The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-02-05
THEY CALL HIM THE PEARL
KING,

MIMI
A Young Californian's Interesting
Trade With Natives of Pacific ISL
ands.
1t is not generally known that one
single merchant, a young Californian,
thirty-two years of age, controls the
pearl and pearl shell market of Ameri-
ca and Europe. This monarch of the
pearl trade is Samuel Harris. He oper-
ates in the Pacific ocean, and he has
built UP an astounding commercial
reputation in the course of eight years.
There are plenty of cattle kings in the
west and wheat kings in the east, and
money kings everywhere, but there is
only one pearl king. and that is Harris.
Thousands of rare, translucent gems
are brought to this country and
shipped to Europe by his agents. He
deals in mother-of-pearl shells by the
ton, and the magnitude of his transac-
tons has made the private mark of
Harris, namely, a diamond inclosing a
large H, a seal Of international impor-
lance and a guarantee Of genuine
kingship.
| Harris gathers his gems exclusively
in the Society Islands. For eight
years he has made these Pacific land
spots the field of his interesting bust
ness. 1t was on the shores of Tahiti
that first he earned his title Of king.
After repeated transactions with the
natives whom he employed in pearl
fishing he stimulated them from pas
siyity to great activity, gaining their
confidence and trust by honest and re-
liable barter He never made promises
to them that he did not keep. He paid
them in full the price which they de-
manded. Himself a finished critic,
connoisseur, he never permitted them
to overvalue a pile of shells, and they
grew to admire him. He controlled
the situation at Tahiti. He was easily
king.
1t is said that Harris had been a low
er of these delicate gems since his boy
hood. Pearls have always been to him
the most mysterious, the most wonder
Iful, the most beautiful handiwork of
nature. To him, gifted with an artis-
tic, idealistic temperament, they APP
Ipealed in romantic, poetic way To
like tear from the weird eyes Of an
earth bewitched mermaid. They were
silent tokens of the water maids grief,
jshe who perhaps pined for terrestrial
Elover
Finally young Harris took pleasure
voyage to the distant Society Isles and
saw what made his enthusiastic eyes
bulge in their sockets. He saw native
children playing along the sands with
the richest pearls he had ever seen:
he saw the native bellies passing by
with ropes of pearly gems about their
i threats, such treasures as would have
made society queen turn pale with
envy. Then Harris made his first bus
mess trip to Tahiti, and took with him
three thousand dollars worth of ner-
chandise. His burden consisted main
ly of tobacco, knives, rope, fish hooks
and articles of clothing. These were
Injuries to the native Tahitite, and the
pearl trader brought back that year in
exchange for his merchandise fully
forty thousand dollars worth of pearls
and pearl shells. He did not consider
it bad bargain and he has been back
every year since
Formerly only the lowest grade
pearls were brought to the American
; market. The finer ones were retained
abroad and rarely ever found their
way this side of the water Harris
, has turned the tables, and now brings
to the San Francisco market the most
| perfect pearls found anywhere The
/, perfect stones are Orient and of trans
lucent whiteness or glimmering rides.
, cence. They are finely symmetrical ir
form and the best are generally pear
, shaped, like a falling tear. The hunt
for these beauties of the deep goes or
necessarily. The same excitement anc
; uncertainty attend the fishing as sur
round the tireless chase for gold or the
/. destemined digging in a diamond mine
There is the same labor and the oft
repeated disappointment. Now an6
: then a great surprise is brought up by
, the fearless pearl diver. That com.
, pensates for all the rest. Lately Il
was an immense black pearl, the hand.
/ soonest of it's kind ever snatched from
the fathomless ocean. Harris brought
/ it on his last recent voyage to Sar
Francisco. After careful examination
. it was found to be absolutely perfect
having a weight of six karats. 1t il
) valued in the London market at one
. hundred and fifty pounds sterling.
1 Since 1894 Harris has revolutionizet
the trade in pearl shells. Only one
grade ever found it's way to the manu-
factuters of pearl shell ornaments ant
, gewgaws 1t was generally shell tha
t was thin, flakey and colorless, and solo
for eight hundred dollars ton. Thi.
) energetic young pearl king now ex
{ ports four different grades or varieties
ranging in value from six to twelve
hundred dollars a ton.
} All shells are purchased in bulk from
= the native fishers. They bring dow
their lauls of shell to the young king,
Y schooner as it lies in port, frettins
: restlessly against the side of the rud
: piers. They bring down their find her
: for the kings inspection. He sits II
e state and passes judgment. Harri
Y can tell at a glance what pile o
$ shells is worth. He is an expert at de
= termining value, and he is shrewt
a buyer as WELL and has never permit
: ted the native experts to outdistanc
4 him in judgment. When a pile o
: shells is dropped before him he pick
$ UP one or two and runs his arm care
e lessly through the heap, and in mo
= ment can determine the grade, for tn