The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-12
SEARCHING FOR PEARLS.
Novel Industry in Wisconsin That Has
Paid Well in the Last Few Years.
Milwaukee Letter.


Milwaukee Letter.
Wisconsin has one industry of which little
is heard yet which has been the means of
turning good deal of money into the peck
cts Of the inhabitants of the southern part
of the State At one time, about six years
ago, the pearl fisheries of this State were
widely exploited then something else
caught the popular fancy, and this seven
days wonder was dropped. Yet these same
fisheries have within the past seven years
PANIED out between $4,000 and $500. 600
worth Of pearls, some of which were sold
for a great price and are now held in high
esteem by their owners.
For a year or two it was hard work to
get hands to harvest the crops; in fact, the
farmers in the southern tier Of counties did
not care much whether they had crops or
not when easier means of wealth lay right
at their doors During the entire summer
season as long as the beds of the little
creeks and rivers of that section could be
dredged or raked, people were out pearl
ing as it came to be called in the YER
nacular of the district where the pearls
were found in their lodging places in the
mouth of the fresh-water clans
Going "pearling" had all the excitement
of shaking dice for high stakes, with the
exception that the player could lose nothing
beyond his time and stood to win big
stake by one fortunate stroke. He might
work for weeks and not turn up a pearl
bearing clam, and then the rake would
bring to the surface a shell in which was
pearl worth from $500 to $1,000, more money
than could be earned by a whole seasons
work on the farm.
ha fret IN fI,o IND,
through the jewelry firm of Bunde az Up
meyer, of this city. II was this firm that
first recognized the worth of the products
of the southwestern creeks. The first they
knew of the mines of wealth which lay so
near was one day when farmer came into
the store with small pearl which he I'M
earthed from various rolls of wrapping pa
per, and, with a dash of secrecy, asked
them what they would give him for the
exhibit.
The owner was not entirely at sea on the
subject of value, as he had previously sent
it to an Eastern house. Both Mr. Bundle
ana Mr.. Upmeyer examined the pearl and
saw at once that 1t was valuable. They Of
fered the fan mer $40 for it, and this sum
was accepted. Then they questioned him
as to where it was found, and when they
learned that it had come from little river
in Lafayette county it did not take them
eng to make up their minds that where
there was one there were likely to be others,
also that there was a profitable business in
vestment in getting hold Of as many as
possible Immediately.
1t took some courage to jump into an I'M
known field without consultation or verifi-
cation o. judgment, but both Bunde and
Upmeyer were willing to back their opinion
with cash, and the next day saw Mr.. Up
meyer on his way to the pearl-bearing sec
tion with pOcketbook well filled with
money. Arriving there, he took a wagon
and with a guide drove through the parts
where reports had come of finds of pearls.
In a short time the news spread that q
Milwaukee man was ready to pay good
prices for pearls, and then the rush for the
streams began Before zoo Nj Mr. Upmeyer had
had become the friend of nine-tenths of the
inhabitants of the section. This was shown
later when the news of the fisheries spread
and buyers came from the East and as far
Paris to invest
Upmeyer had the call over them all, for
the people trusted him and felt they could
get fair value for their finds. The result
was that the most of the Wisconsin product
all, in fact, OF vaIue-was handled by the
nized in the jewelry world as experts in
fresh-Water pearls, and stones are sent to
them from all over the country for app aise-
ment.
But all this did not come at once. After
making the first purchases Mr. Upmeyer
took some of the most valuable and went to
New York. His exhibit astOniShed the east
ern jewelers. who confirmed the original
judgment of the young Milwaukeeans and
offered good prices for the pearls on hand
Incidentally it worked confusion to other
experts who had held that the pearls were
rot worth the picking up.
one was sold later for $500, many others
brought ST. coo, and $500 stones were not at all
scarce. When asked what became of the
5000 stone Mr. Upmeyer said, in recalling
the events of those days, that he did not
know. 1t had gone East. Many of the pearls
were sent abroad, where there Is more Of
a demand for this class OF stones than in
this country.
Mr. Upmeyer gives an interesting account
of his first experience in the pearl districts.
LAS soon as we made up our minds that it
was worth looking after" said he, II started
with good supply of money for Lafayette
county. L travelled up and down through the
county until | had gathered up everything
that was purchasabe. Then everybody went
pearling-women and children as well as the
men,. On Sundays it was the. common prac-
tice for the women to spend their time along
the streams looking for CLANS which might
bear fortune.
Often person would work for weeks with
out making any find of Importance, and
then. perhaps, the next rakeful would
bring to light good stone. Just to illus
trate, ] will give you an experience of my
own when | found the first and only pearl
that 1t was my luck to discover One day
and they began rakfng the river for clans
They had a kind of dugout into which they
would pitch the clans and push them
ashore, where the man who was with me
and / would open them.
Il worked there in the hot sun all day and
opened clans until my hands were raw, but
not a pearl did we find in the whole lot
Then ] said TO the men: You do not know
how to find the pearls. Give me the rake
then cast the rake and drew it in. All that
was brought up were q half-doZen small
clans, so small that the men laughed 81
me. In one of the CLANS Was small pearl,
worth about $40. was disguised by that
time, and went to the station, about half a
mile away.
Il told the men that If they found any
thing before / left they could bring it to
the station and would buy it. Sure enough,
just before the train arrived they came with
pearl, for which l gave them $50 That
viii Illustrate the luck which attached to
the hunt
1T is true that there have been over $780,
900 worth of pearls taken from the streams
down there in the past seven years but
there are few found now During the ex-
element the streams were worked clean
and there are few clans left. All of the
nnds were made in southern Wisconsin and
lust over the border in Illinois.
The talk of opening clans with pincers
TO see II they have a pearl inside, and if
not throwing them back without injury is
all bosh. There is not a pair of pincers
made strong enough to open a live clam
without breaking The shell all to pieces
There is just one way. In one spot there is
an opening into which you can stick knife
blade. Then you can cut the muscle, and
the clam opens ike a pocketbook, but the
clam is of no further use"
Conscientious Woman.
Washington Post
A most striking example of rigid adher-
ence TO principle has just been brought to