Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-31
FRESH-wATER PEARLS.
Plans for a Curious New Industry
With Wide Possibilities Before It.

From the Technical World
The systematic culture of fresh-wa ter
pearls may easily become an important In
dustry in the United States, as the mol
lusks from which they are taken are very
abundant in our lakes and rivers. The
Mississippi basin, especially, teens with
them. presenting many forms which differ
from those Of the Atlantic watershed and
other parts of the world.
Besides the true pearl oyster (Meleagrina)
found in the Pacific and Indian oceans
there are many shells which furnish this
oeautlfui product; and of these the Union
ldae are fresh-water group, also called
Nalades. The latter are found in the rivers
of Europe. particularly of Scotland and
Ireland; also In Mesopotamia and China
Whlie other allied genera represent the fam
lly IN the Amazon basin in South America
In the United States bushels of pearls
nave been found in the Indian mounds
or the Mississippi valley but they were
damaged and partially decomposed by long
centuries of burial, even In cases where
they had not been ruined by sacrificial fires
The Indians evidently used the UnIos for
food and were thus led to the discovery Of
the gems.
So far. however. as the white settlers were
concerned, the mollusks were practically
unmolested until 1857. when a pearl of fine
!uster was accidentally found at Notch
brook in Paterson, N. ]. 1t weighed nine
ty-three grains, and became known as the
Queen Pearl from the fact that TifYanv
d Co. sold 1t to Eugene. The French EN-
press paid only $3.50 for it, but It is now
valued at $4,000
The news OF this sale to royalty created
such an excitement that not only Notch
brook. but other streams were invaded in
the most ruinous way, millions of fine
were sent to the New York market from
nearly every state, their value being fully
$4,000. This output gradually lessened
until In 1883 only about $500 was reported
Ma
however. there was great revival OF in
terest, many fine gems being found In the
Little Miami river In Ohio. A little later
some OF the best came from the vicinity OF
Waynesville. Ohio, where about S3 coo
worth were collected in 1875 Kentucky.
Tennessee and Texas soon came into line
as among the good producers; and some
hne specimens were sent from Florida In
1850 the rivers of Wisconsin furnished
$4,000 worth OF pearls in three months.
one of the gems being valued at $500. Dur
Ing the Columbian exposition In 1850 in Chi
cago notable feature In the Wisconsin
state building was the wonderful EXHIBIT
OF native pearls with a great variety of
delicate tints.
In 1897 there was another outbreak of
excitement on this subject, and this time
its center was In Arkansas especially along
the Black river and It's tributaries, q re-
eion OF small lakes situated chiefly IN White
county, and along the Arkansas river and
Its tributaries. from Little Rock eastward.
and also westward even into Indian Terri
tory Arkansas pearls had been known be-
fore, but had not attracted special atten-
ton. 1t is said. however. that In 1896
surveying party on White river had
found them to the value OF $500. Kan
sas has also yielded some fire specimens:
out OF eleven iayender-tinted gems which
were sent to st. Louis the best was valued
at $3.50. the others ranging In price from
$50 TO $3.50.
1t appears that about once in ten years
tie pearl mRnia - started by SOMA gai-
uanse md. and then new campaign OF
ignorant determination y carried On BY