The Florida star., 1902-07-25
THE PHILIPPINE PEARLS
Chance 20 Divert Valuable
Trade to United States.
FACTS ABOUT TEE J0LO PRODUCT
Fishing Grounds OF Our Tropfc Seas
Are Credited With FurniShiua
Greatest Number of the Finest
Round PearIs-How the Beautiful
Mother OF Pearl Is Utilized

Our new possessions in the orient
reach down 10 within five degrees Of the
equator, where, scattered over 4 tropiC
sea, as though sown from the hand
OF creative giant. is found the JolG
archipelago, says Il special dispatch
from Wushiu-IJal 10 the New Yurk
Tribune. The pearl and shell fisheries
of the JOlo waters are little known III
the world al large and only 10 Il limit
Ell degree 10 commerce. Yet upon the
authority OF expert testimony they
rank i'll quality of product and posi-
biIty OF Development with the famed
and ancient grounds ut &c! Ion uud the
Persian gulf ami the more nioderI.
areas Uf Australia AID Torres strait.
The iiShinE grounds uf the Jolu irchi-
p"liS" are credited with coujribu-.n.
today Tie greatest number OI Ihc uLcs
rounI ic.,rlS that lind their way into
the channels Ui couImcrcc The rcarl:.
themselves are simply side issue. ur.
rather. Il h!pr"duct. the pear! oyster
Shell. the mother OF pearl oI commerce..
being the principal onjrct oI the fisher
man : quest. They Wv.-h FROM ole. L.
eiSEj l"UiIds u par. some Il Jl,.. I,-
Ing as large aS dinner plates aId al
most a> round. 1h"E ar" Si..ppt.d il.
large quantities Io S;:-"t ur.. a..d Lon
don, and the business. liz" many u,h..r
industries ia the Philippines. il to :;
large d"-ree i'll the hands OF China
men. who pay the natives fruII ~ Ia
90 cents Il pound Tor the shells. and il
Is estimated that only from ui.c-ualf L.
! per cent a.! the shells contain Ip.I.l>.
Aside from the Irregular ana crude
hShnG of the natives. there are two
companies. one En=li>h and one chi
neSe. with headquarters at J"lu which
pursue the business in ,r,l..lli,.
manner. with suitable vessels u-..l .,i,l.i
their divers with diving suits AL 60.
ploy all the modern appliances for deep
sea explorations. l.c Tnie~
NAMED pay ii certain ~ IitHn
OF .Iulu for the pr.vilonS and
that tE,. business i~' k b,
assumed from Tie Ius in II low uar
tered Bank o. luIi.s y u>tralia AMI
china and the HonSk"nc and Shanghai
Banni:.% corporation have extensive III |
tCTCs,S in ii.
The conditions essential to the great |
cSJ d-Vc.unmcU; e.. III" mother uf pearl |
and Tie pearl E"IrinG mul.u>k are /
rr"fy Eu,tcIn. uc;lg mud. and especially |
where there is Il luNUriuvS supply oI |
vegetation. coral cups and |
another beautiful coral growth rcSem-
bling coach whips" four or five feet
II length. Sweeping tides AMI an abun-
lance of living reefs are particularly |
favorable to the growth of this beauti-
'ul iridesCent mOllusk These cOndi-
ions exist 10 perfection in the waters
II the Jolo archipelago. where pearl
ishing is now carried on 10 a limited
xtent, and also along the coast OF
'aiawan, as we'll as along the Min
anao shores of the Jolo and Celebes
cas-.
Ii is estimated that the area suited
D the growth and propagation of the
earl oyster covers approximately To-
90 square miles. an area large enough
, furnish a supply Of mother of pearl
lore than sufficient TO meet the present
-mand OF the entire world, and the