The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-26

/
1t is not generally known that -ous-s
single merchant, young California;
32 years of age, controls the pearl ansI
pearl shell market of America and Ku--
rope. This monarch of the pearl trade ),
is Samuel Harris He operates In the y,
| Pacific ocean, and he has built UP NJ =,
astounding commercial reputation in
the course of eight years. There art ~
| plenty Of cattle kings in the west. aDd
wheat kings in the east and money
kings everywhere, but there is only 0ne
| pearl king, and that is Harris. Thou
| sands of rare, translucent gems. are
brought to this country and shipped tSf-
Europe by his agents. He deals in
mother of pearl shells by the ton, naG
the magnitude of his transactions has
made the private mark of HaFris--
namely, diamond inclosing a large II
"a seal of international importance and
guarantee Of genuine kingship.
Harris gathers his gems exclusively
in the Society islands. For eight years
he has made these Pacific land spots tAt
field of his interesting business IL 81 AE.
on the shores Of Tahiti that first ne
earned his title of king. After repeated
transactions with the natives whom. ne
employed in pearl fishing he stimulated
them from passivity to great activity.
gaining their confidence and trust kJy--
made promises TO them that he did nofs,
keep. He paid them in full the prics9
which they demanded. Himself fD-
ished critic, connoisseur, he never
permitted them to overvalue a pile az
shells, and they grew to admire nina
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- hirra
the most mysterious, the most wonder
full, the most beautiful handiwork CT
nature. To him, gifted with an artistic
idealistic temperament, they appeaEe6
in romantic, poetic way. To him each
translucent globule seemed like a reayz
from the weird eyes of an earth be-
witched mermaid. They were silent to-.
kens of the water maids grief, she wbcn.
perhaps pinned for terrestrial lover
Finally young Harris took pleasure
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; ses
saw the native bellies passing by witt.
ropes of pearly gems about their throats>
such treasures as would have made "a.
society queen turn pale with envy. TlnerIa
Harris made his first business trip co,
Tahiti, and he took with him 81, COZ.
worth of merchandise. His bur1en eaD--
sisted mainly of tobacco, knives, rope
fishhooks and articles of clothing
These were luxuries 90 the native TahX--
tite, and the pearl trader brought bsccss-
that year in exchange for his merchaD--
disc fully $40, 600 worth of pearls srrGs
pearl shells He did not consider Is 81
bad bargain, and he has been back ysrv~
year since.
Formerly only the lowest grade pearls
were brought to the American market
The finer ones were retained abroad zDd =
rarely ever found their way this side 0f
the water. Harris has turned the takes
and now brings to the San Francisco
market the most perfect pearls foEasd
anywhere. The perfect stones are oriv1f
and of translucent whiteness or gl1D
mering iridescence. They are finely
symmetrical in form, and the best ar1
generally pear shaped, like q falltac
star. The hunt for these beauties Of ibe
deep goes on necessarily. The same ga
element and uncertainty attend nifSs
fishing as surround the tireless chase
for gold or the determined digging iR IA
diamond mine
There is the same labor and the OLA
repeated disappointment. Now and flBene
great surprise is brought up by bSSs
fearless pearl diver. That compenszsess
for all the rest. Lately it was an Hr9-
mense black pearl the handsomesx esse
it's kind ever snatched from the fathu1s-
less ocean. Harris brought it on his laSzs
recent voyage to San Francisco After
careful examination it was found to Ia
absolutely perfect, having weight IS
six carats. IL is valued i'm the LondemaA
market at el50.
Since 1894 Harris has revolutionize.f8
the trade in pearl shells. Only Szss,
grade ever found its way to the manu-
facturers Of pearl she'll ornaments ami
gewgaws. 1t was generally she'll ss&ss-
was thin, faky and colorless and sod,
for $500 ton. This energetic youne
pearl king now exports four differvn.;
grades or varieties, ranging. in vaanE
from 5000 to 81, 400 ton.
All shells are purchased In bulk frszna,
the native fishers. They bring downs
their hauls of shell to the young Hinges
schooner as IL lies in port, fretting ycsx-
lessly against the side of the rude paerzss
They bring down their find here for sAFs
kings inspection. He sits in state zzSa
passes Judgment. Harris can tell ~ u
glance what Q pile Of shells is wmth1s
He 10 an expert NJ determining value-
and he il q shrewd buyer as well xnlf
has never permitted the native expsss<s
to outdistance him in Judgment WhrE
a pile Of shells Is dropped before hin.