San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-27
sALVI SAVES HIS PEARLS.
The Story of a Fisherman Who
Nearly Lost the Gems He
EOund

u.
From the New York Times.
A reappraisement case of an unus-
ually interesting character has just
been decided by the Board Of General
Appraisers. IL involved the fixing Of
the value for dutiable purposes upon
several thousand unmounted pearls,
fresh from the fisheries. There was
more than a quart of the precious
specimens deep sea treasure, W hich
were contained in several packages
wrapped In jewelers. tissue paper and
carried in two silk handkerchiefs.
Louis L. Salvi, the importer, is a
native of the Island of Trinidad, and
is about As years old. He and his
son, who is about half his age, were
fishermen at Trinidad, and about two
years ago they determined to make q
strike for fortune. Getting together
all their possessions, they converted
them. into cash, and with the pro-
ceeds, about 5000, set out for the
Pacific coast where they had heard
fortunes were to be made in the pearl
fisheries.
At q small seaport near La Paz, on
the eastern shore of Lower California,
they bought.a sloop, which they fitted
out with the necessaries of their VEN
ture and with provisions for a pro-
longed stay. They sailed from La
Pax ia April of last year, and
proceeding southwark along the coast,
cd
northward to Bay Santa Magdalena,
which lies between Santa Magdalena
Island and the main land, where the
treasures of which they were In search
were said to exist in abundance. The
shores of the hay were ragged and
barren, and there we're only such
Installations as other pearl fishers had
rudely constructed for temporary
shelter.
Here the Salvis, father and son,
toiled along for over a year, living
entirely on board their little craft.
Occasionally band Of the Moquis
Indians would come down from their
haunts in the mountains, and If i'm
friendly humor could sometimes be
prevailed upon to bring down some
wild fruits, and now and then q goat,
orantelOpe or pheasant for sale. For
tune was variable. Many day the
dredges would be cast into the sea,
sail would be set, and the bay would
be dragged until the dredges
were full. Then they would
be hoisted on board, and the
laborious and anxious search for
the pearl each oyster was hoped to
contain would be made through the
entire heap without a single gem be-
ing found. Other days were more
fortunate in their results, aud there
were few when the harvest of large
and beautiful gems amounted to sey-
eral hundred dollars in value.
AT length, toward the close of Au-
gust last. the Salvis sailed away with
ihe result Of their labors tied securely
in two silk handkerchiefs. ! There
were three heaping double handful !
of the beautiful gems, most of them
very small, but goodly number of
large and valuable ones among them.
The pearl fishers felt that their labors
had not been in vain. In La Paz they
made quick disposition of their craft
at a sacrifice, and then they made
their way to their homes in Trinidad,
whence, after short visit, they came
10 New York to find market for
their pearls. They arrived in New
tober II, and for the purpose of pay
ment of duty they entered the pearls
as having cost $1,000, and to this adj
ded per cent for profit, supposing
that this would fulfill the legal re-
quirement, and that whatever valua-
ton the customs officers might put
upon the gems would not entail
penalty. The tariff law required the
entry of the pearls "at their market
value in the country or place of pro-
ductlonh and the payment of an ad
valorem rate of duty of 10 per cent
upon them. But there was no market
for the pearls in the place of produc-
tion, and consequently no market
value.
the local appraiser had never been
called upon to pass upon q case Of
this kind, and he accordingly sought
Information regarding the value of
the pearls from dealers in the city.
These said the gems were worth from
$4,000 to $4,000. The appraiser took
the lower figures and advanced the
declared value 100 per cent. The Sal
Wis were filled with CONSERVATION
over this action. 1t meant the confis-
cation of their property and their
utter financial ruin, for under section
of the CUE toms administrative law
for every l per cent increase in the
value of the pearls above 10 there
would have to be paid per cent in
duty. The increase was 80 per cent
above 10, aud the duty to be paid
would therefore be $50 per cent. An
appeal was taken to the Board of