River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-11-03
PROFIT IN MUSSEL SHELLS
An Inland Fishing Industry of Indi-
ana That Has Grown Rap
idly of Late.

CanneltOn, in Perry county, is rap
idly gaining fame as a shipping point
Tor muSSel shells, and every year is
adding to the number engaged IN the
industry and to the output of the but
ton factories at Muscaune, Ia, which
is the point to which nearly all of
the shells are being shipped, says an
indianapolis report.
Since the present season opened 125
tons of shells have been shipped, all
OF which were obtained from the Ohio
river within a mile of Cannelton.
The outfit of the mussel fisherman
consists of boat and pair of dredgeS
made from common gas pipes, TO
which are attached many hooks. Each
hook has four prongs. The dredge
is attached to the boat by stout rope,
cast overheard and dragged down the
stream as the boat floats lazily with
the current.
knowledge of the habits of the mus
sci enables the fisherman to take ad-
vantage of it's instinct. It lies in the
water with its shell open, and when
prong of the hook strikes within
the opening of the two shells, they
some together like a wise, and the
iron point is held firmly, the mus
sci holding on till the shells are
broken apart.
When the boat has fioated 80 or 40
yards the dredge is lifted up and
the second dredge is dropped out on
the opposite side. When the haul Is
| inspected the fisherman often finds
that he has 100 or more mussels on
a single dredge.
When the second dredge is drawn
up, the first, after the mussels have
been taken off, is lowered again and
the process is continued till the boat
is loaded with the shells From the
boat the musse1s are transferred to a
large tank holding from 500 to 1000
pounds, in which the mussels are
boiled to loosen the meat from the
shells The shells are then put on
a platform and are cleaned and sort
ed for shipment. Then they are put
on the cars and the fisherman receives
his pay. This during the summer has
been ten dollars ton aboard cars.
While not depending upon by-prod-
ucts, the fishermen are constantly on
the alert for pearls, and some of them
have been made comfortable by their
finds this summer. Many of the
pearls are of irregular shape and
wanting in luster, and these are
thrown away for the fishermen have
learned that to be of value a pearl
must be either round, buttOn-shaped
or pear-shaped, and must be lustrous.
To be of great value it must be not
less than an eighth Of an inch in d.
ameter, and should be either white,
pink, purple, brown or black. dead"
pearls are often found by the fisher
men; that is, pearls OLA dead leaden
color; but for these there is no mar
ket
Another by-product, more plentiful
than pearls. but of less value, is
known as "slugs" They are irregu-
lar in form, and composed of the
same material which goes into the
composition of pearls, but they pos
sess little or no brilliancy. They are
used in the manufacture of cheap jew
cry anu are SOlu dI AIoi1 PA w pA'oo
an ounce
Muscatine, Ia, is the pioneer in this
country in the manufacture Of pearl
buttons. Their manufacture does not
date further back than 1890. There
are now some 40 factories at Mus
catine. and it is the principal seat OF
the industry, though there are fac
tories in nearly all states in which
ro,ceaI che1Js are found