The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-02-27

Made and which Now and Then Yield
Gem for the Jeweier.
| (W'soonsln Letter In the New York SUM-
In less than three years clam disging
In the upper reaches Of the Mississippi
river has developed from an occasional
pursuit into q science. The bivalves
taken up resem BILE the saltwater article
rs much as a rhine ceros resembles an
elephant They ara not dit to eat. they
look raw, even when some adventurous
tenderfoot balls them, and they have
taste weirdly compounded OF cat fish and
musk They srs In reality musseis. and
! they are wants net for their meat but
for the beautiful mother OF pearl Innings
of the shells, from which buttons and
hundreds Of fancy articles are made. A
thousand men are engaged IN this new
Industry. most of them working ION their
own hook, ard they make from $40 to
slg5 mouth, according to their facili-
ties and application.
Ths shells when drisd are sold by the
ton to the local concerns that are known
as button fac ories. though they do not
often make buttons. They are In reality
polishing shops. and are iitt'd up with
vast number Of stsam-drive3 wheels and
BRUSHES. emery oirolss, etc., for smooth
ing the interiors OF the shells and grind
Ing of the rough outer covering. This
ma terial Is shipped East TO factories
where buttons are made. rs well as hun
dreds of other useful and, In many cases.
beautiful articles. Clam shells from the
upper reaches CT the Mississippi river are
| turned into shirt buttons. the big but
tons, some times ns big as . silver dollar.
| that ara used on women's c!oaks, cum
buttons, meteorological srabesques with
which brushes and combs are to be In
laid, backs OF pocKet-knives, shirt studs.
cheap &C ,rf pins, buckles, IL requires close
| examination by an expert ID tell this
mother-of- pearl from ths genuine South
sea article. and there 10 PIT csically no
| difference Ia structure or appeai gnce.
Some Of 1t Is dull, and refuses to show
the opaline tints, no matter what the
amount of preparatory proceEs to which
| It may be subjected, but much OF IL Is
exceedingly handsome and primarily rs
| useful as any other form Of mother of
pearl. Opportunity TO work In ma eriaal
| of this sort has developed a good daal OF
| art among the jewellers on the rivers
banks, and some OF the household orna-
ments fashioned from the interiors OF
clam shells by western men and women
would not be ont Of place In drawing
rooms. There Is In the HOUSE of a Nor
wsgian cattle-raiser near Viroqua, Wis,
black walnut table inlaid with these
c am bits, and 1t Is a marvel OF tlsts and
delicats, painstaking workmanship. 1t
was dore by oobbler Of Lynxville, a
crook -shouldered fellow named Faluzzi,
commonly called Fuzzy. and lite owner
IA L.. To- mt
In the odd hours Of one year Inserting
the tiny bits, and got $50 from his
patron.
The most picturesque feat of the In
dustry Is the constant lookil for pearls.
Thousands on Thousands ot CLANS ara
opened and examined carfully for every
fair pearl that is discovered, yet find OF
almost any sort Is apt to pay the searohsr
for his troll BILE. The pearls ars common
enough, but generally they IRE not larger
than q mustard ssed, and are valuelsss.
Not infrequently. one IL found that will
Il Itch in its raw state from 81 to $40, and
instances are many OF even greater treas
urs troves. Almost every man who works
at the business has pearl CT some eort
carefully wrapped In cotton tatting and
slowed away. and he will pull this out
when a stranger is around and make be-
lievs to polish It on his hsL dEerchief and
blow on 1t and put 1t away with an air
of mystery. He will be found willing TO
cell 1t, If properly approached, but 1t is
not often tn he has any correct idea of
It's value. He Is apt to get-more by size
than by luster and color. For this reason
tho clammers are oit3n victimized by
purchasers sent into the ditttiot by jew
elry firms of Chicago and st, Paul, who
have come to know that bargain may
sometimes be picked up at the base of
tie Mississippi bluffs.
The most valuable .pearl taken from a
Has hall N ha MfsctgatnDi Ftvar -
soid ultimately to New York jsweler
for $500. and is believed now to be 10 a
private collect on. The man who found
1t. Antoine Perrilat woodchopper In
the summer months, kept 1t sscreted
for some weeks, realizing that 1t was OF
great value, but having no approximate
idea Of its real worth. Finally, having
gons to MusoatiDe. Ia, he met man
from q Chicago jewelry house, who was
prowling ABOUT for pearls. 10 this man
Antoine showed his treasure. 1t was
large pure white pearl, pear SHAPED and
beautifully proportional, of the purest
quality, and, in certain lights. showing
distinct rose shade. First 200 was offered
to the French woodman, but he refused
it though 1t seemed an enormous amount
to hiIr. he shook his head at $40 $3.50,
1860, $500, $3.50, $500, $500, 500, and
into his calloused palm In ths shape of 80
round, yellow, shining double eagles.
"mo' pulitzer" as he said, "zen amy
pairl." he bought two additional tsams
and wagons with his oapitll and is now
prosperous on firewcod, the only fuel
used in this region.
He 10 not the only lucky finder In Iowa
and Wisconsin, however. by a hundred
or so. 1t Is not often that river pearl
Is valuable enough to make 10 talked
about in the little towns. but 1t occas
ionally happens that In an Insignificant
looking musssl there is jewel that is
worth thousands of tons of shells. One
white pssrl, found near here last fall,
went to ST. Paul buyer for $3.50. A I
yellow beauty, dug from clam bed Is
miles up the river brought $3.50. A negro