The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-14
RICH NUTM WATERS.
BRAND-NEW ENTERPRISES TO DRAW
MONEY FROM THEM.


Pearl RnkinR, Agate Gathering. ana Running
Sand Through n Corn shelter "-Eeia In
such Masses That They Arc Almost = Post
Acres or Goldfish Just waiting to Bo Caught.
STONY CREEK. Conn, Nov. 13.-Connecticut
is proving to be something Of a Klondike this
fall. Her citizens are finding money in her
waters, after a fashion, so far out Of the usual
as to excite universal surprise.
{. Caswoll, an old fox hunter Of Ledyard,
started the ball Of prosperity last month by his
exploits as n pearl raker. After reading the re-
cent accounts OF the finds OF valuable pearls in
Arkansas he began prospecting for pearls about
the headwaters of the Mystic River In New
London county. He passed a number of weeks
in gathering fresh.water mussels, and out of his
catch he took sonSo fine pearls. ono OF which he
has sold for $500. Two others of the collection
have been appraised at $500 apiece. Caswell is
still searching for pearls.
Up in Litchfleld county Arlo Kinney, living
near Steep Rock. has recently taken n number
Of very good pearls from the mussels on tho
shores of the Shepaug River, below Roxbury.
He has sold n few of his pearls. some of which
were Of the desirable pear shape. although small
in size. lilo is following the pearl fishery dill
gently, and, to use his own words. no believes
that he has discovered something better than
the Klondike right here in the Shepaug Valley"
Kinney does not boil or crack the mussels in
order to get their shells open. He prizes the
mussel shells slowly apart with q peculiarly
shaped pair of pincers, and il no trace OF a pearl
is to DO found he puts the mussels back in tho
water in the hope of getting pearls from them
eventually. Many of the country people have
been excited by these discoveries, and oysters
and clans are being torn open and frcsh-watcr
brooks being raked over with considerable on
thusiasm by amateur pearl hunters. Some of
the newspapers arc printing directions as to the
best way to hunt for pearls. The New London
Day. in abiding to the subject, says:
Has the discovery of pearls at Mystic excited
any desire for wealth in thceY Then 60 to the
side OF the purling brook. SOM shy pearl mol
lusk may cough q s.. 500 gem into thy itching
palm, gentle reader" In the course Of its article
the Day explains that there was quite a general
excitement over pearl raking In the United
States in 1856. when a pearl found in a fresh
water mussel in New Jersey was sold by n New
York firm of jewellers to the Empress Eugene
for 1880 francs. The pearls in frcsh-water
mussels are the only ones of value, locally.
Those found in oysters and CLANS are worth
little or nothing.
Henry Petit, who is living at the Thimble
Islands, of here, and Is one of the most expert
wing shots in that duck haunted archipelago.
has boon gathering agatcs from the agate
beaches off Goose and Plum islands this last
season. Plum Island is on the south shore of
Long Island Sound, nearly opposite Saybrook.
Petit collects tho stones for a New York jcwclry
house. 1t Is said, but he processes not to know
what use Is bcing made of them. In good
weather he sails to the beaches in a
small sloop and stays there for several
days when possible. pi king up only the
round. thin. clear agates and fne-grained
stones which foreverare washed back and forth
by tho pounding surf from the ocean. On the
IInnN VllanI -nAA Eaan ,rLs- l. -
pebbles are piled in great winrows and are
rolled and ground against one another so inccs.
sanity. that they become very smooth and
thin from the attrition. Tons of them are
sometimes stacked in heaps several feet in
swept AVA again by he next wave. and other
tons OF fresh, glittering; and beautiful gems
brightest Of yellows, reds, and puppies among
the fnc.grained stones. He has sent a number
at the Thimblos who know him say that the
stones are ground into various shapes and
h his sloop, IN a }H%fif bisi& an do sha and fo tMo has Ss nsIa Ie
breech.loading shoteuns aimee he went into
agate gathering last spring.
more generally followed and very remune.ative.
Is the harvesting OF tho remarkable eel crop this
ever before, The water is feii' Of eels. Last
GUNNER resldents along the tidal streams Of the
cells. some OF the schools being very large and ali
OF them moving along as II Sattallons OF an
army; In many cases these companies were
in tho season tho cells were seen swim
ming back again toward the salt water. None
of the old eel fishermen could give a satisfactory
The part Of these slippery fish. but all predicted
fall, and they are. The eel ilshermSen have al,
ready caught and sold thousands of dollars
been swarming together to go up stream to bed
Tor ne winter IN the soft blankets Of mud
30 mHny OF thanl TINT in Rnnln HnHaa they y in
t%ertering with the comfort and progress of the
the n"% coId 'S weather. IN o. q 3 few w Nights sG sin rnst aroTc
great. masses OF them into the turbine water
wheels, OF the Derby electric light plant on tho
which supply. electricity for the lights and
trolley cars In Derby, Birmingham, and shelton.
was weakened gradually before the cause OF the
81 much reduced that Superintendent
engine kept for emergency duty About, a
bottom OF the canal below tho dynamo plant and
as the water grew colder they worked in q body
into the warmest spots to DO found, which, are
the wheel pits under the turbines. From there
they work their way into the wheels. They go
into the wheels only in the evening. cOnseq uent-
~ II has thus far boon necessary to run tho
emergency engine only at that time. Tho SUI
perintendent up to The present time mas been Ablo
10 clear the wheels by stopping them completely
ana then opening he water gates quickly Inc
Derby fishermen have taken hundreds OF pounds
o. cells out from under the wheels and the sup
ply has been 30 abundant that the price has
fallen from 10 cents q pound 70 almost nothing.
Ansel Il. Brooks, AZ lirook3's Mill, Long Cove,
has had the most trouble OF all with The masses
OF cells. The first frosty night Of the season
they clogRed up his turbines in such numbers
that they had to be punched out with sticks be-
fore the wheels could be started again. The
since, and Mr.. Brooks 10 praying for winter