New-York tribune., 1890-07-13
ABALONE STORIES.
WHERE THEY FOUND \ LITTLE SHOE


~lr rrarc.,co. June 80
There is a saloon on Nctrcy =. san Francisco
which keeps in showcase am abaionn -h"n. II Is
large about the size Of man two on'~prad hdhP''
end IN ,he coutro of pe'rly arcreion~ takes to
shape of haAy'S shoe. IN" story that year aI'
uttIo child iu Narn County wandered down 10 me
beach ,i.ppcd boz sctIccu the rp,l-. md was cau-h
Ly the cruel mollu,h which closed aci>; the tiny shoe
and cruucd II close 70 tn rock. Year, after. when
cycryonc but the mother had forgotten he story ana
hc sat by the hre>dc with srownup daughters ahod'
cr some ahaiouc fisher found the curious Rel ana
uut /, on exhibition in the window o his c4Hn. lhr"
the mother saw IT, and fastening forward. brought The
other little shoe which she had found cast up oI tA'
! ,,de ON tina, dreadful day ~l"u ~he sought up and
down th, hca, n vain for her child Tn"y placed Il
beside IN, wriukled she'll and every on" present Hi
tered CRY of surprise. startling wa the rSom
blancc Aferward chemist cit deity into the BRIGHT
nacr If the mass and found traces OF lea'h"r wrapped
in its shining folds. There the lost baby little N1oe
! lie, hidden and changed q PcorL
The chinese and italian fishermen who live on the
sand roorcd bay, Of the mighty clG Of th" coast from
cane N,rdociuo ,o,ii Inward 10 Point Conception know
tnc ab,loac thorouehy. and they never d"spl>c The
muscular grip Of lprc" one. They carry pointed
bars of iron WIKI which to ply them of the roct- ar
low tide, they cu them of the hllf-Shcli. for ,h'
,bolouc +, a "univayc mpnl~s." - as rh" phrlN'
OF tho professor of natural h'~tor. ana th'N 'f'
| them for dilucr. or dry Them "r mar-et. Huj iHy
seldom venture 10 ,toop m a cr,upci position d''u
! rho rock ortvicc> to pluck ctut aha.o'r from H'
! holI without having tic iron handy Thr'" or for;
! time, the body of drowned h-h 'rnan Wh" ucl tA''
once too often. ha, h,'n swept ashore d'v "r t""
! Later. when the iaoliusl, released lis hold. "o'''
down at Point sur. Chiuoolau va. drowned in th''
way and the rc-t OF tho n,'r- D. DE-" Vi 60 OF h"'N
/ hut, under rh. y How Ella d',cr"l the pl1 "tHl
| a week They said that the ghost of a." l Coma
! man had turned INT" an ahalon". and Womb ~.'A
another ana another victim Uu'i tho last II h~ rom
| rad, wee dead rode ~ r2t day "iH %
friend and ,aS them pile tlc dead Chromtn> clothes
| and belongings on 'hc leach aul lHrn tl'r. Ia
! they put a scu IN Chinese on fhc top ot Oh" ''''
! ard. as | hav" hoard mo- Chiraman ha> ever '.n''
yen'Urcd 70 t-h IN that cove.
| Polished aba!onc shells. and ornament made H''
| the button, Of pearl" vh..h every hr-' she'll '''
| tone are very common 30 california, hH' 'H' -''
| little I'm these DAYS II the od native Californian Us
Of them on elddl", and brides. II % 'aii"' ''I
too poor 10 sport pounds of silver on hrd!' i'' ''
,qadle leather he coud az least wcar al1i'u' 'ri''"
| poi,hcd hy hand. The shells. t"". W'i' '"l"
far inland and used ON hnudrcl> of ran DE-, 'i ''' %
homclv purposes ~ soap dishes ard caadl" holder
p and down the coast. In Willow 'op~"~ OBJ -'t 'N
seas of tulc are the ancient Kitchen N"''h.
| where mingled with clam and oN-tyr Shells '"" '
,lalouc She'll, often form hr greater part OF th' ','
mound Of dch,is Inland. too. tH the valley where
Indian, once lived. ahalour ,hct are found. carried
there ages ago. The ahaonc must haze I't '''
of the principal food resource, ot th" t'I..'rI"
| coast Indians. aad wa probably exchanged hN ll ll
for the acorls and pine nuts Ldthc"ci h\ the l'""'
! NJ the interior.
The ahalonc +, fast disappearing. IN" 'hnaWHn
! has conquered The p"ohi, ot tl" modest m'hlrN'
when dried and shipped to China Top The -onp 'i t'
| rich merchants and high official di-uittltr ~ ll'
| Eniplrr are great that hc pursued summer a'i
winter and thousands Of tons of him have been dried
| sacked and shipped away. There arr lnt '"N large
| ahalonc~ lett one can hud Wdvr worn Shells "n ih'
beach or IN the dee? limestone cave. t'at uo l..'i
than any now obtained. You vii! ~'ill inG thousand
OF about the size and shape of e grntl'uIHe "d''h
crystal. but the shell, HAT cl-hi inches "'l''
only turn up at ra!r intervals and aic uuth -'"-h
for by COLLECTORS, and JcWcll"r, who huoW their beauty
| when polished There are two sorts OF ao1ionrN "l
! the California coast black the outside. tr
! other red. When his oUtcr she'll f. ground partly
through the effect i either black red. a~ ic cast
| may be-. 4 rcarlV ground. The aoJlou" pms 1u'
sleeve buttons that contain bin" -h1d'~ CON
from the pearl buttons ia The black haCh u ahaipu"
while those that contain silvciy and gray 'n'S, cOn'
from the button, IN The red backed species,