The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-03-05
AuEucAN FnEsH-v vATEn rEaHLs


land Streams.
New Orieans Picayune, For long
period and up fo very recent date.
precious pearls were obtained only from
q shellhsh found Ia tropical seas. and the
gathering Of these little globulos of cali
careOus matter was attended with ex-
treme danger as they were got only -
diving into deep water al the risk OF enc
countering the attacks of sharks and
other sea monsters.
The most famous pearl fisheries were
in the Persian gulf and the Indian
Ocean. and the adventure of the daring
pearl divers have dlled many pages Or
romance and sensational storytelling.
Nox. however pearls are obtained with
little trouble aad no danger from many
fresh water streams OF the Luted States
Iney are found ia the shells Of the fresh
water mrssel. the unio. and these shell
fish are easily secured when the streams
in which they abound are at l0W-water
stages. Then they may be gathered in
the shallow water without risk. Not
every shell contains q pearl and. in fact.
tho pearl Is an exception but that Is tho
one fine specimen may pay for weeks or
work.
Mr.. George r. Kuna. the noted expert
on AN sorts of jewels. has contributed
an interesting paper TO the report OF the
United States fish commission on the
fresh-water pearls and pearl fisheries or
this country These pearls were IN use BY
the aboriginal inhabitants Of America.
but the source whence they y ere obtained
was not for Il long time known. Mr kunz
reports that the first really important dis
c0very OF uniO pearls was made near
Paterson, n. j., in 1857. in the form %
ihe "quesn pearl" az fine luster. weigh
ing ninety-three grains. which was sold
10 Eugenie. wife OF Napoleon III, for
Ufi f4
amount As a result the unios AZ Notch
Prook where IL was found. were gathered
by the million and destroyed
Within "a year fully Si5.No worth Of
pearls were sent TO the New York mar
ket. Then the shipments gradually fell
on Some Of the best American pearls
that were next found were st Waynes
Vile Ohio. where Mr. israel tt. Harris
formed an exceedingly tine cullectlou. II
contained more than two thousand speci-
mems. weighing more than as many
grains Among them were one button
shaped on the back and weighing thirty
eight grains. several almost transparent
pink ones and one showing where the
pearl had grown almost entirely through
The Union.
IL 1850 d number DC magnlncently coll
ored pearls were found ai different places
ia the creeks and rivers of Wisconsin, Of
which more Than $1,000 worth were sent
% New York within three months. These
discoveries led io immense activity So
pearl hunting through an thc streams or
the region. and in three 0r four seasons
the shells were nearly exhausted.
The pearl fisheries af Wisconsin have
produced M least S-Jnul0 worth of pearls
since 1851. Another outbreak % che
..poiri -lnaniar occurred in Arkansas ii
1897 and extended into tna indian Ter
rii0rp. Missouri. Gelrlia ana nthct states.
There are pearls in the Tennessee river
and in the pecos OF TtXas THE mnssDl
which produces pearls fnay DE easily
known hy the beautiful naefe1ns matte-,
or mOthrr-of-pcarl with which lts shell
IS lined Whenever such perfect peary
shells are found pearls mas be- expected
iu some of them.