Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1902-07-25

e
of Jolo for the privilege of fishing, and |
/ that the business is profitable may DE
assumed from the fact that the Char
/ tered Bank of India, Australia ana |
| China and the HOngkong and Shanghai
/ Ranking corporation have extensive ill.,
/ tcrests In il.
The conditions essential TO the great
est development of the mother of pearl
| and the pearl bearing mOllusk are a
| reefy bottom. near mud, and especially
where there is a luxurious supply OF
submarine vegetation, coral cups ana
! another beautiful coral growth resem'
| bling coach whips four or five rect
| I'm length. Sweeping tides and an album
dance of living reefs are particularly
! favorable TO the growth of this beautl-
| full iridescent mollusk. These condi-
lions exist to perfection In the waters
of the Jolo archipelago. where pearl
! fishing is now carried on TO limited
extent. and also along the coast OF
Palawan, as we'll as along the Min
danao shores of the Jolo and Celebes
seas.
II Is estimated that the area suited
TO the growth and propagation of the
pearl oyster covers approximately TO-
600 square miles, an area large enough
to furnish n supply of mother OF pearl
more than sufficient to meet the present
demand of the entire world, and the
Imagination only can picture the num-
her. beauty ard value of the beautiful
pearls "of purest ray serene that await
discovery in the warm waters of those
faroff eastern seas.
While most mollusks secrete mother
of pearl, there are few that yield
pearls, and the best producer OF both
is the pearl oyster of the Jolo waters.
The finding of the pearl, however. Is
as uncertain as the finding of rich mug.
gets in placer mining. 1t has been
found that In opening over 5000 shells
not a single pearl worth $50 was en-
countered, and, again, as many rs
dozen have been found in single
shell, and there is n story current that
, an Englishman a few years ago found
shell devoid of the oyster, but con
tanning sixty-tve pearls.
, The value of the Jolo pearl, as OF all
others, depends upon its size shape,
color, brightness and freedom from de-
fects. Perfectly round pearls weigh
ing over twenty-five grains are rare
and very expensive. Pearls are sold
by the pearl grain, four grains being
equal to n carat. The formula Tor
finding the price of pearl beginning
at size larger than grain. is to
. square its weight and multiply the
: product by me value of single grain
two grain pearl therefore. being
worth four times and a five grain pearl
being worth twenty-five times the val
ne of a grain.
In the large collection of pearls of
!; the sultan of Jolo have always been
= many specimens rare in size, form and
luster. few have found their way
, into the markets of London and Paris
n as the condition of the royal eXchequer
ran low, and their excellence may be
judged by the refusal to part with
4 them at prices even higher than obtain
In Europe. Upon the death of a for
.. mer sultan in 1879 there was found
among his effects a box full of pearls
I. of large size and superior quality.
10 Upon his demise, as frequently occurs
Il in oriental households, the contents of
II this box disappeared, but Il portion of
10 the contents was subsequently recov'
cred by his son and successor, the sui
Il tan Buderoodn, and Il few were sold
a. in 1882 in order to defray the expenses
III of his pilgrimage to Mecca. Since that
r. date a large number of fine pearls have
G. found their way into the possession OF
III the reigning sultan, WHO has been slow
to part with them.
:" The pearl oyster shell Is valuable
and its merit depends upon the quality
~ Of the hard, silvery, iridescent or nacre
Gus lining particularly noticeable il
the Jolo product. The varieties known
IN to commerce are the white, the COLDER
IS. edged and the black edged shells. Tn,
20 market price varies from $500 to S9O(
III a ton according to quality and the
I'd source of production, the Jolo shells
TX ranking highest in the market.
he The chief sources of the present sup
til ply are Torres strait, Western Austria
o. liza and the Jolo archipelago Unit
1856 Manila was the great center OF
this trade In the orient, and the entir,
product Of the surrounding seas be
r came known as Manila shells, but tn,
J shortsighted policy of Spain in dealin,
with her insular possessions forced thu
transfer Of this entire traffic to tn,
lie British port of Singapore. The pres
ent mother Of pearl trade of the United
States Is In an unfortunate and alb
normal condition because the raw ma
m terial, the pearl oyster she'll produc
Il Of United States territory, passes frs
into British or Chinese hands through
n. Singapore and thence to London
-. whence it is shipped to the Unite'
. States, to be worked up in American
- factories. 1t is needless to say tina
III this condition should not be allowed t
continue. Nor is the industry one o
nt little importance. The importations o
ho shells into the United States in 1S9
~ were valued at $90G,S52, in 1899 a
$973,044 and in 1900 at $1,O10, 1870; S
i' 1t is business that is showing
''o healthy and normal growth and is on
ch in which the United States promises
TX lead the world.
les The same care bestowed upon th
10 pearl oyster grounds of the Philippine
NJ that is now given to the oyster bed
he of the Chesapeake bay would no doul
ey be attention wisely bestowed, and til
ISL United States fish commission has II
ed more interesting problem before
he than to apply the eXperience gaine