The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-11
GEMS ON THE LEVEE.
SMALL BOYS HUNT FOR PEARLS
NEAR BIG SAND
PUMP
SOME MEET WITH SUCCESS
Small Specimens Picked Up Which
Sell From 90 Cents to 81
Apiece Good Agate
Found.

| Pearl hunting right under the shadow
| of the union depot is a sight a curious
| spectator may see any day on the levee
where the depot improvements are III
| progress. 1t is not the most profitable in
! dustry in the country, but several of the
! youthful gem hunters have been reward
J ed with specimens for which they have
! been given as much as 81 apiece
The stamping ground for the st. Paul
| pearl industry is right at the place where
! the big steam sand pump is helping to
make the fill required for the site of the
! Milwakue freight sheds. The pump
works steadily all day, pouring twelve
! inch stream, half water, half sand, on
! the places to be filled in, and around the
pump dozen or more boys may be
| seen eagerly watching the water and
sand as it drifts slowly back toward
deeper water. All kinds of curious peb-
! bles are picked up, especially those In
which there are traces of quartz. The
boys are not sure that the glitter does
not indicate gold, and into their capacious
pockets all pieces of quartz-speckled peb-
bles CO.
The pearls found are for the most part
extremely small, of a dark color and al
most totally opaque. AN are detached
from their original clam shells, and not
one in ten found proves to be of any
value at all.
In all perhaps ten small pearls have
been picked up, on which the finders have
realized from 80 cents to 81 each The
first was found last Thursday, and when
the fortunate boy informed his play
mates of his good luck he was immedi-
ately Joined by them. Yesterday there
were perhaps fifteen hunters gathered
around the pump, and from time to time
one Of them would announce find"
One young man Of about twenty-five
x-aaar Of s,
and authority. He spent some time hunt
ing for gold in the Seine river district
of the Canadian Northwest, and his ex-
perence has taught him to be surprised
at nothing which the bed of a river may
give forth. He has also been the luckiest
in his search for stones of value, and
yesterday morning picked up a beautiful
agate for which SO was offered by
spectator. The deal was closed on the
spot. The agate was probably worth at
least ten times the sum paid, but acting
on the theory that a bird in the hand is
worth any number in the BUSH the finder
jumped at the opportunity to sell for he
was afraid that a jeweler wouI9 ,ndeavor
to prove that the stone was worthless
and then offer him perhaps 80 cents AS
he says, he Is not wading around all
day for his health exactly.
TELLS A GOOD RUBY STORY.
This same young man found time to re-
late some of his experiences when on his
trip up the Seine river. He is an Ameri-
can, and, two years ago. drifted into
Winnipeg, Manitoba, in search of work.
He was engaged by a man who was
about to take gold hunting party out
from Edmonton. They reached the Seine
river safely, and then started to hunt
for alluvial deposits Of gold One of the
appliances in use was a screen, or rather
triple screen, which was for the pur
pose of intercepting small nuggets of
gold Which might be carried past in the
stream. Several good-sized specimens re-
warded the party In this way, and one
day the st. Paul pearl hunter happened
TO see two red stones caught in the wires
He picked them up, and from the bril-
liant sparkle they emitted came to the
conclusion that they were valuable He
was after gold, not precious stones. he
says and therefore had no scruples of
conscience in secreting them about his
clothes
When he had an opportunity he tested
them roughly and found that they were
exceedingly hard. This settled him. and
ne unscrewed the cork heels of his boots
and concealed the stones in the hollow
lett inside to make them light.
When We came back" he said. 81 was
paid off in Winnipeg at the rate of SAX
per month but I sold the stones to a
JeWeler for $3.50 apiece and left for home
with a good sum to show for my sum
mer's work. What they were I don't
Know didn't ask-but I expect they
NUT have been rubies and that the jewel
er knew what he was doing when he
bought them"
The young man told his story with the
air OF man who believes it himself, but
there were those in the small knot of lis
teners who turned away with dubious
shake of the head though they were an
parently willing to give the raconteur
credit for possessing, at all events a
healthy, Woodworking imagination.