Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-08-03

covered cold for $500, another brought
$4,000, and pearls worth 500 are QUITE
common. The fishing Is done on the
basis OF the profit IN the shells, and the
pearls are clear gain.
ARTIFICIAL PEARL MAKING.
The pearl oyster farm which was es-
tablished on Friday Island was started
by q company with a German scientist
at It's head. The bay was stocked with
young oysters and the German was
employed 10 put q little piece OF glass
or grain OF sand inside the shell OF
each oyster. With the expectation that
the oysters would throw out the secre-
lions which form the pearls about these
bits Of glass and sand, coating them
more and more until al last they be-
came good sized round pears. The
glass wgs,tried first and after that the
sand. but 50 far, ! am told. the expert
ment has been an absolute failure.
And still II Is said that some irritat-
ing substance is the cause Of every
pearl A pearl cut In two. looked at
through a strong lens. shows c0ncentrlc
layers like an onion and In the center
Is a round hole. and sometimes In this
center, IL il said, a Grain of sand.
jewelers. frequently cut pearls In pieces,
and their experience Is that there Is
always a hole In the center, II Is sup
posed that the grain Of sand irritates
the oyster and that IL exudes this car
Donate Of lime, coating II over and over
until II becomes a smooth round BAH
which does not hurt It.
PEARL FISHING IN INDIA.
The greatest pearl fisheries OF the
world are those of the Indian ocean,
both about Ceylon and In the Persian
gull. Here vast quantities Of pearls
are found, the oysters being taken more
for their pearls than for their shells.
In one season as many as II 900, 900 were
brought 10 the surface by fifty divers
off the coast Of Ceylon. This work was
under the supervision OF the British
government, which received 100000 as
It's share OF the profits. The divers got
one-fourth Of what they caught, The
largest Ceylon pearls sell there for
about $500, but they bring five or six
times that In Europe. At one time the
government made nearly $1,000. 900 q
year out OF them, but. the product has
fallen off, and II is now usually less
than One-tenth that amount.
The pearl fisheries Of the Bay OF Ben
gal, Of China and Of the South seas
are said to yield about $4,000, 900 a year,
while those In the Persian gulf bring In
more than $1,000, 900 annually.
| have seen them fishing for pearls
IN the Bay OF Panama, and while there
heard Of a curious lawsuit between a
ship owner and some men he had en-
ployed TO clean the b~arnacles off the
hull OF his vessel, Among the barna-
Giles, az the story goes, a pearl oyster
was found, and In that oyster an opal
escent globule worth 500 600. The ship
owner claimed the pearl, but the men
refused 70 give II up, and hence the
suit,
PEARLS OF GREAT PRICE.
Today some OF the finest pearls Of the
world go to China. There Is a big de-
mand for them among the mandarins
there. Many 20 TO India for sale to the
rajahs, and q large number TO Paris,
whence they are re-eXported.
Fine pearls are still Of great value,
but not as much so as they were in the
past. In Roman times they were worth
more than now. julius Caesar once
presented the mother OF Marcus Brutus
with a pearl valued at s240. 900. Cleo
patra Is said TO have swallowed one
worth $500, 600, and she had another
equally valuable. Philip II OF Spain
received a present Of a Panama pearl
worth $4,000. and a Spanish lady of
Madrid owned one worth 10000 ducats.
During a visit to Constantinople | was
shown the sultan's pearl collection. He
has about a peck OF pearls Of different
sizes, some as bic rs a pigeons egg. and
some no larger than the head Of a pin.
He has quilts embroidered with pearls.
saddle cloths decorated with them, and
a great number OF mirrors with pearl
studdeG handles. which are probably
used by the ladies Of his harem.
Thursday, Island. Torres Strait, South
Pacific Ocean.