Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-05-11

up by syndicate of capitalists, which,
it is said, is now dredging them with
great profit.
During the Crooked Lake, No.,
fever an inmate of the Confederate
Soldiers Home, near Little Rock, Will,
on leave of absence, found some
pearls on the Saline River. He APP
pliedfor an extension of leave, the story
of his discovery got abroad and &
furore was at once created along the
river. At the other end Of the State,
on Black River, farmer while fishing
opened mussel for bait and found
pink pearl, for which he received $2s
from a local jeweler, who sold IT in ST.
Louis for 5000. The craze broke out
in consequence of this accidental find
and the Black and Cache Rivers wert
soon lined with pearl hunters.
About this time J. M. Pass, q well
known planter, while fishing in Dor
cheat Lake, Columbia County, opened
few mussels as an experiment. art
found four pearls, for one of which h
received $125. In these ways thu
pearl hunting mania spread all ovei
Missouri and Arkansas. The peoplt
became so absorbed in the pursuit tina
local papers at various points reported
apprehension on the part of the farm
ers as to the prospect of getting II
their crops, all the farm hands being
| I-.,.-os su - ~.-.t 1-----t;--c.
One deep pink pearl of forty grains
! fn1,,1I 6x- en16 St
Louis for 800, about one-fifth Of itI
present value. A farmers boy found
thirty -one grain pearl In Black River
which he sold for $35, and 1t was after
ward sold in ST. Louis for $500. One
man found $1,000 worth in Seven Mile
Lake, Arkansas, and another man.
found $500 worth in Little Red River.
Tennessee, the greatest of all the
States for pearl fisheries, seldom get
the pearl fever very bad. The hunting
there is steady, and many hundreds Of
people follow it year in and year ou
as q regular vocation. Last season
however, quite vivid and picturesque
accounts were published Of hosts Of
pearl hunters coming along the Cllnch
River and its tributaries; some in
tents, some in shanties and some 70
ing from shoal to shoal in rudely bull
houseboats. They were described as
free and easy class of people, work
ing very hard all day, subsistipg &
good deal on the fish caught in The
streams and dancing at night to tht
tune of the banjo as they gathered
around camp fires along the banks.
Georgia and Connecticut have re.
Gently had their small pearl fevers,
but in Michigan company Of capital
lists has been organized to completely
dredge st. Joseph River in search OF
pearls.
The extravagant methods employed
by pearl hunters generally and espec-
tally during these fevers has nearly
ruined the wonderful natural fisheries,
and the aim of the fish commission
now is to put stop to the destruction
of mussels.
1t is perfectly easy, by the use Of a
pair of pincers such as employed BY
the pearl fishers in Germany and
China, to open the shells, peep inside
for pearls, and if none are found drop
the mussel back into the stream.
The Chinese do not only Protect
their mussels in this way, but when
they open the shells, if there are 20
pearls inside they introduce little oh.
iects OF some foreign substance, around
which pearls can form. The shells
are replaced in the water and In a
few months beautiful pearls will be
formed around these little objects.
The fish commission proposes, II il
can, to work up such sentiment
against the wholesale destruction Of
mussel shells as is now going on that
each State will pass laws prohibiting
it.-Chicago Times-Herald.
Hunting Sea Elephants.
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