Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-08-08
PEARL CITY FTHEWES1
Facts About a New Industry
on the Mississippi.
VISIT TO THE PEARL1Ne GROUNDS

Picturesque Village of White Tent,
Marks Location of the Camping
of Pearl Hunters Nea,
Langdon, Minn.-Process of Catch
ing CLANS and Extracting the
Pearls.
Pearl hunting in the Mississippi is
growing more enthusiastic each day
and bids fair to soon become one Of the
greatest industries on the Father of
Waters. A st. Paul Pioneer Press cor
respondent a few days ago visited the
large pearling grounds recently located
above Langdon, Mimi, and found the
hunters actively engaged in catching.
cooking and sorting the clans, wherein
the most valuable Of pearls are found.
The camping grounds are situated on
the bank Of the river, and their many
white tents dotted here and there pre-
sent quite a picturesque village, which
has been appropriately designated as
the "Pearl City"
a large number of families are 1ocat-
ed there. The woods abound in ducks.
geese, turkeys, chickens, pigs, cows.
ETC., belonging to the inhabitants.
whose entire subsistence is the clam
meats. One family occupies a house
a of several rooms, and it may well
be called a Floating palace" as the
furnishings Inside are as neat and styI-
lsh as any modern residence on land.
ON q water are to be seen large
fleets Of clamboats, the occupants be-
Ing industriously engaged In catching
the CLAIMS by means Of numerous large
wire hooks attached to iron bars from
is to 20 feet in length, two bars con-
tanning 30 to 100 hooks being on each
BOAT. Then the CLAIMS are brought
ashore and placed in large cooking
pans holding half a ton each, with fur
mace attached, where they are allowed
to cook an hour. By this means they
readily open themselves. After q
Ing through the process of cooking
they are shcveled on to large tables to
cool.
Then comes the most interesting part
OF the labor, the sorting of shells and
looking over meats after pearls. Near
ly every clam contains some sort OF
pearl either perfect or imperfect. the
latter being termed 'sIugs' and found
IN abundance of all sizes and shapes.
Inc price received for the slugs Is
Sl.0O per ounce, and many larger
unique shaped ones bring as high as
$40 to 500, according to their luster.
Many very valuable pearls have been
discovered in these clans, and i'm
mense fortunes are within the grasp
Of these dfligent workers.
Only a few years ago such an indus
try was not dreamed OF. The shells
are towed in barges by steamboat to
the many large button factories Iocat-
ed at down river cities, where the finest
pearl buttons are manufactured from
them, and $40 to $12 per ton is real
from the shells.
Each hunter is capable of securing
from one and a half to two tons daily. /
Many shells are found with magnif-
cent pearls attached to them. These
are sold to eastern pearl buyers, large
sums being realized for them, as they |
are very rare. One such shell found a |
few days ago by Mr.. Kish is valued at |
SIS.
This a gasoline launches will be |
brought into service to tow barges of |
shells down the river. A magnificent |
is now anchored at the pearling |
grounds at Langdon to be utilized by
the workers. It is generally thought |
a large button factory will be To-
Gated nearer the Twin Cities In the
near future for the better accommoda-
ton Of clam hunters at up river points.