The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-22
oULTIVATING PEARLS.
sea Farm at Queensland Where
Many Varieties Are Raised.
From the San Francisco Can.


From the San Francisco Call.
James Clark of Queensland, Australia,
is the king of the pearl fishers and the
owner of the only pearl-shel farm in the
world.
Mr.. Clarlxis pearl7sheH farm is stocked
VITA. l51 Oi1 pea RI Shelf which he collected
from the deep sea waters. He believes
that he can grow pearls and shells 1t is
a new thing. Nobody has ever attempted
II before. Mr.. Clark is on a tour of the
fisheries
He has all the facts and figures concern
ing them at his finger tips. He is much
interested in the extensive pearl fisheries
IN the gulf of California, but, of course
only IN an abs tract way, as he has no
money invested in them.
The king of pearl fishers employs no less
than loo men and 25O vessels. OF the
army Of I, 500 men 25O are skilled divers.
Inc vessels used are of all sizes, the av-
erage cost of each being about 900.
nave been htteen years engaged in
pearl fishing" said Mr.. Clark last night
my fisheries are in the Torres Straits IN
the north Of Queensland. l began in a
small way, and have given the pearl fish
cries my close attention during all these
years. MY experience has led me to the
belief that, with proper intelligence in the
selection Of a place, one can raise pearls
and pearl smells as easily as one can raise
oysters but, of course to do this Won
must know how. l started a large pearl
shell farm three years ago, and have
SlOCheu IL WIFI Suell winch L obtained in
many instances far out at ocean, i'm the
deep water To grow shells SUCCESSFULLY
according to my experience, thus far the
water must not be too deep.
There is one thing l am sure of and
that is that, no matter how many pearls
are produced, the supply can never equal
the demand and therefore there is no
danger of any combine among the pearl
fishers of the globe. 1t is for the purpose
of finding out all can in regard TO the
pearl fisheries of the different parts of
the world that I have now set out on
this trip. keep pretty well informed in
regard to the pearl fisheries in all parts
Gulf of California is the biggest one on
the American continent, and practically
the only one, excepting that of the Gulf
of Mexico, below the Gulf.
Il want to get scientific partner in
connection with my pearl-shell farm 1
want a man who knows science and who
pearls and shells. This is one of the
other purposes Of my trip. With the big
fisheries on my hands and the new farm
which have started have rather more
to do than l can well attend to, so / need
an associate to look after the farm where
the new pearls are growing.
THE pearls that are grown in the Tor
res Straits are all of the color that you
see here. This beautiful silver pearl
which you see on my scarf is d good il
lustratiOn of the kind we can produce,
There is only one color, in fact, and 1t
is the most desired among purchasers.
This large oval pearl you may think some
unlnR abnormal IN us way, DuL We get
many of them. There is no question but
that the Torres fisheries produce the finest
pearls to be had. The market shows that.
They bring the highest prices"
Mr.. Clark is man Of medium hight
and middle age. He is said to be a multi
millionaire and to have acquired his CO.
lossal fortune since he began pearl fish,
ing a few years ago. He has a reddish
beard, a clear gray eye and a quiet, con-
fident way Of talking that Is very inter-
esting.
my pearl-shen farm" he continued
occupies a stretch of water ten miles
long and about five miles wide on the
edge of the Torres straits. The water
Is shallow, for 1t is only in this kind of
water that shells can be successfully
matured. Any experienced pearl fisher
shores whether or not he has the best
fishing ground.
IF the shores are high and rugged, it
indicates that the water is deep and cold
size there. Besides this ii is hard on the
divers in going down so deep for them.
'sWhere the shores are low and reced-
ing and the water warm there are to be
found the finest shells and the biggest
II ship my shells to London in my own
vessels. The shells are used for scores
of different purposes now and there -
a greater demand for them each year.
They go to London in my vessels by hum
@The pearls are marketed in London
and Paris mainly. The catch each year
runs. roughly speaking, from $4,000
worth up to almost five times that. There
is a constantly growing demand for them.
/ have been in the business long enough
to ascertain that for a certainty.
1T is because OF TINS thar am now
trying to make pearls and shells by my
farm, which ! have established and
stocked by a portion Of what l have
caught"