The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-05
LOUIS ". BUNDE
IS PEARL KING.
How Well-known Jeweler Discov.
cred Value of Wisconsin's
Fisheries. al,
HIS FIRM HAS GROWN RICH.
Thousands of Dollars Worth of
Gems Taken From Rivers
Annually and
T. Sold. =
HIS FIRM HAS GROWN RICH.

Milwaukee Wis. July 4-"The Pearl
King" IS the name that has been applied 10
S-suts W. Bunde by the dealers in gems, not
only in this country, but in Europe. The
Ertn Of which he is the head has invested
upwards of s5oo,Oo0 In Wisconsin pearls since
they were first discovered, about twenty
years ago. and it is safe to say they have
feaped 4 rich harvest from the buying and
selling OF those articles
The history OF the pearl industry cannot
be separated from the biography Of Mr.
Bunde. 1t was he who stood out in oppo-
sttion TO all tho jewelers. in the Northwest
IN declaring that they not only had value,
but that they were the equal OF any 10 be
found in the world. 1t in the month
OF June. 1855, that an aSIicultuvist invaded
the little jewelry store at Wisconsin and
milwaukee, streets. and producing from his
trousers pockets the fragments of an old
newspaper. proceeded 10 shake out from its
folds a little white substance round as q
marble and white as the driven snow.
ASKED If IT WAS VALUABLE
us that worth anything" he inquired.
It's a pearl" replied Mr.. Bunde. Where
1Id you get it?''
Found it in 4 clam that ! picked up
along the banks of the Sugar River in
Green County. What Will you give for IT,
Twenty-Five dollars"
1t is yours, replied the man, who pock-
eted his money and left.
Mr.. Bunde and his partner, Mr.. Upmeyer,
placed the little pearl under the microscope;
they turned 1t round and round ana became
satisfied that they had made a valuable pur-
chase.
The story of the finding of pearls became
noised about the city and out into the
State. and there was a rush for the BANKS
OF Sugar River in Green County that
was equal to the stampede Tor the gold
fields of the West in, earlier days
Farmers left their fields and went to hunt
ing for pearls along the banks OF the Sugar
and the Pocatonica rivers.
FARMER BOYS JOIN RUSH
The farmer boy hurried through with his
chores, and with bright visions of future
wealth hied himself 10 the rivers and there.
with trousers rolled up to the top notch.
boys and men felt about OH the bottom of
the river with their feet for CLAIMS. and
when they found them they dove down.
brought them up and went to the shore
TO investigate the interior OF the shells for
pearls. the farmers wife was out with the
break of day. armed with Il rake or hoe,
and with these implements she searched
the depths along the shore for clans. Some
of the men and all of the boys. as the rush
for the prizes increased. waded out into the
streams until the water came up to their
Lands all day long. Some of the unfortu-
mates would bring up a hundred of the BIZ
valves without finding pearl. while the for
tunate ones would find dozens of them IN
the same number of shells.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Bunde sent his partner,
Mr.. Cpmeyer, TO the scene of the pearl
traversed the borders Of the river day after
day. purchasing all the pearls that were
offered for sale.
IDEA RIDICULED AT FRET.
At frs, the jewellers of Milwaukee and
Chicago and other cities ridiculed the idea
that the Wisconsin pearls had any value,
and predicted dire disaster for the jewelers.
who We're engaged in taking the whole sup
ply as fast as it was brought forth Ia
EGtlle instances where extra fine pParl
was found IL was purchased by Mr.. Up
meyer at It's full retail value, the object be-
Ing not to allow it TO find its way into the
knands of other jewelers. and awaken them
the true situation.
In mt, the meantime an office for, the disposal
OF the pearls had been opened In New York
by Mr.. Bundle and his partner. the reputa-
ton of the stones extended across the ocean
10 Europe. and the Wisconsin pearl became
staple article in the markets of Europe.
As the little streams in Green County
We're stripped hare of their CLANS by the
cred in which the pearls We're 10 be found
and finally 1t was found that the bottom of
the Mississippi River for miles up and down
the stream, in the neighborhood of Prairie
du Chen, was coated over with CLAIMS.
This led 10 the invention of contrivances
for bringing them TO the surface by means
OF draSs. and ruwboats, and bargeS, and
small steamers were pressed into service.
CLAM SHELLS ACQUIRE VALUE.
Then the large piles of clam shells de-
tracted the attention OF men from Europe
who were engaged in the manufacture of
pearl buttons. with the result that the pearl
button industry was added 10 the resources
of Wisconsin Men who had up to this time
been engaged in the precerious business of
hunting for pearl-bearing CLAIMS and We're
often obliged to count their days labor as
lost found themselves able to make good
wages and at the same time he in posi-
ton to profit by any pearls they might find.
One of the fortunate hunters near Prairie
Gu Chen found single pearl. large as a
marble and perfectly round. without a flaw.
flor which he was paid sS.0Oo by Mr.. Bunde.
E-arge numbers of the Wisconsin pearls are
being sent to Paris. Berlin. London and
other centers. where they find ready sale in
competition with pearls from all parts of
the world.
l.. W. Bunde was born in this city about
forty-fve years ago. His partner. Mr.. Up
meyer, is also a native of Milwaukee and
their boyhood days were spent together.
While as boys they attended different
schools, they were inseparable companions
and 1t was during their boyish hunting.
skating and fishing expeditions that ttey
laid the plans to go into business together
With this end in view they learned the jew
elers' trade and in 1850 started the business
which has since grown into the Bunde &
Upmeyer Company.