear
profit in six months OF Sl25,00J. The
hitherto sOmnolent inhabitants OK La PaZ
were stupetcd with amazement ut seeing
this wealth removed from under their very
noses. while they we're at the same time
awakened TO the immense opportunities
afforded them TO acquire wealth which
the lavish hand Of nature had so inspiring
" scattered at their very doors.
The merchants engaged In the fisheries
purchased the diving apparatus from the
schooners, and since that time the divers
helmet has driven the unfortunate indi-
ylduals. who, unlike our politicians, made
their living by holding their breath, en-
tirely out OF the pcar-Gshing fields OF
labor. But the advantages possessed by
the pear.fishers OF La PaZ were advan-
tages which might be shared in common
with any other person or persons who
could command the capital necessary To 20
into the same business. The idea OF seeing
strangers and aliens come in and scoop
I'D from the beds OF the gulf the wealth
which they were beginning TO regard ~
their inalienablc inheritance was intol-
cradle. Bat how 10 avoid il was the ques-
ton. That conuudrum was soon solved
by the elevation 10 the Mexican presidency
OF General Gonzales. That gentleman soon
after his election exhibited Partially for
| the creation aud maintenance OF monopo-
lies, before which the monopolies granted
/ by James l., Of England, TO Sir Giles Nom
| pessOn and others might well pale their in
etiectual fires. The President asapIied TO,
and by "proper representations" his IA
yorable consideration was secured and
given to plan by which, on the 2Sth OF
| February, 1884, concession. or rather i've
concessions, were granted 10 five gentle
men, and upon the terms which will be
| stated further on. But to understand these
terms il is necessary TO enter INTO some
preliminary explanation. For the purposes
! OF fishing, the Mexican laws have divided
the waters Of the Gulf OF California from
! Cape ST. Lucas to the mouth OF the Rio
! Colorado and from the eastern coast OF
! Lower California to the westerly show Of
| the mainland into five zones. The first
! zone extends from Cape 81. Lucas 10 Ce-
1 ralbo island, the second from CeralbO
/ island to san Josef, the third from San
! Josef 10 Carmen island, the fourth ire n
/ Carmen island 10 the mouth OF the Rio
/ Colorado, and the fifth comprising She
/ waters surrounding the Island OF San josef.
/ Concessions or leases were grIried by the
/ Mexican Government TO Juan IIidaIg) and
/ associates of the first zone, TO Alberto San.
! chez and associates OF the second zone. 70
Andre Gut and associates OF the third
/ zone. 10 Francisco Canedo and associates
OF the fourth zone, and to Higinlo Clnu-
/ DIES, Of San Josef island, the fifth zone.
/ The concessions give these gentlemen,
/ their associates and assigns, the exclusive
right and privilege OF all shell fisheries in
! their respective zones Tor the period Of
sixteen years. paving therefor royalty
and export duty in full IT all claims Of the
/ Government, amounting altogether TO SO
a ton on all shells exported for the first
.hree years OF the term aud SIS ton for
The remaining thirteen years.
4 The holders Of these concessions imme-
diaicly consolidated their interests, A. no
L. % into nd Il
patched Juan Illdalgo. armed with powers
Of attorney and all necessary credentials, 10
/ obtain the capital necessary 10 systemat.
cally work one Of the most gigantic schemes
Of monopoly which the world has ever
/ secn--a monopoly embOdyiug the germs OF
Il wealth and a power winch may possibly
in zine rival the glores Of the old Hudson
Bay and South Sea Companies, with powers
rs will hereafter be seen in some respac,sap-
preaching that of the East India Company.
senior llidalgO's efforts in san Francisco
have been successful. and in July last,
under the modest title Of the 4" Mother-Of-
Pearl Shell Company" a corporation was
+ formed Under the laws Of California, with
Juan Ilidalgo as president, George w.
Watts general freight agent OF the Union
/ Pacific railway n secretary, and ID. sam
/ uels, Of the lace house, Il. l.. Phillips, the
capitalist. and Julius Jacobs. general agent
/ of the Gernania Life Insurance Company.
/ as directors. with 4 capital Of Sj00,000 II
/ j. h'ntcd that in addition TO the fore
! going names number Of our prom
! mont capitalists. among others eX-
! Governor Perkins, are interested a.
! sioc6 holders. A. an evidence Of TIE
/ enormous profits 10 be made 10y this gi.
! gantic scheme, ii may be mentioned that
/ for the past two years the yield OF the fish
| cries, conducted with four sch0onerS and
twenty boats, has been from 100000 TO
$500 In pearls and about 900 tons Of
! shell worth from eco to f70-say G6j a
ton, or about 1922 500. making gross
| yield Of Sj42 per lnnum.
The company has now four schOoners on
the fishing grounds-the Poriirio DiaZ, the
| Adriana, the Consuel0, and the Paloma.
The fisheries are cOndu. ted as follows {:
| Each vessel carries five boats and each
| boat carries a crew OF six men-a diver,
! two men to work the air-pumps, one at the
| lifeline, and two at the oars. The vessel
/ having anchored on favorable grounds, the
boats put off from the ships side early
| in the morning. The diver Is lowered,
and remains on the bottom for two or
three hours at q tine, and by 3 O'clock
| in the afternoon he has filled into
| hi, iron basket from seven hundred to
1000 shells. At that hour the shells are
opened by the officers, who remove and re-
tain in safc-keeping the pearls, which are
4. II, - 4 4