The Portland daily press., 1897-09-01
ARKANSAS PEARL STORIES.
Scores of Gems Picked Out of the
Lakes and Creeks.

Found in the Mussels Dug Out of the Mud
Everybody Hunting Them-Murphy
and Walker Lakes the Great Fisheries
-Searcy's Row with Raid Knob-Wil-
liam's Lively Struggle.
New York Sum-
Memphis, Aug. 2S-People in Arkansas
are telling wonderful stories about dis
coyeries of pearls nowadays. Not long
ago an elderly woman was at. Murphy
Lake with some neighbors and friends.
all of whom were wishing for large gems,
when she looked down and said, Here S
one of the things" She received an offer
of SIS for it on the spot. A Mr.. Kelley
who Lives near Bald Knob remembers
when his children in getting mussels for
fish bait often found "inside the shells
and used them for marbles. But to the
average gatherer the labor of getting them
is worth all they will bring in the market.
1t may seem an easy thing to do to gather
mussels and open them and secure their
gems, but it is not when all the surround
ipgs are considered.
A correspondent of The Sun visited the
White county pearl fisheries ! last week.
To begin with, very few places where
the mussels are found in large quantities
are accessible. To reach them means
long rides over the toughest roads in the
United States. Bald Knob was head
quarters. The nearest pearl lakes were
Murphy and Walker, which are connected
by narrow stream. At the present time
there is so much drift in the stream and
be padded from one to the other, but has
to be pulled over the driftwood. To reach
these lakes from Bald Knob neeessita ties
ten mile ride over the toughest road
that four wheeled vehicle was ever
driven. The wheels do not make COM
plete revolution without one or more run
ming over a stump or root. There are
deep "chuck holes that threaten to
swallow up the travellers. The long,
flexible limbs of the underground and the
stiff, stubby boughs of the hickory. slap
the passengers in the face and try to drag
them out of the buggy. There is some
recompense in this ride in viewing the
beauties of the woodland. The sumacs
and the black gum are hanging their
scarlet banners on their bending branches
and the wild wood flowers are in all their
glory. %
the pearl fisheries is reached. Murphy
and Walker lakes are beautiful bodies of
water, bordered by cypress and other
Southern lowland woods. Murphy Lake
Is two miles long and 800 feet wide at the
widest place. Walker Lake is only about
a mile long, but is much deeper, being
from fifteen to eighteen feet now at low
water. Murphy lake is very much
waded in safety. George G. Griffith of
Bald Knob owns the lakes. When it was
found that musseis abounded there, and
that some valuable gems had been taken
from them, j. J. Williams of Memphis,
who CHANGED to be there on pleasure
trip, hunting and fishing, leased the lakes
for Ii term of five years, and at once put
force Of men to work. The divers and
waders are paid 81 so for six hours work
1t takes a man of strong constitution and
one predisposed to work to stand this
work, for it is very hard and trying. The
lakes are filled with malarial poison. A
few days continuous wading brings on
low malarial fever, and several have died
from its effects. The waters give the
ilesA pecuiIar anu Eory uuppeAseauo 1881
ing, as. though one were bathing in a
strong solution of copperas. There are
springs peeping out around the banks
that are yellow with iron.
The mussels are mbedded in the mud
and are taken out by hand. In little
time the finger tips feel rough and harsh.
But in spite of these discomforts there is
no scarcity of pearl hunters, and most of
them have been rewarded with what they
deem fair return for the time invested.
Mr.. Williams has more than paid the
wages of the men employed and the
amount of his lease, besides the expenses
of building dredge for further use in
searching for pearls. The banks are
thickly covered with the shells. as though
paved for driving. Mr.. Williams has sold
several Thousand dollars worth of pearls
besides those he has had made into prna-
ments for his friends.
A Mr. Smith of West Point is farmer,
and started a crop. He was too poor to
get supplies, and the merchants would
not credit him. He went fishing, and in
getting mussel for bait found pearl
which he sold for $50. Thus encouraged
he hunted for more pearls, and has up to
pearls in Seven Mile Lake, which is fur
Their south than the Murphy and Walker
lakes.
Mr. Parrow, merchant of Bald Knob
bought two pearls for IS each and sold
them for $3.50.
A Mr.. Thomas has sold 81 800 worth of
pearls taken out of Little Red River.
George and Elisha Osborne have sold
$500 worth of pearls. One pearl brought
$3.50. Some of their pearls were from
Murphy Lake and many were from Wood
ruff Lake.
The Sims brothers, three in number,
have sold $500 worth of pearls. John Sims
made $s5 the second day he worked. They
have taken out the Lentire amount since
June 10.
Govan Edwards had pearl one day
last week he asked $40 for and then
dropped it under the sidewalk. He after
ward found it and sold it for $40.
T. T. brennan showed the reporter a
beautiful pearl as large as pea, but egg
shaped. This he valued at SIS. He has
sold 1920 worth of pearls. He lives at
Russell. s6fis
j. e. Diehl, who lives on the bank of
Murphy Lake, gathered and sold 1926
worth of pearls, and has not worked
more than five days. He also has ten
pearls in New York he has not heard
from, and several small ones he has not
offered for sale.
The list might be drawn out indefinite