Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1898-04-04
!HEISTHEPEARLKING
FsoMsAMuEL HARRIS OF CALIFORNIA
WON THIS TITLE.

EassSheII Market of America and Europe
1t An Interesting Trade With Natives OF
Pacific Islands.
(. 1t is not generally known that one
single merchant, a young Californian,
33 years of age, controls the pearl and
pearl she'll market of America and Eu-
rope. This monarch of the pearl trade
lis Samuel Harris. He operates 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. Thou
sands 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 transactions has
made the private mark of Harris
namely, a diamond inclosing large Fl
IA seal of international Importance and
"a guarantee of genuine kingship.
Harris gathers his gems exclusively
IN tho 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 be
employed in pearl fishing he stimulated
them from passivity to great activity,
gaining their confidence and trust by
honest and reliable barter. He never
naade promises to them that he did not
keep. He paid them in full the price
which they demanded Himself fin
dshed critic, ii 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.
It is said that Harris has been 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,
ldealistic temperament, they appealed
III romantic, poetic way To him each
translucent globale seemed like tear
frpn the weird eyes of an earth be-
Witehed mermaid. They were silent to-
kens of the water maid S grief, she who
perhaps pined for terrestrial lover.
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 threats,
sYch treasures as would have made
society queen turn pale with envy. Then
Harris made his first business trip to
Tahiti, and be took with him So,
worth of merchandise. His burden con-
sisted mainly Of tobacco, knives, rope,
fshhooks and articles of clothing
These were Injuries to the native Tahi-
tite, and the pearl trader brought back
that year in exchange for his merehan
disc fully $40, 900 worth Of pearls and
pearl shells. He did not consider it
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
- o,,c Tli
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-
citement and uncertainty attend the
fishing as surround the tireless chase
for gold or the determined digging in
diamond mine
There is the same labor and the oft
repeated disappointment Now and then
n 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 of
its kind ever snatched from the fathom
less ocean. Harris brought it ON his last
recent voyage to San Francisco. After
careful examination it was found to be
absolutely perfect, having a weight of
six carats. 1t is valued in the London
market at e150,
Since 1894 Harris has revolutionized
Che trade in pearl shells Only one
grade ever found its way to the manu-
facturers of pearl she'll ornaments and
gewgaws. 1t was generally she'll that
was chin, f1aky and eolorless and sold
for $500 ton. This energetic young
pearl king now exports four different
grades or Tarieties ranging in value