Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-10
able. and pink ones most valuable Of all.

able, and pink ones most valuable of all.
As is well known, Mexican pearls COM
mand higher prices in Europe than those
from any other country except India. The
Californian gems are generally small and
irregular in shape, but unequaled for dur
ability and possessing luster no others
can show except the peerless concnas of
the East Indies. Paris is the great pearl
market of the world, and about all the
competition that exists is confined to few
French houses, which, with commendable
enterprise, have agents at La Paz and
Mulege, vino buy up the pearls as fast as
found. 1t seems strange indifference on
the part of the United States to treasures
so easily within her reach-not to mention
the merchants of England and Germany
that France is permitted to secure all
these first hand, and then to sell them to
the United States, England and Germany
at an enormous advance on the original
price.
1t is difficult to approximate
THE ACTUAL WORTH OF THESE FISHERIES,
Because the fishers themselves place a
mere nominal value on the pearls before
sending them abroad; in order to lessen
the duties thereon. Thus superb gem,
which when first torn from the red band
of the coral reef will be sold to the agent
for $500, will bring ten or fifteen times
that amount in Paris. The annual yield
of all the gulf beds i estimated as worth
about S250,000 while three times that
amount would more fully represent their
real value. Messrs. Gonzalez & Rufo alone
ship from $4,000 to 100000 worth every
year.
The profit of the fisheries as by no means
limited to the pearls themselves. The
poorest of the shells sell in La Paz for
from eight to twelve cents per. pound,
while in Europe, where their beautiful
lining is worked up into buttons,
knife handles, etc., they bring from
| twenty to thirty cents per pound.
Many of the finer shells are shipped to
San Francisco, where as mother-of-pearl,
| they find ready sale for from two to five
dollars pound. The entire gulf coast
has been noted for centuries for the in
| finite variety Of its Genealogical beauties,
but those of the pearl regions are most
highly priced. Some Of them are fully ff-
| teen inches across and marvelously beauti-
full when polished. One may find them in
| the shops of San Francisco with birds,
flowers and landscapes deliberately carved
upon them. l bought single pair of
pearl-oyster shells-about four inches
| across, slightly polished-in La Paz, for
which | paid two dollars, and a good bar
gain on my part it was considered.
The meat of the pearl oyster is also
made profitable. Though unstable in
the American market, the leathery little
bivalves are eagerly bought by Cinnamon,
/ rul
cisco, dried or sealed in cans. Those
sCIoNs OF THE FLowERY KINGDOM
Who reside hereabouts are mostly engaged
in the most unsavory occupations of dig
ging and shipping guano from the guilt
islands, where sea birds have been depos-
iting it for ages. Though not courageous
enough to make successful divers, the
Celestials are much given to the seer ct
practice of those ingenious tricks by which
pearls that are partly artificial are pro-
duced in China and Japan. The beautiful
gem that has been so priced in all ages OF
the world is, after all, only carbonate OF
lime mixed with organic matter-the re-
suit of some lesion endured by the oyster
its solidifed tear of suffering. Hence, an
injury is often purposely inflicted by in.
Producing small stones shot or bits of
gravel between the Shells and then the
poor oyster is ''put to bed" again to weep
its precious tears at leisure. This process
is said to produce great quantities of pearls
but they are always of inferior luster and
durability, At certain seasons of the year
the pearl oysters rise to the surface, where
they lie with open mouths enjoying the
sun. This is the pearl makers opportunity,
and from time immemorial the Chinese and
japanese fishermen have been in the habit
of throwing into the open shells strings Of
tiny beads, made of mother of pearl, which
become encrusted in the course of a few
months and look exactly like the real
pearls. When the curious process is sup
posed to have been completed, the oysters
are drawn up and robbed of their treasures
The truth of this statement is not only
confirmed by many travellers, but is the re
suit of numbsrless experiments. Professor
Fabricius tells US that he saw several Chi
nese chamdS, the shells of which contained
iron wire covered with pearl. The wire,
had once been sharp, and the oysters
with more sagacity than we are accus
toned to give that creature the credit Of
possessing-had proceeded to blunt the
torturing points by encrusting them with
organic matter. FANNIE B. WARD.
L
NH