The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-13

In some places persons gave NO entirely their
streams In search or shells that might con,
tain the tearls. Besides Arkansas. Missouri;
S SsSrgiS and ,Ish portions ess ! nstS Of Tennessee or p STn st,.l
pearis aud lndlne their fortunes In the streams.
Mr., kung thinks that the present year will see
country people IN these regions take 10 the
brooks and rivers, In search OF the uni9s that
penrls are forrd not only In the shells. but are
picked up IN the mud. and this had led 70 n
local belief thatthe shells shed" the pearls At
not unknown TO Investigators, Mr.. Kuuz says
that they had even been collected Tor some
says that they had been collected by children
hnd. used rs. p~laythines.
III pearl excitement Of 1899 seems to have
developed from several distinct centres,
through accidental discoveries in the latter
nart, Of tho summer as the water became low
counts Of these Sc parate starting points have
appeared IN the local papers, The tlrst to be-
good pearl on the muddy shore III Murphy Tor
Crooked Lake. by n young man from st Louis.
who was spending his vacation on, 2 fishing
object. on the ground, and, on picking. IL up,
Judged Il to be q pearl. His negro guide told
points thereabout, and took him q mile or two
Through the woods to a SPOT where, n number
81 Sui sdIml Mas n nmrseG Te az b eesfil nye Plekf "a them a amG
told him that they were OF no use except IA
playthings for The children. He nevertheless
BY mail to st. Louis and Memphis. In reply
he was Informed that they, were true pearls
S cheek shG FAR Ns Seyond R RGlwG anyic 9DSie sent ae ni tRen a
sent other parcels and gradually the matter
besan, to ATTRACT '49ttentiop1 in the two cities
he found tho conditions to be such that he
RReoSa%se' ' and 'V WENT into PEI pearl fe eofiIeetipe On On ihiIss,
own account. The Hon. j., ! Williams, OF
an acorn, valued al. several hundred dollars,
the smaller, white. Mr.. Williams fmmeiiptely
arranged with Mr.. George {; Grifflths of Bald
property on which Murphy Lake is situated.
A MEMPHIS, syndicate was formed which
claimed entire control OF the waters. set up
notices of warning against trespass. built a
house on the shore and propose to make a
compiete and systematic exploration OF the
mud by means OF dredges."
This is now one Of the most ambitious at
ttempt pit to worE the ne1GTt, Industry nd OF this H. e2Sp9 d
Try tbs 9 naa a large SSs s sanebt 9 for TINS n region mnrs b IN Wi nassl
like fashion, Mr.. Kunz writes:
In these ways the pearl-hunting mania was
So complete was the, absorption Of the people
In this pursuit that the local papers at various
hen zion 'e On the paTt Of planters sH as I to The
prospect, Of getting in their cotton and other
crops, all the farmbands and negr es being
cNNu III hh .to~Ol VuiN IVA nv III
September the jewellers at st. Louis began to
be flooded with letters and parcels containing
Arkansas pearls. Everything in the shape Of
nacreous concretions was sent, aud very often
the whole lot was not worth the postage or
appointment OF the finders, together with the
clearing out Of all the accessible shells from
the worked streams. led to the decline Of the
craze.
numbers of fine. and valuable pearls were OH
tainnn pSnppiullV nv th,. pnrlipf nynlnrara
One deep pink pearl of forty grains found in
the mud by a woman was sold In st. LOUIS for
lustre. its real value was much more. A farm
er's boy obtained n pink pearl of thirty-one
grains on Black River, near Black Rock. Law;
purchaser. took it to st. Louis and there re;
fused SIS for II. offered by Il leading house, and
left ! f, it for 9or sale a e. with snn an9 % I w ilrI do, T } fsi found
toned above. and the st. Louis and Arkansas
forty grains that were estimated to be worth
several hundred dollars, when perfect, By
the end OF August NJ, Smith Of West Point;
what. south Of the Walker, and Murphy lakes;
81. 800 from pearls from the Little Red River
In nearly all the other States the Arkansas
excitement has he'd its effect, Il has been
active here in the northwestern angle of the
State along, Grass River end it's afiuents. In
the interest has been greatest. A pink pearl
q tributary OF the Grass River, two years ago.
by a fisherman. who opened a mussel for bait.
a great deal Of money collecting pearls and
the same lines. MI. Kunz believes that the
recurrence of the pearl-fshing excitement
here will make it necessary for the Govern
ment to adopt some means OF protecting the
streams similar to those now in use in some OF
the German States.