Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1899-01-07
THE "PEARL DOCTOR"
Queer Occupation Followed ~
Young Englishwoman'

Young Englishwoman.
A young English woman whose cara
Is inscribed Miss Blank. Visiting jew
eler." is pioneer on path that promises
to lead 10 fortune; for in this, the sec
ond, year of her venture, she can boas9
of a long list of patrOneSses, containing
many well-known names.
Shortly after she found herselI
obliged to do something to make money
she CHANGED to see a quantity OF oiu-
fashioned jewelry which a friend had
inherited. In spite of their clumsy out
Of-date settings the beauty of the stones
inspired Miss Blank. She began to
make sketches of different ornaments
in which they might be set. and so pref
~ and original were her designs and so
much ingenuity did she show in plan
ming the Encouragement of the stones
that her friend exclaimed:
why you are genius! Here is your
vocation. You must go about, ask peo-
pie to get out all their old odds and ends
of jewelry, and then show them what
beautiful things those same odds and
ends would make"
Then Miss Blank began to study pre-
cious stones and became a good judge
of their value. This knowledge soon
opened another branch of her chosen
calling, namely, the selling and en-
changing of stones. old ornaments. etc.
! For instance, Mrs. A. who had Opals,
thought them unlucky, and was only
/ too delighted to exchange them for the
/ turquoiSeS which Mrs. h. felt sure made
/ her look sallow. Then Mrs. G. found
one really fine pearl set in an old-fash-
! Toned locket, was simply dying to match
| it and have a pair of earrings made, but
could not afford the necessary outlay.
| However, she had diamond screws she
was willing to part with, and now She
sports in her ears most becoming big
pearls. Then Mrs. ID. had an unpaid
dressmaker's bill on her conscience
which she simply did not dare show to
her husband. But Miss Blank, by SELL
ing for her quantity of old gold orna-
!nentS. enabled her to settle the account
herself. As a matter of course, Miss
Blank always keeps the names of ex-
changing parties secret, even from each
other, and in their new settings the
stones are not recognized.
Next it occurred to Miss Blank that
she might also undertake the cleaning
of jewels, a matter which during the
season she found greatly neglected by
oyerWOrked maids. She has now
earned quite a reputation as pearl
DOCTOR" for these gems which are found
lying loose in the oyster shells and need
DO cutting or polishing to enhance their
beauty, as if to- make things even, re-
quire more careful usage than any
other precious stone. They become duh
and discoloIed, or, as jewellers express
1t, get "sick" and die"
On one occasion. when a large, badly
discolored pearl given her to experiment
on resisted her treatments, she deter
mined TO try an ancient recipe, found in
some musty pamphlet. This set forth
that the gastric juice of fowls had
wonderful effect on dull yellow pearls,
and would, If applied according to d.
rections, quickly restore their original
beauty. SO, in fear and trembling. Miss
Blank fed the big pearl to a rooster,
which she securely confined, and, as the
recipe prescribed, after two hours time
killed it and relieved it of it's valuable
luncheon. AS to the result, her own
words We're: "Of course, | felt like
nothing more nor less than murderess.
but the pearl was ever so much inn
proved"