The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-07-20
A FORTUNE IN A CLAM.

New York World.
"Say, Twas on the crossing at Sixty
third street and Third avenue Thurs
day last" said big Policeman News
chatter, as he sat in the back room OF
Pantata Strauss station house on
East Sixty-seventh street yesterday
Occasionally he would breathe hard
as he told the story. He was excited
very much so.
II was on the crossing, as / said"
he went on, "sceing that the children
from the public school didn't get run
over, when two clam huckstcrs, with
whom have dealt for four or five
years, drove their wagon along and
asked me if they should deliver the
usual number of clans at my house.
No: it's too hot, says. Wen make
it an object they said. Wen give
you forty for a quarter No bell
noses for me. II you've got small
ones for the half-shell III go yOu,' ]
says. So forty little Rockaways were
put in my refrigerator.
"At l2:45 Sunday morning l got
home and thought I'd read the news
paper and eat a few clans before !
went to bed. got dozen, and the
second one l opened paralyzed me.
My appetite for clans had vanished.
| found in it a splendid pearl. It's d
corkcr-say,' and Policeman News
chatter drew long breath.
"Thc clam found it in was young
one, and its shell had crcvlces on botl
sides of it. The other thirty-eight
CLAIMS are ice-boX now" NewschafTel
built Il few castles in the air at thi.
point, and when he returned from tht
r clouds went on:
II saw the hucksters again to-day
v What kind of clans were those 70,
y gave me?' l says looking ticrcely al
t them. why, you found them sweet
didn't you?' they says. Sweet enough
f to suit me; Id like to get Il few more
= like Them | says. Then l showed
them the pearl 'Whew" one says
I have opened a thousand clans be
fore | sold them, and my father dit
u the same before me, but never fount
a pearl bigger'n a small pea. II
never take no chances again will
. clans with creyces on the shells.
e That's what's worrying the peddlcrs
e and l guess it'll drive 'em to drink"
Newschafler who lives on No. 76
r Madison avenue, has the pearl LOCKED
v up in a box at his home. He took
is to Robert Lambert, OF the jewelr
d firm of Lambert Bros, FOrty-eightl
street and Third avenue, yesterday
y Mr.. Lambert opened his eyes II
o amazement when he saw it. This i
,a ,' what he said according to pOlicema
10 Newschaffer
"Why, a years pay wouldn't bu
III III the pearl" he began. "It's the bie
" gest / ever saw. Let's see. The to
>. surface is perfectly round. The bac
,s is fat. 1t is on the order of wha
they call a button II the back Col
" responded with the front it would b
). an exact sphere. Its lustre Is yer
m fine. 1t is without blemisll or in
n. perfection. 1t weighs a triile Owe
'e sixty-fivc grains and is one OF TIL
largest pearls in existence. 1t
z. worth somewhere in the neighbOrhoo
of $1,000"
tn The exact value Mr.. Lambert sal
is bit would be difficult to determine. 4!
he perts would doubtless disagree. Cur
~ osity-seekers, those people who wal
something that no one else has an
u cannot be duplicated, determine IL
prices Of such things.
N Newschaffer has day of to-da
y He Is going TO take his find dow
among the precious-stone sharps
Q /! Maiden Lane. II it Is as good
cd Jewclev Lambert declares 1t Is, the
he will be wine for the off-platoon
m Pantata Strauss station. II 1t is
re base counterfeit, NewschafIer wi
ne ask to be transferred to Morrisania.
on - >o-
be There Is only one real failure In II