The sun., 1889-12-08
THE PEARLS OF AMERICA.
zIEEINY's GEM EXPERT TALKS ABOUr
THEM INJEREsTINGLH.
TAere ,s Danser Of E1term,natIne Th,n-

| The Right Way Take Them-Tha
Indians vnluntion-Some Famous A msri.
can Pearls-PenrI Growing for Front
Numerous items have recently appeared in
the press concerning the pearls OF the Sugar
River. Wisconsin, which have not all beenwith.
out foundation, since some parcels have boon
sent to New York which were worth from few
dollars to over one thousand dollars q parcel
| To many who have read these accounts It may
be interesting to know that In the last
twenty years. moro than 100000 worth
| Of pearls have been found in the United
States In that family Of mollusks known
as "unios," or fIesh-water mussels, the
same that abounded at one time In the
rivers OF Scotland. 1t was from pearls
found in this kind OF shells that
tho name OF Scotch River Pearls
was taken. 1t was the fame OF these
which the historian Suetonius says inducsa
Caesar to send his armies to Great Britain. and
It was with tho pearls which they secured
that he had buckler made which he present.
cd to the temple of Venus Genetrix.
| large pearl found by Daniel Howels at
Notchbrook N. j.. in 1856. which Messrs. Tif-
fany & Co. sold to the Empress Eugene for
l5oo francs led to pearl ear excitement m e. that
throughout the entire United States. Millions
OF shells were opened, but & very very small pro.
pearls Of any Kind. while nearly all il not quite
all, the mussels found were DESTROYED.
$1,000 worth. The excitement a6ated until
The pearls found in the American unios are
rarely perfectly round, often button shaped.
lar in form, H. ocaasionally assuming fantastic
shapes, as fishes, birds wings, heads Of an.
use So too color g TO
snper9 spGh rs DnE h6y
| of upn N n
value The Irregular shaped ones, II fine In
color. are used for scarf pins and other Jewels,
etched. enamelled, or oxidized silver.
In certain countries pearl raising is o distinct
IN The hands of the % sehmeer @ family since % iSid.
and a correct record has been kept Of every
name Of the man who found it. Their method
OF pearling consists, not in opening the mussel
or
kills the animal. but, In Slipping between the
two valves of the mollpsk a sharp pointed pair
slowly Dressed together. thus opening the shell.
Should pearl be present 1t can easily be re-
unios H h are not St exermInated I Unless some me such
ent f' excitement % viii lead to the e1terminstion
OF all our fresh-water mussels. Few pearls 40
line ones we're found In that State during the
past twenty years some OF which were 1 In q col-
Which Which was % mounted 40 for the Paris Exposi:
tion. This collection contains, a series OF pearl
IN S as are sbS n
the pearls are green. in another purplsh
brown. in another pink, in another cream vel;
OF eight grains was admired. By reflected light
this pearl had tho translucency and color OF q
This collection OF pearls. and the shells in
which they were found. received gold medal
from the juries, and tho information con-
cerning their early history brought for the COLI
laborator silver medal.
trumpet @ shell. as it 0 is Sometimes fe called IN
Florida and the West Indies, few pearls Of
Sn SsyS bsHp Sey as oad
In the West Indies worth over $1,000 each.
These generally have a satlny s,My lustre. the
pearls found in the unio and true pearl oyster.
the strpetqWre W oi which is coneepHtric nc n
Sas or and
China, and i175 900 worth Of shells have been
sent to England and China In one year for the
psd for q he
shells are light green. very irregular IN shape.
but The s Sssr SSp sag or ey
500 each. The shell is said to be worth $3.50
q ton in Liyernool. and is made into green.
up to 2oo years ago: literature teens with rei:
81 De snd
Father Louis Hennepin contain statements
ali cases uSi to the pear PEARLS from e the Water M musse
or unio. which undoubtedly fourished at that
on Tine snfe % a 5here cb sre te or aone OF she DG
ilization Some few OF the pearls referred 10
found along the coast may have been from the
never OF great value: some may have been
found found In the commSn oyster ostysG G,orsaMs;
but no true. pearl oysters are found on our
In The Ancient Monuments OF the Mssls-
sippi Valley" DR.; E. III: Dayis Gays that first
rate pearls were found by him In five distinct
Soud Be e by
dred. Col Q. c. Jones. in his work on tho
southern Indians. makes frequent reference to
and the surrounding States.
DR.: Daniel 6. Brinton, the archRoloRist, in
the Army of the umberland. during the civil
were occasionally eaten by the soldiers Of the
CORDS and pronounced to be no bad diet, and
IN h9 bs that t9 shs 81 R n9
lusks had been placed there to serve as food
during the journey TO the land OF the sprlts.",
fish the tribes obtained the pearls which were
80 highly prized as ornaments by the early yoy-
at Cambridge. Massachusetts,. are two bushels,
or about 10000, fresh water pearls, found by
Miami Valley. Ohio. These were all valpelessi
had. as DESCRIBED by our early voyagers.
pierced them by, means OF a heated copper
ondly. because the fire, on the affairs on which
they had thrown them had charred them.
In the Liberal Arts section OF the Paris Ex-
position Of 1889 was case exhibited by DR..
States, National Museum, containing a beauti-
Al dHl string Of pearls found in IL an N Indian mound,
In the Potter mound. Ross county. Ohio.
In the collection Of unios bequeathed to the
United States National Museum by the late
pr. Isaac Lee is a hemispherical piece OF cam
die grease which had been inserted in tho
with nearly nacre and Of producing pearls.
rich pink peary racre During the New jersey
pearl excitement 9f 1855 there were found In;
pearl buttons which had been placed there for
the same purpose. These were partly coated
with secretion. and were secured to the
shell It was about this time that the scien.
lists OF Europe were greatly interested
in the number OF shells which were received
from China containing small images OF Bud;
in tinioil. and then placed betWeen the shell
and the mantle OF the animal. The shells wero