Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-11-07
A BONANZA IN PEARLS.
The Fisheries of Lower CALIFORNIA;
A Gigantic Concession - Exclusive |
Rights and rbftrary Powers Grant
ed TO San Franeiseans.

The departure of the Porfro Diaz
from this port last August was en-
shrouded in mystery. She cleared
for Mexican port, but the wiseacres
of the water front nodded and shook
their heads as they limited IN whis-
pers that the cargo concealed in the
hull of the schooner was not of the
kind usually shipped in that direction.
Some even ventured to suggest that
the concealment attended her depart
ure and the objects of her voyage
pointed to the probability of an ex-
petition such as that taken by Sir
Francis Drake in the days of the yir-
gin queen, or rivaling the more mod
ern buccanneering exploits of Morgan
and Kidd. The veil of mystery has,
however, at length been raised by the
untiring efforts of The Chronicle re-
porters and the result is now given to
its readers About one hundred years
ago Juan Oxio first called attention
to the vast source of wealth concealed
in the mud which lay at the bottom
of the waters of the gulf of California
adjacent to the eastern
coast, of lower California.
Lie ulSCOFeIcu IlCIE
beds of the pearl oysters and realized
great wealth by bringing their con-
tents from their watery couch. He
fished principally for the black shell
(Concha nacar), which is found in
great quantities from San Sebastian
bay to Tie mouta of the Rio Colorado.
After his death the industry was fol,
lowed in a desultory fashion till about
1859. From that time till 1872 ii was
pursued in a more systematic manner,
the trade, however, being practically
monopolized 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 removed from
the water. About that time some of
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 con-
Quoted on the old and time-honored
system of using divers trained by long
experience to remain perhaps two or
at most three minutes I'M
der water. In 1875, however,
two schooners each of about two
hundred tons, one from Australia,
the other from England, went to those
waters, literally supplied with diving
apparatus, hemlets, rubber hose, and
life lines, and thirteen boats and boats
crews to operate them. With the aid
of the appliances they made clear
| - -. ~~fG -
hitherto somnolent Inhabitants of La
Paz were stuepfied with amazement at
seeing this wealth removed from under
their very noses, while they were at
the same time awakened to the i'm
mense opportunities afforded them to
acquire wealth which the lavish
hand of nature had So unsparingl y
scattered at their very doors.
The merchants engaged in the fish
cries purchased the diving apparatus
from the sehoeners, and since ihat
time the divers hemlet has driven the
unfortunate individuals, who, unlike
our politicians. made their living by
holding their breath, entirely out of
the pearl fishing fields of labor. But
the advantages possessed by the pearl
fishers of La Paz were advantages
which might be shared in common
WITH any other person or persons
who could command the cap
ltal necessary to go into the
same business. The idea of seeing
strangers and aliens come in and
scoop up from the bed Of the gulf the
wealth which they were beginning to
regard as..their inalienable inheritance
was intolerable. But how to avoid ii
was soon solved by the elevation to
the Mexican presidency of General
Gonzales. That gentleman soon after
his election exhibited partiahty for
the creation and maintenance of
monepolies, before which the mopop.
olies. granted by James |, of England,
to SMILES Monpesson and others
might well pale their Intellectual fires.
The president was applied to, and, by
proper representations his favor
able consideration was secured and
given to plan by which, on the 2Sth
of February, 1854 a concession, or
rather five concessions, were granted
to five gentlemen, and upon the terms
which will be stated further on. But
to understand these terms 1t is neces-
sary to enter into some preliminary
explanation. For the purpose of fish
ing, the Mexican laws have divided
the waters of the gulf of California
from Cape st. Lucas 10 the mouth of
the Rio Colorado and from the eastern
coast Of Lower California to the west.
erly shore of the mainland into five
zones. The first zone extends from
Cape st. Lucas to Ceralbo island, the
second from Ceralbo island to San
Josef, the third from San Josef to Car
men island, the fourth from Carmen
island to the mouth of the Rio Color
ado, and the fifth, comprising the
waters surrounding the island of San
Josef. Concessions, or leases, were
granted by the Mexican government
to Juan Hldalgo and associates of the
first zone, to Alberto Sanchez and as
sociates of the second zone, to Andre
Gait and associates Of the third zone,
| to Francisco Canedo and associates of
the fourth zone, and to Higinio Can
udes, of San Josef island, the fifth
zone. The concessions give these gen
tlemen, their associates and assigns.
the exclusive right and privilege of
all shell fisheries in their respective
zones for the period of sixteen years,
paying therefor a royalty and export
duty in full of all claims of the gov
eminent, amounting altogether to SO
a ton on all shells exported for the
first three years of the term and SIS a
ton for the remaining thirteen years.
The holders of these concessions
Immediately consolidated their inter
estS. as no doubt was the original in
tention, and dispatched Juan Hidalgo,
armed with powers of attorney and
all necessary credentials, to obtain
the capital necessary to Systematically
work one of the most gigantic schemes
OF monopoly which the world has ever
seen-a monopoly embodying the
germs of wealth and power WITCH
may possibly in time rival the glories
of the old Hudson Bay and South Sea
companies, with powers as will here
after be seen IN some respects APP
preaching that of tire East India com
pany. Senior Hldalgo's efforts in San
Francisco have been S uccessful, and
in Jaly last, under the modest title of
Mother of Pearl Shell company" a
corporation was formed under the
laws of California with T.,an Hide loo