The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-04-14
SHORT TALKS WITH
GUESTS At THE HOTELS.

Little has been said recently concerning
the pearl industry Of Arkansas. but 1t is
a most flourishing profession in which a
large number of people are engaged. j. b.
Kerwin. who lives near Harrison, Ark, who
Is at the Planters Hotel, brought pearls Fri
! day to market in st. Louis. In speaking Of
the industry he said:
after the first flush Of the pearl business
in Arkansas subsidized people went to work
along the White River digging for the fresh
water pearls. Most OF them have met with
success since they began operations. Sew
eral pearl prospectors build fiatboats on the
river and as they float down the stream
they hunt for pearls. It takes a season
at the rate they travel to reach the mouth
Of the river, but while they are at 1t they
pick up several hundred dollars worth Of
the little white articles. Others who strike
a particularly good field work it until 1t Is
apparently exhausted, securing several thou
sand dollars in pearls.
ITS a strange fact. but true. that pearls
are shipped to France and afterward re-
turned to this country and sold at fancy
prices. / can buy all the fine pearls I want
for prices ranging from $50 to 500. II these
Arkansas pearls were sent to Europe and
returned they would sell for twice the
money. Several black pearls have been
found which bring big sums and are always
in demand
'tSt. Louis is a good market for the Ar
kansas pearl. Hundreds are brought here
annually and disposed Of to regular pur-
chasers. Other finders take their pearls to
New York, but there Is little difference In
the price"
ITO a Missourian, travelling through F1o--
Ida the number Of new things he encounters
is surprising" said z. A. Barbour. a prom
inent Springfield attorney, who was at the
Planters Hotel. II just returned from q
three weeks trip through that State. and 1
did not anticipate such conditions. It's a
pleasant place to live in winter. but that
is about the extent. From Tallahassee TO
Jacksonville, a distance of 800 miles or
more. there is not a city of sufficient size
to warrant the name. It's nothing but sand
all the way over-sand and negroes. There
are plenty Of the latter, and such ignorance
IS hard to find as 1t is there.
Colonel FIagler seems to " most OF
the State. He is credited with owning the
whole business, and any one who takes a
run over his railroad will think so. His
hotels are fine, but they are expensive.
"One thing 1 noticed Is that the railroads
charge 4 and S cents a mile. 1t looks a lit
tie steep to Missourians. When you take in
Consideration the traffic lasts only a few
months 1t will be seen that Mr.. Flagler
has to put on a stin price to make his roads
pay all year. The equipment Is superb. Nest
of the people who travel in that country
demand 1t. and the few cents per mile in
rates they have to pay is small considera- !
ton with them"
THE demand for lumber is unprecedent-
ed" said J. A. Porter, a lumberman, who
is stopping at the Planters. II never saw |
the like before. The demand extends from |
New York to the Pacific Coast. There IL
moro building in the country now than I !
nave seen for years. It's not only in the
North, but the South also has caught the
fever. Lumber prices have gone skyward