The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-08
OUR AMERICAN PEARLS
IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY MANY
FINDERS HAVE MADE FORTUNES.
Taken to France and Mounted, They
Come Back a Oriental Gems
Various Pearl Centers.


India. but after drilling them in the French
capital invoiced them to a firm of American
jewelers. as Oriental pearls. When the man
who had sold them TO the Frenchman re-
turned TO New York few days ago he
found the gems on exhibition in a New York
showcase. He recognized them Immediately
as the ones he had sold to his French Gus
toner, and for the fun of the thing he
thought he would inquire about the price.
1--WE are asking $4,000 for them" replied
the jeweler. They are genuine Orientals
and we ought to get little more, seeing
that the price Of pearls is going up"
''Wait minute" said the expert. PLEASE
turn that pearl over. Now look. Just at the
edge Of the hole where the gem is drilled you
will find a dark colored spot. See 1t? Looks
as IL the skin had been bruised and had
healed"
The jeweler looked. screwing his '1oup"
up to his eye and taking careful squint.
That's right" he said finally. Then he
snatched away his '1oup" and gazed at the
dealer Say" he asked. looking at the ex-
pert sharply and hugging the pearl tight
"who are your
Tell you later; let's talk about those
pearls. They are interesting to me. used
TO own them once. bought them out in
Newport, Ark, when they hadn't been out
of the water more than fifteen minutes.
They cost me less than $4,000. 1 sold them
In Paris for $4,000. They cost you about $780,
900. could have sold them to you for $4,000.
Now. here's my name; here are some pearls
domestic ones like yours. Want to buy?"
The jeweler almost fell over at the first
revelation, but the second rallied him.
NO" he said. rigidly. I'VE don't want to
handle any domestic pearls. 1t will spoil our
trade and reputation"
1t Is doubtful whether this or any other
jeweler viii be able much longer to handle
domestic pearls as Oriental jewels and
thereby secure big profits, for the simple
reason that the pearl-bearing clans are dis
appearing from the bottom Of the Missis-
sippi river and Its tributaries at rate that
threatens total extinction Of the species in
a very short time. Many of the most pro-
ductive rivers Of the pearling sections have
been swept clean OF the pearl makers, and
unless something is done soon a business
that is worth hundreds OF thousands of dol
lars annually to the people OF those Sec
tons Will pass away quickly as 1t came.
And In this conjunction it Is interesting to
note that the pearl oysters of Ceylon are
now so scarce that the government is soon
to put in force law which will prohibit all
pearl fishing for a period Of FIVE years.
FORTUNES FOR FINDERS.
Within the past three years more than
100000 worth of pearls have been taken
from the waters of the Mississippi valley.
AT least three-fourths of the pearls have
come from the Black and White rivers OF
ArLo oIo M o<
the gems were taken from the Black river
alone. most OF which came from a section
not twenty miles long, with Newport as its
center. Last year less than 81, 0O00 worth
were taken, and this season the output has
fallen OF more than so per cent. The Black
river has been entirely cleaned out and
the swarm OF fortune hunters has gone over
to the White river. few miles distant, and
that. too, has given up nearly all it's wealth.
When this river has been depleted the
largest pearling region in the middle West
Will become what 1t originally was-an
appropriated wilderness. Already thousands
OF people have left and Newport and other
towns which sprang up in a night are rapid
ly dwindling. In Newport more business
houses and dwellings are vacant than are
occupied; its population has fallen within
q little more than year from 1900 to 1900.
The other important domestic pearl center
Is on the Mississippi itself. around Prairie
Du Chem, Wis. but 1t does not compare
with the Southern beds, and fishing for
pearls there Is more OF a side line to the
industry or obtaining shells for the numer-
GUS pearl button factories along the river
I'm this vicinity. The pearl button, oil and
fertilizing industries have been as largely
responsible for the defamation OF the pearl
bearing clam beds as the pearl hunters
and both have decorated the shores OF the
Mississippi from La Crosse, Wis, to New
Orleans with evidence OF their ravages
The pearling fever started in the summer
OF 1900. An old sunburns fisherman was the
cause OF IL He was fishing from a skiff
anchored In the middle Of the Black river;
his bait ran out and he wanted some more.
The easiest way to get it was to rake up
a clam from the bottom of the stream,
about eight feet below the surface OF the
water. The bivalve that he brought up
was an innocent-looking specimen, and there
was nothing In its appearance that fore
Swallowed the great excitement to come.
The fisherman. whistling q little tune, in
serted his knife blade between the shells
and prisd them apart. AS he did q beau
tiful round. lustrous pearl dropped out on
the thwart OF the skiff and rolled to the
bottom OF the craft, where 1t lay giistening
IN the forenoon sun.
EXCITEMENT REUSED.
The fisherman sat blinking at IL for full
minute. then made dive for IL, and worked
harder than he ever had before in his life
TO get TO shore on the double quick. He
sold the pearl to a local Jeweler for 800 and
retired to private life. His retirement, how
ever. lasted less than a week, for the report
OF the find spread far and wide. and the in
habitants OF that section, including the
fisherman, rushed at the sendbeds at the
bottom of the Black river with all kinds of
implements. from pitchforks to scow
dredges, and piled the river banks with
CLAIMS for miles up and down the stream.
The jeweler who had purchased the pearl
from the fisherman sold 1t in New York for
5000 which was more than he had made
IN his little store In three years.
The excitement was intense in Arkansas.
and in a comparatively short time every
inhabitant In the vicinity OF the Black
river, both old and young. male and female,
were delving for clans and pearls. Laborers
left the farms, clerks and business men
turned fortune-seekers, and even society
women went down to the shores of the
stream and waded into the water search