The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-23
THIS SHE'LL GAME
HAS MONEY In 1T
GOOD PROFIT IN DREDGING
FOR CLANS.
The Raw Material from Which Pearl
Buttons Are Made-An Industry
Which Has Increased Greatly of
Recent Years Along the Missis-
sippi River.

In the last few seasons along the
Mississippi river a peculiar industry
has assumed large proportions. In a
number of towns between La Grange,
Mo-, and Lansing, Iowa, hundreds of
men have been employed In the dredg-
ing and the preparing for market of
what is commonly known as the mus
sci or clam shell. Heretofore they have
been looked upon by all observers as
practically useless, except as bric-a-
brac, but their use as material for but
ton making has made them commod-
ity in commercial circles.
Buttons, pins and other ornaments
made out of the shell of the Mississippi
mussel are found in all parts of the
world. The pearls which are found in
these mussels are popular among jew
elers, and some command handsome
prices.
The man dredging for shells has a
large boat built especially for the pur-
pose, which he allows to float down
stream gently, while he rakes the bed
of the river for the shells, all of which
he sorts Immediately after taking them
out of the water tossing back those OF
no value and throwing the remainder
in basket. The shells are afterward
boiled in large vessels on the banks Of
the river then re-sorted and shipped
to the markets, oftentimes by. tons and
car loads.
THE DIFFERENT VARIETIES.
OF the thirty different varieties found
in the Mississippi, there are two coll
ors white and pink. The white shells
are the only ones used for button
making, the pink having too many diff
ferent shades, which could never be
matched in color. The most numerous
sort is known in the clam digger's par
| lance as 1.-The niger head" These are
| the best for the making of buttons; the
shell is of only one shade of white and
is very easily sorted. Another kind
very similar to the 'nigger heads are
known as "muckets." These are thick
and Opaque, and do not sustain a very
high polish. In shape both resemble
| the salt water clam; the weight is
about one-third of pound. out of a
shell of this size can be made one
| dozen siXteen-line buttons, which ordi-
narily sell for from Is to 20 cents per
| dozen, so the value of the large-siZe
mussel, after it has undergone the re-
| fining process and the saws have made
| buttons out of it, can be apprOXlmated
| The highest price which the dredger
receives for the variety known as the
''nigger head" in the winter months is
| about so cents per hundredweight. The
shells bring the highest prices in the
winter months, because they are hard
| to procure on account of the ice. In
| the height of the summer season, when
| all the dredgers along the river are al
| work, the price is often as low as %
| cents per hundredweight.
The first varieties named grow in
beds, which sometimes cover 400 to 500
acres and are from four to eight feet
| deep. They have no way of locomotion
and are compelled to stay in place of
creation. They multiply, one on top o
the other, until they reach within two
feet of the surface Of the water, at low
water mark. The beds is always in
deep water and in protected places
such as the mouth of bay or slough
THE SAND SHELL.
Another variety, known among clam
diggers as the elite of the clam family
is the sand she'll" which is not found
in beds. but travels around on sandy
beaches and sloping mud banks, and
in the spawning season, which is May
and float off with the current. Ir
shape it resembles the ordinary Ions
pocket book; in color it is on the out.
side yellow and ten different shades
on the inner side. This varied color
makes it difficult to sort the buttons
made from the shell. It's shape ant
thickness is what makes it valuable
for there is little waste to it after the
| 1, fs
sort commands an average price of 81. 81
per hundredweight. Another sort /
the "buckhorn," in shape very similar
to the oyster and of a dark brown color
on the inside. The inside of this shell
, cannot be surpassed by any sea shell
in beauty of colors. This shell is no
found in beds, but lies scattered among
other varities. The last sort used fol
button making is called the "butter,
fly" becaus of it's shape, which is like
the wing of butterfly. 1t is very
prettily marked on the outside. Ovel
a background of dark yellow run blacl
stripes to the outer edge of the shell
with dark dots between stripes. This
shell is generally small, but thick anC
found, like the sand shell and busk
norm, in small quantities.
FINE PEARLS SOMETIMES FOUND
The pearl buttons made from Tivel
clans surpass those made from ses
shells, because they will not split, beinl
of q solid formation. The prospects fol
the development of a great indsutry
along the Mississippi are good. The
supply for a constantly increasing
market is almost ineXhaustible, and al
ready hundreds of men in the rive
towns have found easy employment il
dredging for the shells.
: Not only is there profit in gathering
the shells, but occasionally pearls rang