The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-10-20
PEARL FISHING.
Where the Jewels are Found
and ArtifiCially Produced.
Curious Facts About the Most
Translucent of Gems.

A week or so ago the head oyster
opener OF the Hoffman House in New
York found a valuable pearl embedded
in an oyster that he was opening. The
pearl now adorns the shirt bosom of the
pro- rietor Of that hotel. 4 reporter of
the Mail and Express talked with az
oid-timc pearl fan cier.
'As far back as we have history fox
any gems" said the latter, eve have a
record of pearls, and not even except
ing the diamond is there a jewel so
often spoken of in history, sacred and
profane, as the pearl. There is scarcely
country on the face of tho globe
where pears have not at some periol
been found, though at the present day
the principal fisheries are confined to
the coasts of Ceylon, Japan, Java. Sum-
atra, Bah-ein, in the Persian gu.f, and
the islands in the viciaity of Panama.
"Ihc best pearls are obtained in the
Persian gulf. They excel in color, size,
purity and that translucency which
gives this gem its greatest value. The
pearl fisheries in the Persian gulf are
said to yield upward of 81, 800, 600 an
nually. Those of Panama reach about
the same figure. Pearls have also been
found in the waters of the United States.
and in 1853 consider able excitement
was occasioned by the discovery of
large pearls near Salem in New jersey.
A New Jersey pearl, over an inch in
diameter, fouad near Paterson, was sent
to Paris. where 1t was purchased by the
Empress Eu-erie for $500, and when
tn" crown jewels were sold last year by
order Of ;hc Ferry government, it was
rcsold for $500. and is now the prom
eriy OF a!thy woman of New York.
The pcsrl is simply Car Donate of
lime, with the addition of films OF AMI
nal membrane between the many layers
Of mineral matter. It is the ANNA,
that, when dry, gives the pearl its hard
ness. Several species of bivalvc mol
!u'ks secrcte pearls, especially the thu.
pe@rl oyster, and among fresh water
species those sometimes found near
Blltimorc- 1t is foLad that only the
old animals produce the gems, and it i,
fortunate, 70 doubt, for the guest at
the Hoffman that he did not get the
tlva.vc that contained the pearl as he
might havs icnominiously rejected it.
aal New York would have one pearl
and ore sensation less to talk about.
"Can pearls be produced at the will
Of man, or eau they be multiplied by
mlnipulation! Il is asserted by oyster
fishermen and can lie accepted as true
that The pearl oyster hes the power OF |
covering with additional layers such !
portions OF his shell as nccI strengthen |
ING as well as objects introduced by &C
cideat or desi5c. The Chinese aad |
Japanese, taking ADVANTAGE OF this, havt
long rracticcI the art Of stinu atinr the
secretion by introducing beads made OF
spar or powdered glass AID varnish, or
sometimes turned from mother-of- pearl,
and thus do they actually succeed in
forcing the animal to produc, pearls at
their will, though OF an inferior quality
'Oac o. tn; curious circumstances
connected with the New Jersey pearl
fever Of 1853 was the discovery ola few
Shells showing that maGy years before
some one had experimental upon the
pearl bearing oyster by dropping small
mother Of pearl luttoas inside the shell,
hoping that the animal would, in course
oil time cover them with its secretion.
HE experiments proved failure, how
ever. the result being that the buttons
became fastened 10 the shells by the
action Of tie secretion, but dii not de-
vc.o? iIto rearl'."