The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-02-28

~, uSIiluS auoipuus, W al tuat ABOVE
! vow I'll not lose the- ii something there i,
To drive out catarrh and sweeten a kiss
PEARL HUNTERS.
ssarsAi,g he Broeks fer the Treasures
Hiddea By Fresh water CLANS.
ls may not be generally known b.
lovers Of pearls that . large number
Of them are found yearly in the
mountain streams and meadow brooks
Of Connecticut and are sold at a good
round sum. says the Boston Globe
Such Is the case. however and
though this species Of pearl Is not
found a. beautifully as arc the ex-
quisitely tinted pearls found in the
oysters Of the Island of Ceylon. there
are . large number of men and boys
in the Connecticut Valley who have
for years materially increased their
income by pearl hunting.
The best known and most successful
pearl hunter in Connecticut is Ira
Chapel lie Is the fourth generation
Of Chapels born and bred in the val
Icy. and he Is nc iuainted with every
stream. ledge and foot Of ground
within q radius OF twenty miles OF
Hamburg. which has always been his
homo.
He began pearl hunting when he
was . small boy. and every spring no
wades certain streams known to him
to be pearl bearers" and usually
winds up the season with from 500 70
IQnn ,wNreh IF tho ~o1ruhl>~
He hunts pearls during April and
May il the winter has been . mild one.
He il very careful to keep from other
hunters the knowledge Of where he
has the best success When he leaves
home IN the spring he goes in the
night ana does not return until he
mas gone over all the streams depend
ing upon the farmers for food and
shelter.
The pearls are found In what Is gen.
orally known as the fresh water
clam" In shape this resembles tho
saltwater clam and is Of about the
same size Tho outside Of the shell
Il brown and on the inside there arc
many beautiful tints.
II somewhat resembles the abalone
she'll OF the Pacific in coloring and
when polished ID very beautiful.
Tho meat Of this clam is not palat-
abla In some streams especially those
running over pebbly courses these
CLANS are found in great quantities
Tho pearl hunter OF experience can
easily tell BY shape and size which
CLANS to gather. These he picks up
with his fingers where the depth Of
the water will permit II he cannot
reach the bottom Of tho stream with
his hand he has q pair Of pronged
tonRs made especially for that work
with which he deity lifts the clam
out
The hunter wears heavy oil or
rubber jacket and high up on his
back is strapped a basket capable Of
holding half q bushel Of clans He
seldom gathers moro than a peck Of
clans on hunt extending over six or
seven wccks and many Of the pearls
found in these are SO small As TO DO
valuelesa The hunter keeps the
CLAIMS wet which preserves their liv cs
until his hunt Is ended. when he
brings them homo and spreads them
on the roof Of an 0utn0uso or some
surface exposed 10 the sun.
Tho flesh putrifes in . few days
and when 10 this state the CLANS are
washed with salt water Then tho
water is turncd OF and the shreds Of
6esh are carefully searched for tho
pearls.
IL II not IN unusual occurrence for
farmers Who have fed their fowls on
raw clans to 6nd 10 their craws pearls
Of various sizes and such farmers
never kill n fowl without carefully
searching Its crop
During the summer months the
streams are ranged by boys who
gather all the clans they find in tho
hope Of getting valuable one They
sometimes are successful. but not
often. for the pearl bearing clam Is
found most beautifully in certain To-
calities; and the experienced pearl
Lun,er will not give away their
aocreta
Pearls are not found as beautifully
~ they were fifteen years ago. Then
pearls were often found that sold for
as or $50.
Many pearls are found Of the size
Of \ pin-head. These are too small
10 be Of much value and are thrown
away.
The most valuable ones arc Of the
size Of An ordinary pea The value Of
4 pearl depends however. more upon
its color than upon its siza The
smallest ones found are usually very
shadowy and look like a smoked pearl
button that has not boon polished
The largest and most valuable ones
are lighter in color. and when polished
possess beautiful iridescenca
1t i. a good thing for the rest OF