The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-04
SHORT CHAPTER ABOUTPEARlS

NeeVAe Experiments by the cNrerts OF the
FISH commission m Washington have DEM
onstrated that genuine pearls OF high quality
may bc grown In an aquarium. fountains
Ash ponds and In any other pools OF waite.
which can sustain mussels. oysters and other
moliusks that emit nacrc the beautiful iri-
descent secretion OF which pearls are made
Therefore there Ia no reason why every
family can not have its own pearl Fishery
The pearl Is an escrcscsnce, deformity. a
mute protest Of a helpless animal against an
uncomfortable condition Il can not control or
escape. II 10 created by the accidental or
Intentional intrusion OF some foreign sub
stance into the shell OF the oyster or musscis
which irritstes tho animal and thus increases
the flow OF saliva or naere. which crystal
HES around the offensive particle The art
OF cultlvatlng pearls has been known TO
scientists for many years. and has become a
recognized industry in Wisconsin. in several
parts OF Europe IA China and Japan.
The japanese Fisheries society. under the
direction OF the government, has taken charge
OF the pearl fisheries In that empire for the
purpose Of extending the industry and re-
storing the Weld. which Of late years has
been greatly diminished Tho bay OF Ago,
lected as a pearl factory. and IL admirably
ADAPTED 70 the culture Of the mussel and
pearl oysters. which were formerly found
there In LARGE quantities,
~
The nlan OF cultivation used In Japan. and
also in the United States and France, was
invented by the Chinese who have used II
successfully for many generations. 1t is an
important industry in the northern part OF
the province OF ohe-KnnE In the months OF
MAY and June large quantities OF pesrl-bear-
ing mussels are brought to a lake where the
waters are favorable and deposited in the
mud The shell is opened with a small In
strument OF mother OF pearl, the mantle OF the
animal ia generally lifted and a particle Of
sand. pebble or other foreign matter Is
placed carefully beneath II, Tho molluslSs
aro then deposlted in tho water at depth
Of from two TO nve feet, whore they are fed
with certain vegetation which is supposed 10
increase the secretons,
The French bore a hole through tho shell
Of the oyster or the mollusk and insert
particle OF glass. around which the saliva
will adhere,
Pearls can be made OF various colors hy
simple process Each mollusk deposits rs
own sort Of nncre Tho nacrc OF tho fresh
wnter mussel Ia pink. Pearl oysters will
produce black, gray or pure white pearls.
according To the nart Of tho animal where
tho nucleus is lodged, AZ the National mu-
scum in washington there is an artificial
pearl Of exquisite pink color as large ms
pigeon'e csg
Partisan Jewellers are very clever In tho
art Of "peellng" pearls They will take
pearl that is not pretty remove its outer
cont and reveal a beautiful gem within
pearl is composed Of alternate layers Of nhcre
and animal tissue. and the process Of peel
ing is very difficult The tools employed
arc sharp knife various sorts OF nles, pearl
powder and piece Of leather. The pearly
coats are extremely hard and must be cut OF
piece hv niece, tho operator relying more on
tho senee Of touch conveyed nv tho blade Of
The knife than on the sense OF sight Pearls
found Embedded In tho mother Of pearl Of
the oyster shell arc made marketable by
sklllfui treatment with acids Eyperts know
how 70 wSkr vesr's ~ sny eoior, black by a
bath OF nitrate Of silver. and by other chem
teal means thcv can turn them to rose color
lilac or gray Pearls ~ these unusual tlnts
bring fancy prices
The only pearls found in the Atlantic ocean
are on the north coast OF South America
near Baranauila. Colombia and the Marguer
ita Islands. off the coNst OF Venezuela, which
we're discovered by Columbus but their pearls
are Of poor quality Pearls are found al
most everywhere In the Paeihc. on the coast
Of Mexico and Central America. % far south
az GuayaquIL in tho Hawaiian samoan.
Caroline Ladrono and PolynesIan islands, on
The coast OF Australia, and the finest come
from tho Indian ocean near Ceylon The
abundance and the quality OF tho pearls pro-
duced depends upon the character OF the
water In which tho mollusk lives ana the
food II consumes.
In the bnv Of Panama the pearl divers
who work with bells are required to pay
license fee OF $3.50 year and are allowed
to work wherever and as long az they like
Each diver usually goes down twice day
and remains under the water from half to
three-ouarters of an hour each time. Hc
tears the oyster OFF the rocks and puts thcm
IN a wire basket. which la hauled up by a
windlass 10 the deck OF the schooner. where
they are opened under the surveillance OF In
spectors Each basket will contain forty or
nifty oysters and IL usually filled Ave or six
tmes while the diver 10 down. These divers
are furnished licenses, diving bells and other
apparatus by the pearl merchants OF Panama
and are paid regular wages but almost every
negro on the Island In the Bav Of Psnsma is
rearl Usher on HE own hook. and whom
ever no cares to DO so he dives naked at
low tide and brings up two or three oysters
In his hands This IL difficult work, for tbs
oysters are fastened 10 the rocks. and It takes
good deal OF strength 10 wrench them OF.
resrl divinK is n great gamble. negro
diver may often do down hundred times
without getting a single pearl, and his only
reward IL the shell. which is worth from
- TO IL cents a pound. Mr., PlIs. the largest
dealer In Panama. told me thai his boat took
10 10 tons OF shell one season without ending
single pearl and then dativ for four or
i've days In succession secured two or three
OF the finest pearls he had ever seen.
The pearl fisheries in the bay of Panama
pay about $4,000 IN pearls and $4,000 ip
shells per year. The shells are sent 10 New
York. Paris and Antwerp. where they are
used for making buttons, knife handles, or
naments and for all sorts Of purposes. The
pearls 10 TO Paris. whore they srs distributed
70 other markets. Very few are sent to New
York or to other ports OF the United States,
a.. A,.tx is