The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1902-01-16
COL. HOWIE TO
~ RAISE Isl PEARLS.
A Muscle Is Just AS Good As An
Oyster.
A NEW VENTURE IN MEcKLEN.
BURG,

A NEW VENTURE IN MEcKtEN-
BURG,
Charlotte Observer.
"The best way that 1 know of 20
make money is raising pearls" said
Col. Jeems G. HOWE at the Central
Hotel last night.
"T[ow2"
"With muscles" replied the colonel.
"You know what 1 mean these little
clam-like things that you see in small
creeks and branches. I believe man
can raise pearls with 'em and make a
fortune if he is only carefully
"The idea of the thing is not origin.
al with ne. A friend of mine from
this State-never mind about his name
was at a restaurant in New York
once. He ordered oysters on the half
she'll and while he was eating them he
found pearl which he took to jew
eler and sold for 1925.
"He was smart fellow, this friend
Of mine was, and finding that oyster set
him to thinking. After making some
investigations he concluded that there
was no reason why he couldn't raise
pearls and he decided that muscle
could breed as good pearl as any oy s.
ter that ever breathed. He went down
to Yadkin county, got lot OF niggers
to help him collect muscles, and be
picked 'em up till he had about forty
barrels full. He put the muscles in
barrels in the bed of small branch,
and fixed the barrels so that the water
would come in and cover the muscle S
and then go through the lower side of
the barrels.
"After the muscles had been in the
barrels Tor several weeks and had fat
tened up some my friend took 'em out
In the sun and when their backs got
hot and they opened their mouths he
dropped In small white pebbles. He
said he calculated that the mucous or
the saliva inside the muscles would
work on the stones in a chemical way
and change 'em into pearls.
"About this time my friend was call
ed to California by the illness OF some
of his wife's folks and while he was
gone there come along big dry spell !;
nobody looked after the muscles and
they died. OF course he was discour-
aged, but he had plenty OF perseverance
and faith in the pearl raising, and pref
ty soon he had collected about fifty
more barrels of muscles and had made
each one of 'em open its mouth and
take a stone inside its craw. He
watched those muscles closely for a
year and then he took 'em out in the
sun to make an examination. He
made 'em open their mouths and he
found that In the mouth of every mus
Gle there was pearl worth about S25.
Well, sir, he said he was the happlest
and proudest man in the world. He
had not only proved that his science
was correct, but he already had a for
tune in his hands. But he decided
that he might as we'll make million
out OF the muscles while he was at it
and so lie put 'em back in the barrels
to let the pearls grow some more.
"And then hard luck came again.
In one night the biggest sort of fresh
ct came down the branch and washed
every muscle away and my friend
could never find one of 'em again. He
said it was terrible thing to think
about those muscles floating down
that branch each one with valuable
pearl in its teeth.
"The second piece of hard luck dis
couraged my friend for long time,
but be told me the other day that he
had decided to go into pearl raising
again. He is coming over to this
county, and may start his pearl ranch
up In Long Greek somewhere. 1t GER
tainly is a fine, easy way to make a
fortune, and I think I'll 60 out with
him and corner few pearls myself"
Then Col. HOWE resumed discus.
sion on the efficacy of going barefooted
to cure corns.
STATE OF OHIO, CITY OF TOLEDO. ..
LUCAS COUNTY.
FRANK J. CHENEY makes oath that
he is the senior partner OF the firm of
F. J. CHENEY & Co., doing business in
the City of Toledo, County and State
mi