The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-01-21
PEARLS OF VENEZUELA
TWO-THiRDS OF THE WORLDS
SUPPLY FOUND IN SOUTH
AMERICA.

Beds of Pear-Bearing Oysters Found
on Reefs Miles Long-0reat Forces
of Fishermen Constantly Searching
for Them.
AT present twcrthirds of the supply
Of pearls comes from South America"
said B. c. Durall, who has but recent
ly returned from a visit to tropical
countries. "Off the coast Of Venezuela
great reefs of pearl oysters are found,
in two to eight fathoms of water, and
the natives. Spanish and Indians, de-
scendants Of the Aborigines, fish for
pearls for a livelihood About 600
boats with crews work most all the
time. These boats consist of crew
Of four men, dredging machinery, a
net with sinkers to drag in the oyster
shells.
ION an island which is off the coast
away from the rain belt, and in shall
low water, nothing is produced but
fancy shells, coral and pearls The
natives go almost nude. and live on
fish and fruit, but trade in pearls.
They will show you strings of them,
papers full of them Almost everyone
has them, some have fine specimens,
others the small seed pearls. Pearls
to these people are almost like money,
and the natives. will stop you on the
street and offer you pearls at most
any price, as pearls is their commod-
ity, and the supply seems to be mex
haustible.
1T was the desire of Germany to
purchase this lonely island as coal
ing station as they want a foothold
in the West Indies. The government
decided to sell for about $50 1000, but
the United States refused to allow any
foreign power to purchase it, and it
remains barren place, occupied by
about 1000 natives, very few for
eigners, and pearl fishing is the in
dustry of the people.
"A British company employs IA
divers who work from boats launched
at sea. In suits Of rubber, the divers
are lowered by a rope, air is pumped
to them, and in the clear water they
see the pearl oysters and pick them
UP and place them in sacks. In this
way about 70 bushels of shells is Sc
cured each day, which produces about
a half pint of pearls, and worth
from $1,000 to $4,000. The company's
business averages $4,000 per day;
sometimes one pearl will be found
worth $4,000 The entire product of
the company is sent to London for
disposition
One diver can earn as much as
two boats with crews" says Mr..
Durall. 1T takes II men almost all
day to open the shells and take the
pearls from the meat CT the oyster.
The pearl is almost invariably in the
water meat of the oyster, but some
times it is deposited in the shell. in
which case it is not so valuable as
it cannot be torn loose in perfect
shape.
Pearl fishing has it's dangers. as in
these waters are man-eating sharks,
feeding upon the oyster beds, and woe
to the diver who encounters a hungry
shark. A sharp steel rcd is carried,
and generally the diver by a quick
thrust can disable the shark and be
pulled up. before the shark makes a
lunge, but many hairbreadth escapes
are related, and | saw widows and or
phans whose husbands or fathers
have been divers and lost their lives
in the sea. most all eaten by sharks.
Great WalruSeS are in the sea, but
they are not dangerous; they swim
in tWos and tours lined up like sol.
diers, with their bodies bent with the
waves. 1t is a beautiful sight to see
these great fish coming up and down
in true military style.
Pearls are found here in all shapes
and sizes, mostly round. some oval
and pear-shaped, in colors of white
and yellow, but some are black and
Oriental | brought back some cop
per colored pearls; in price they vary
from few dollars up to the hundreds.
You can buy them at all prices, the
small ones as low as few cents,
but fine ones suitable for necklaces
bring hundreds of dollars From 500
to $500 each is the price for pearl
suitable for a necklace; I saw one
that brought SO there and would be
worth in Paris $4,000.
1T takes from 40 to so pearls to
make suitable necklace, and it takes
years to match them up as a neck
lace is started with a large pearl,
round or pear-shaped, then they grad
ually grow smaller, but match in
shape and color. | saw necklace in
New York worth $4,000 that took 20
years to match; another worth $27. 1000
which for Is years the ieweler had
been collecting pearls. One New
York millionaire is paying $314,O0O
for a necklace of 20 pearls"
Mr.. Durall says that in these waters
all kinds of valuable pearls are found.
A very fine pearl with Oriental colors
was found in the shape OF the holy
cross It was sold for a small sum
by a fisherman. and sent to London.
where it brought $4,000. A noble
man was the purchaser and today it
could not be bought, for