The times., 1898-08-14
AMERICAN PEARL FISHERIES
What a Wisconsin District
Yielded in Eight Years.
SOME SPLENDID FINDS MADE
Excitement That Followed Each
Discovery of a Fine PcarI-A New
Jersey. Specimen Sold to the EN-
press LugeRfe and Now Worth
Ten Thousand Dollars.

The fresh water pearl fisheries Of the
United States, which have passed through
many UPS and downs, are discussed at
length in a paper by George f. KurtZ
of Tiffany & Co, read before the Fishery
Congress at Tampa, Fla, and published
in the Fishing Gazette. 1t is not by any
means new industry, for many pearls
have been found in the MOUNDS; but its
modern development dates back only for
ty years. and early travellers among many
Indian tribes reported fine pears seen
10y them.
But although pearls were known TO ex-
ist no particular attention was given to
the fresh water pearl fisheries in this
country, Notwithstanding that in the riv-
ers of Saxony and Bohemia and those of
Scotland and Ireland and the lakes of
FInIaE11. such pearls have long been
known and valued Not until the middle
of the present century was any search De-
gun OF any important discovery made.
This was all changed, however, by the
first great pearl excitement in 1857, when
large and valuable Unio pearls were first
obtained in New Jersey. First, pearl of
fine luster. weighing ninety-three grains
was found at Notch Brook. near Peterson
1t became known as the "Quesn Pearl"
and was sold by Tiffany & Co. to the En-
press Eugene Of France for 81, 800. 1t is
today worth four times that amount. The
news of this sale created such an excite
ment that search for pearls was started
throughout the country. The Unios at
Notch RrOoLy nd ali
by the million and destroyed, often with
little or no result. A large round pearl,
Weighing 400 grains. which would un-
uouDtedly have been one of the finest
pearls OF modern times, was ruined by
boiling to open the shell.
Nlthin one year pearls were sent to the
New York market from nearly every
State: in 1857 fully $4,000 worth In 1855
1T fell off to some $1,000; in 1859, about 81
600: in 1860, about s1,500; in 1S60-G3, only ST.
500. The excitement thus abated until
about 1863 when there was a slight re-
vival of interest, and many fine pearls
were obtained from Little Miami River,
Ohio
Some of the finest American pearls that
were next found came from near Waynes-
vile, Ohio. 100000 worth being collected
In that vicinity during the pearl excite
ment of 1876. Since 1880 pearls have come
iIoHi comparatively new uiStr1ctS, turther
west and SOUTH the supply from which is
apparently on the increase. At first few
were found, or, rather. few were looked
for, west of Ohio. but gradually the line
extended, and Kentucky Tennessee and
Texas became the principal pearl-produc-
ing States, and some pearls were sent
north from Florida.
few years later the interest extended
to the Northwestern States. During the
summer of 1889 a quantity of magnificent
ly colored pearls were found in the
creeks and rivers of Wisconsin. in BeIoit,
Rock County: Boscobel and Petosi, Grand
County: Prairie du Chen and Lynxville.
Crawford County. OF these pearls more
than $4,000 were sent to New York with
in three months, including single pearl