The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-10-10
The PHILIPPINE
PEARL FISHERIES.
If You Are Among Those Who Want
10 Become Quickly Rich Here
7 is a Way Open TO You.

Is n Way Open 10 You,
II you are among that vast number
whose great ambition II is to be num-
bered with the newly rich OF America,
the opportunity for amassing fortune
presents itself in the pearl fisheries of
the Philippines There are millions OF
dollars To be gained from this industry
and one must only wait until the com
lete pacifeation of the bloodthirsty and
warlike Filipino is n certainty TO es-
tablish trade that will be invaluable.
Neither experts nor laymen are ia
miliar with the extent of the pearl shell
banks along the hundreds of small is
lands Of the southern portion OF the
Philippines. but that they are scattered
over large territory is testified to by
the fact that the natives sell small
quantities of shell and many pearls TO
the Borneo and Chinese traders who
pass along the coast. None of them.
though. have made this a special bust
ness and therefore the selling OF these
treasures have been confined to few
Cinnamon who have settled In the Is
lands. The only merchant of import
ance. one might say is Captain Tiana,
IF Jola, who for eight years has Sc
cured an exclusive concession from the
Sultan Of Sulu In consideration of a
comparatively small sum.
During the Spanish sovereignty OF
the islands no one dared work these
pearl banks. for though belonging os-
tensbly to Spain they were really un-
der the control of the Sultan. who. II Is
said. possesses the largest assortment
If pearls in the world. From time i'm
memorial II has been custom OF the
Divers To present to his Sulu Majesty
h largest OF their findings in add
..on Ia a certain per cent. of tho gen
trai gatherings Of season.
sPANISH SUPERSTITION.
The question naturally arises If there
= ouch wonderful wealth In these is
ands why has not Spain taken advan-
Iage of the opportunity to develop III
Rut tn do this double concession was
aeeded, owing to the Joint control of
She pearl beds between the mother
country and the Sultan. Spain herself
could not give her subjects permission
20 establish pearl fisheries along the
coast. for the divers would have had TO
be accompanied by boats manned with
heavy guns for protection. and this
would have offended the Sultan And.
with a dog In the manger" spirit. be-
she would not grant concessions TO for
eigners for fear Of their becoming rich
through her possessions. SO the Sui
tan, taking advantage of the situation
has confined the industry within the
limits Of his own shores, knowing well
that he could dispose of the findings OF
his subjects with impunity.
1t may be stated. however. that just
at this time. with the cordial relations
that the United States officials in the
Philippines have established between
Americans and the Moros-as the In
habitants of this particular section are
eatled-it Is quite possible for some In
diViduals TO carry on pearl fisheries In
the very deep waters where the naked
divers cannot go, provided one Is Will
ing to pay the Sultan n comparatively
nominal annual stipend
And It may be mentioned I'm this con-
nection also that there are some very
skillfui divers I'm the Philippines.
Through some means, supposedly from
divers who have passed on trading YES
sells many OF the native divers have
learned the art Of gathering subterra-
mean treasures almost exactly as II Ia
practised In European countries.
Their methods are even an improve
for a brief sixty or ninety seconds at
a time into the suullt green waters that
cover the pearl bahks. Ton their treas
ure Instead diver puts ON very
modera rubber suit. With glassfront-
ed helmet. suitably Gs.ghted with lead,
and descends 10 the bottom. where he
gathers the pearl bearing biValVes at
his leisure He is supplied with air foI
breathing purposes through rubber
tube by companions In boat above,
and II IL their task also to pull up the
loaded wire basket as fast as he fills It,
During the fret year or two after the
introduction Of this apparatus divers
were lost at the rate OF one "a month by
drowning. owing in nearly every In
stance to a break in the air tubing,
but such Academia no longer occur
partly because defective English tubing
has been discarded In favor OF a supe-
rior quality manufactured in America
and imported by Spain from where II
was sent to the islands. An accessory
to the diving suit has also been added
In the shape OF a small sheet-iron re-
servoir of compressed air. which can
Instantly be made to supply the man
with five minutes breathing material
in case of a breakdown Of the machine.
Its connection with the divers helmet
Is effected by the simple turning OF
cock. Owing to the pressure of water
in the depths and the weights neces-
sary to overcome buoyancy, the novice
dressed in this armor has as much diff
ficulty In maintaining the perpendicu-
lar on the bottom as child that stands
alone for the first time.
In conducting the fishery the divers
are located in camps at favorable
places along the shore. Each camp is
supplied with diving suit and an air
machine, which Is mounted in heavy
barge-like boat. This boat is daily
rowed from camp to the place OF OPP
Grafton. Arrived there. one man Is
diver, one tends his signal rope, one
hoists and empties his basket Of shells.
two turn the cranks of the air pump.
and two are at the oars to keep the
boat we'll over him and carefully follow
his wandering course upon the bottom
in search OF shells. Thus II requires
several persons 10 operate each diving
outfit. young boys being frequently EN-
ployed as attendants.
A LONG WEARY SEARCH.
The diver, having all the time he
wants for his work. can select at his
leisure the oysters for his basket.
Though dim and greenish. the light is
sufficient at a depth of dozen fathoms
or more for seeing what he is about.
The bivaives which are the true pearl
oysters, though resembling not at all
the edible variety. are found always
edge upward, and usually In groups. II
is the work OF a moment to cut them
away from the racks by severing the
byssus by which each is fastened. 1t
~ IL