The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-17
One Of the Unique Industries
Carried on Along Ohio River
In the
But ions .Occ onall, FineP Pearls Secured"
How the Work Is Done

shells are then shoveled upon platform.
where they are sorted and cleared or all
animal matter. The flesh is also shoveled
upon the platform, but in pile TO itself.
We have now got TO the most interesting
part of the business. This mass of flesh
must be thoroughly searched for pearls.
POETRY OF THE BUSINESS.
The pearl feature gives TO the business of
''musseling" an intense fascination. It's
the poetry of the business. The thought
that such a mass of ugly, vile-smelling flesh
may contain a fortune In the shape of
priceless gem is a stimulus to harder eff
forts. And yet what dsappointments beset
the pearl-hunter, a pearl, to be valuable.
must be perfect-absolutely without flaw.
What must be the chagrin of the person
who finds a pearl that is almost perfect
that would perhaps be worth hundreds of
dollars were it not for that one little i'm
perfection A pearl no matter how large,
how lustrous is almost worthless if il con-
tains the least flaw. The majority of pearls
found in fresh-water mussels contain i'm
projections. However. occasionally a gem
perfect in every respect is found.
The best found in this vicinity last season
was one about the size of pea. This pearl
was sold for SlSO Quite number of gems
were found that ranged in price from $40 to
$50. Imperfect pearls classed as
'slugs,' and are sold for about 81 per ounce.
"Slugs" are composed of the same sub
stance that enters the composition of the
true pearl but they come in all shapes.
whereas the true pearl must be perfectly
round or an exact pear shape. a great
many "slugs" are found. it being estimated
that each ton of mussels yields from one
TO two dollars worth of "slugs.
In this connection il may not be amiss to
say something concerning the formation of
pearls and "slugs." These interesting prod
ucts are formed by the mussel. A foreign
within the shell. This foreign body irritates
the mussel, who TO protect itself envelopes
IL with coat of nacre. Successive layers
of nacre are deposited around the sub
stance and the longer it remains within the
| shell the larger the pearl or Slug will be.
| Over six hundred years ago the Chinese dis
an Of nss ana of the
number of mussels they pry the shells
| open and insert various foreign substances,
| usually a small leaden image of Buddha
The mussels are then placed in shallow
| ponds. After five or six months the mus
sells are taken out OF the water and the
images are found to be covered with nacre.
In the olden time these images of Buddha
excited much wonder and were highly
priced by the ignorant.
The business of catching mussels as a
product for the manufacture of pearl but
tons is comparatively a one. Prior to
the establishment of the first pearl button
factory in this country few people in vari-
Gus parts of the country were engaged in
catching mussels for pearls, but that the
shells possessed a commercial value was not
thought of. The credit of establishing the
| first pearl button factory in America be-
! longs TO Mr. j. F. BOepple of Muscatine
Ia. Mr.. Boepple was native of Hamburg.
Germany and was an employe in a pearl
| button factory of that city. In 1891 Mr..
| BOepple started the first fresh-water pearl
/ button factory in the United States. The
venture ultimately proved successful. The
/ business has since grown until now ii is one
of the established industries of the country.
Muscatine is still the center of the indus
try, and several year ago no less than forty
pearl button factories were located there.
The last census report states that the prod
| uct Of the fresh-water pearl button fac
| tories was As per cent. of the entire button
output. The reason for this enormous
| growth Is obvious. Prior to the establish
| ment of the first fresh-water pearl button
factory in this country there were a num-
Der OF factories that made buttons out of
ocean pearl or mother-Of- pearl shells. While
the ocean pearl shell costs the manufacture
| er from $50 10 $50 per one hundred pounds,
| the fresh-water shell, the Unto, or Niger
/ head" they are commonly called. cost
no more than 60 or 20 cents per one hun
| dred pounds.
The manufacture of pearl buttons is ex-
| tremely simple. The buttons are sawed out
/ of the rough shells by delicate saws. The
| saws are hollow cylindrical pieces of steel.
| with a diameter corresponding to the size
| of the button. TAYLOR u. RICHEY. p
! Cannelton, Ind.