Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-10
FAMOUS PEARL FISHERIES.
THE ENORMOUS MEXICAN PEARL IN
THE SPANISH REGALIA.
Some of the Richest Gems of the World
Found OF the Southwestern Coast
of the American Continent.


fisheries, we expected when on the spot to
secure bargains in the beautiful gems
such as. for instance, a hundred-dollar
pearl for twenty dollars, but, like the rest
of our compatriots and predecessors, we
were doomed to disappointment. Not
only are the poorest people of La Paz fully
aware of the value of those "frozen tears"
to the minutest carat, but in most cases
they put a fictitious price upon them, and
one can buy better gems, well set, for less
money, in New York city than here
where they grow.
For thousand miles around the coasts
of Lower California, pearl oysters are
found in detached beds, intercalated, at
interyals-but the best shells lie within
the $50 miles of shallow water extending
between Cape San Lucas and the bay of
Mulege, on the eastern side of the PENN
Sula.
For more than 300 years these fisheries
have been in the possession of private
families, by virtue of grants from the
Spanish crown, given soon after the con-
quest. And so it happened that the pride
Of the Spanish regalia is an enormous
Mexican pearl, weighing 100 carets, which
is brilliant yet though stolen from the sea
long before the Napoleonic invasion. This
most conspicuous ornament of a royal
crown was secured near Loreto, by Yaqui
Indian, who went down nearly naked, with
no apparatus but heavy stone to assist in
a rapid descent, sack slung around his
neck to contain the findings, and long
knife, carried in his teeth for defense
against sharks and the dreaded black "man-
eaters" and up he came with this lowell
est and most perfect of pearls grasped in
his dusky hand
An ancient law portioned the fisheries
into four zones, wherein the pearl-oysters
were carefully cultivated, only one section
being worked at once. About four years
ago the Mexican Government, melted or
bribed thereto by interested parties,
UPSET THE OLD REGIME.
Proclaiming the principle flor which it
cares not fig that the benefits of free
Republic should be open alike to Ameri-
can or African, Turk, Russian or Chinese,
the Government-for liberal considera-
tions-annulled the time-honored grants
and leased the fisheries anew to the high
est bidders. These happened to be Messrs
Gonzalez & Ruffo, Mexican gentlemen who
have commercial houses both in La Paz
and the City of Mexico, and they obtained
a" concession" whereby, for a period OF
sixteen years, they have exclusive rights
to the best grounds-those around the
Islands of La Paz ard Espiritu Santo
Their right includes the very cream of the
fisheries, extending distance of FIVE Kill
ometres around each of said islands, they
being obliged by the terms of the contract
to place buoys to indicate the limits, and
to employ at least two-thirds Mexican
labor
The rent paid by them goes into the
Mexican Treasury through the Custom.
house Of La Pass per ton for all the
shells they fish up during the first three
years whether they contain pearls or not
and SO per ton during the remainder Of
the contract time. As all the pearl shells
that can possibly be obtained sell readily
at SO or SD per hundred pounds, these
alone pay the rent and the entire cost OF
the fishing, leaving the pearls for clear
profit. Though the Government realizes
handsomely on the renting of these islands,
the lucky firm is amassing colossal fortunes,
without the risk of danger to themselves
The divers, who are mostly Yaqui In.
dams from the State of Sonora, across the
gull, are engaged by the fortunate few who
now monoplize the fisheries, some on the
GRUB stake" plan, as practiced by North
ern miners-that is, they are paid a GER.
tain percentage of the result of theil
labdFS, and nobody else is allowed to take a
single pearl-shell from these waters.
LOUD MURMURs OF Discomfort
Are heard all around the California coast
and especially among the old-time fishers
for this enuroachment on their ancient
rights. They claim that unless the Gov,
ernment puts some limitary clause to it.
concessions. the fsb sSies will be ruined
irretrievably because the fields will be
overrun, and the real germs of the industry
the delicate mother-ofpearl, destroyed
The latter, from which springs the pearl.
oyster, is small shell, seldom more than
two inches long, composed of layers Of
pearl fabric The careless divers crush
these germs with their leaden shoes-and
especially is this the case when they are
working on percentage and trying to secure
a large quantity Of oysters regardless Of
consequences.
The firm of Gonzalez & Ruffo send to
Europe every year from fifty to eighty
thousand dollars worth of pearls Their
house of general merchandise in La Paz
wholesale, retail and commission, is con.
Quoted after the manner of Mexican mer-
chants who keep every reliable commodity
under one roof, from silks to picked
shrimps, molasses and hardware, saddles,
wines, artificial flowers, etc
Nearly every poor little shop or tienda,
whose entire stock in trade might be toted
off on a wheelbarrow, will bring out OF
some dark corner to a possible purchaser,
q little pasteboard box of pearls. or few
rare beauties tied up in rag, for which
they want a most exorbitant price. /
know man-an ignorant boor, who prob
ably never had in his life what would be
considered at the North a full square
meaf-who wears in the front of his soilei
calico shirt three magnificent pearls, large
as good.sized peas, perfectly matched in
size and color. He says it took wears of
search TO find the three precisely alike,
and that he has
REFUSED SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS
For the set. A foolish man, l think you
will all agree, when 1900 would set up
for life Mexican of his class.
They tell us that the best year of
modern times at the fisheries was that OF
lSSl--though why the gems should be
more plentiful at one time than another
none can tell During that year many
were obtained of extraordinary size and
great value. Among them was black
one weighing % carats, which sold in
Paris for ten thousand dollars. In 1882 an
extremely lucky diver, named Napoleano
Savin found two treasures, weighing re-
spectiyely 81 and As carats, which to-
gether brought eleven thousand dollars.
During 1888 several notable specimens
were found. Among them was a light
brown pearl, lecked with darker shades,
which weighed 65 carats, and sold for eight
thousand dollars Another foupd hv S,y,;,