Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-08-05
THEPEARLKING
HOW SAMUEL HARRIS OF CALIFORNIA
WON THIS TITLE.

He Now Controls h Pearl and Pearl
Shell Market of America and Europe.
An Interesting Trade With NATIVES Of
Pacific Islands.
It is not generally known that one
single merchant, II young Californian, |
80 years Of age, controls the pearl and
pearl she'll market of America and Eu-
rope. This monarch of the pearl trade
is Samuel Harris. He operates i'll the
Pacific ocean, and he has built up au
astounding commercial reputation in
the course Of eight years. There are
plenty Of cattle kings i'll the west and
wheat kings i'll the east and money
kings everywhere, but there is only one
pearl king, and that is Harris. Thou
sands of rare, translucent gems are
brought to this country aud shipped to
Europe by his agents. He deals in
mother of pearl shells by the ton, and
the magnitude Of his transactions has
made the private mark of Harris
namely, IL diamond inclosing a large II
"a seal of international importance 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 business. 1t was
on the shores of Tahiti that first he
earned his title of king. After repeated
transactions with the natives whom he
employed il pearl fishing he stimulated
them from passivity to great activity,
gaining their confidence and trust by
honest and reliable barter. He never
made promises to them that he did not
keep. He paid them in full the price
which they demanded. Himself q fin
ished critic, Il connoisseur, he never
permitted them to o%vervalue 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 has been a lover
Of these delicate gems since his boy
hood. Pearls have always been to him
the most mysterious, the most wonder
full, the most beautiful handiwork Of
nature. To him, gifted with an artistic,
idealistio temperament, they appealed
in q romantic, poetic way. To him each
translucent giobule seemed like q tear
from the weird eyes of an earth be-
witched mermaid. They were silent to.
kens of tho water maids grief, she who
perhaps pined for "a terrestrial lover.
Finally young Harris took q pleasure
voyage to the distant Society isles aud
saw what made his enthusiastic eyes
bulge in their sockets. He saw native
children playing along the sands with
the richest pearls he had eve seen; he
saw the native bellies passing by with
ropes of pearly gems about their threats,
such treasures as would have made a
society queen turn pale with envy. Then
Harris made his first business trip to
Tahiti, and he took with him So, 900
worth of merchandise. His burden con-
sisted mainly Of tobacco, knives, rope.
fishhooks and articles Of clothing.
These were luxuries to the native Tahi-
lite, and the pearl trader brought back
that year in exchange for his merchan-
disc fully $40, 900 worth Of pearls and
pearl shells. He did not consider it a
bad bargain. and he has been back very
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 translucent whiteness or glim.
mering iridescence. They are finely
symmetrical in form, and the best are
generally pear shaped. like a falling
star. The hunt for these beauties Of the
deep goes on necessarily. The same ex.
element and uncertainty attend the
fishing as surround the tireless chase
for gold OF the determined digging in q
diamond mine.
There is the same labor and the of
repeated disappointment. Now and then
q great surprise is brought up by the
fearless pearl diver. That compensates
for all the rest. Lately it was an i'm
mense black pearl, the handsomest oi
its kind ever snatched from the fathom'
less ocean. Harris broughtit on his las
recent voyage to San Francisco. Aftel
careful examination it was found to b,
absolutely perfect, having q weight O
six carats. It is valued in the Londol
market at e150.
Since 1894 Harris has revolutionizet
the trade in pearl shells. Only ont
grade yer found its way to the manu-
facturers Of pearl shell ornaments ant
gewgaws. It was generally shell tina
was thin, flaky and colorless and sol,
for $500 a ton. This energetic youni
pearl king now exports four differen
grades or varieties. ranging in valu
from 5000 to $1,000 a ton.
All shells are purchased in bulk iron
the native fishers. They bring dow,
aheir hauls of shell to the young king
schooner as it lies in port, fretting rest
) lessly against the side Of the rude piers
They bring down their find here for tn
kings inspection. He sits in state an,
passes Judgment. Harris can tell at
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