West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-07-15
THE PHILIPPINE PEARLS
Chance to Divert a Valuable
Trade to United States.
FACTS ABOUT THE JOLo PRODUCT.

Are Credited With Furnishing
Greatest Number of the Finest
Round Pearls-How the Beautiful
Mother of Pearl Is Utilized.
Our new possessions in the orient
reach down to within five degrees of the
equator. where, scattered over tropic
sea, as though sown from the hand
of creative giant, is found the Jolo
archipelago, says q special dispatch
from Washington to the New York
Tribune. The pearl and shell fisheries
of the Jolo waters are little known to
the world at large and only to limit
ed degree to commerce, yet upon the
authority Of expert testimony they
rank in quality of product and posi-
bility of development with the famed
and ancient grounds of Ceylon and the
Persian gulf and the more modern
areas of Australia and Torres strait.
The fishing grounds of the Jolo archi-
pelago are credited with contributing
today the greatest number Of the finest
round pearls that find their way into
the channels of commerce. The pearls
themselves are simply side issue, or,
rather, a byproduct, the pearl oyster
shell, the mother Of pearl Of commerce,
being the principal object of the fisher
mans quest. They weigh from one to
eight pounds a pair, some OF them be-
ing as large as dinner plates and al
most as round. They are shipped in
large quantities to Singapore and Lon
don, and the business, like many other
industries in the Philippines, is to a
large degree in the hands Of China
men, who pay the natives from 40 to
60 cents a pound for the shells, and 1t
is estimated that only from one-half to
/ per cent of the shells contain pearls.
Aside from the irregular and crude
fishing of the natives, there are two
companies, one English and one Chi
nese, with headquarters at Jolo, which
pursue the business in a systematic
manner, with suitable vessels, and equip
their divers with diving suits and en-
ploy all the modern appliances for deep
sea explorations. The companies
named pay certain sum to the sultan
of Jolo for the privilege Of fishing, and
that the business is profitable may be
assumed from the fact that the Char
tered Bank of India, Australia and
China and the Hongkong and Shanghai
Banking corporation have extensive in
tereSts in it.
The conditions essential to the great
est development of the mother of pearl
and the pearl bearing mollusk are
reefy bottom, near mud, and especially
where there is a luxurious supply OF
submarine vegetation, coral cups and
another beautiful coral growth resem.
bling coach whips four or five feet
in length. Sweeping tides and an album
dance of living reefs are particularly
favorable 10 the growth Of this Deauti-
full iridesceNt molluSk. These condl-
tons 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 well rs along the Min
danao shores of the Jolo and CeleDes
seas.
II is estimated that the area suited
to the growth and propagation OF the
pearl oyster covers approximately To-
900 square miles, an area large enough
to furnish q supply Of mother OF pearl
more than sufficient to meet tie present
demand of the entire world. and the
imagination Only can picture the num-
Der, beauty ard v%lUe OF the GeautlIul
pcarls of purPSt ray serene that await
discovery in the uGrm waters OF those
farOff eastern seas.
While most InolluSks Secrete mother
of pearl there are few that ylelu
pearls. and the best producer OF Doth
is the pearl oyster 0! the Jolo waters
The finding Of the pearl. however. Is
rs uncertain us the finding of rich mug
gets in placer mining. 1t has been
found that III opening over J,OOo Shells
not a single pearl worth SO WAS en-
countcrpd. and. again. as many as
dozen have been found in single
shell. and there is story current tha'
Ill Euglishman a few years ago found
q shell devoid OF the oyster, but con
tanning siXty-dve pearls.
The value OF TIC Jolo pearl. as Of al
others. depends upon its size. shap1
color. brightness ard freedom from &C.
fects. Perfectly round pearls weigh
Ing over twenty-five grains are rare
and very EXPENSIVE. Pearls are sold