Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-05-24
IOWA PEARL MARK EFT.

Owing To the fact that Muscatine liz
the principal shell dealing city along
the Mississippi, 1T has also come into
prominence as a pearl dealing city and
has now gained quite a reputation as
such. In fact. there are very few large
cities among those in which there is a
pearl market and a demand for those
precious gems, that do not transact
some business Of this nature with the
local dealers, but the principal ones are
Phil j. Mackey, who is recognized as
the pioneer pearl dealer in this city,
Frank KoeckcritZ. Nierel e Son, Fitz
Swan, Elmer Becker and Will Bishop.
These gentlemen do an extensive pearl
business and some Of them. in fact all
most al! of them. make some very large
shipments of these gems.
There are probably some people that
do not realize that since Jan l. 1871. the
shipments of pearls. slugs and boroques
has amounted to an average Of $1,000 u
month and the amount of business is
increasing rapidly The pearl fishers all
along the river are aware of the, fact
that they can get better prices for their
pearls in Muscatine than any other city
along the river, and consequently, the
dealers in this city are daily receiving
consignments of pearls from all the
cities along the river as far up as Red
Wing. one dealer made shipment
some time ago which amounted to $3.50.
There are daily pounds OF pearls and
slugs being shipped into Muscatine.
Phil j. Mackey and Elmer Becker made
u recent shipment To London of 33i
ounces of pearls. slugs boroques. Mr..
Mackey has an order now from New
York for a consignment of l.l4O pieces
OF the above gems.
Every two weeks there are buyers
from Nav York who make this city
and purchase pearls. they get a great
many. but the finders of gems prefer 10
sell them to local dealers as they r.
ceive better price There are NOR
sold in Muscatine than any city along
the Mississippi river.
One local dealer within the last
few months sold two pearls to different
parties for which he received respec-
lively $50 for one and for the other
800 These pearls were sold to Musca-
tine people and the same have them
set in rings.
The pearls of the Mississippi river are
considered on the market as the finest
pearls to be found anywhere In the
world. They are much finer than the
salt water pearls as they have a more
brilliant lustre.
The round pearls are of much more
value than "slugs,, or boroques. which
are not of uniform shape. However.
very many pretty novelties are
now made of these boroques. which at
one time were considered worth but lit
tie.
The origin of pearl is a grain of
sand. or in other words. sand is the
cause of the growth of the substance
which becomes a pearl. The sand gets
into the clam shell and causes an irri-
tation in the flesh. A deposit known as
.nicre forms around this grain of sand,
which hardens into a pearl. In some
cases the irritation ceases much more
quickly than in others. and a small
pearl is the result. If the irritation is OF
long standing, a large pearl forms. in
practically the same manner that
grlstle forms around metallic sub
stances In human flesh, as is seen when
a bullet Is lodged in muscular tissue.
Those In the business in this CITY
look for a still larger demand for Mis-
sissippi pearl than heretofore. as
they are coming into general favor
more and more every day among the
wearers of precious jewels in the east
ern and European cities.