The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-08-28
LABRADOR PEARLS.
DESoLATz LAND HAS LITIH
KNOWN SOURCE OF WALTZ
IMme1zs Massss 81 Wate4 Xuasz1z
il Nazy q Whizh Ts~els Are
F8und choks rhe
E1vers

~-~--A -----1 -"
Rivers.
TIE dep sea fshernea as1 Eaa,-
Or seal hanter are aAeas lh. ousr
people Ehs knaa mueA o. rhs aorrs-
err Lahradsr soast ulers if runs q,
into Hulsan bay terilsry Barrea-
r=ss ana lesolarion. r3cky sA.r-s
teatea b rhe - Arlaniie. lag Eln-
ters and shor1. ineiemeni summers are
rs chief ehararteristlcs
There are but fsw signs Of human
life. merely ancient roekbuIit sheli-rs
81 % by Nhalsrs from Nanfurker or
Gloucester shea Greenland wha.-s
we're hunted among Ihe iceb~rss. 81
rlae seal hunrers' shanties. where o.
serFzr.on parties Iand Tor q day Or f~s
Ar . tine. Bur cnrious A. O. appears.
there = a little known source o.
wealth il thar ioae land
e i foanI IN rhe rushing rivers.
WEieh generally make their ias, lea.
into the oeean over a sfeep aad hlsh
waterfall The immense masses ~
fresh Eater musseis. Ehich la naas
places actaaiiy choke the streams. ars.
+ direeted attention 20 II IN late years
Msn R1adered Vhy fh- oidun=
whale Or seal hunters and other early
nayisators had collected such quanti-
ties o. rhe shells a. Eers 20 b. s-ea
piled about the camping places Thes
shoFs search b. . Eeil-reaf ne'er-do-
well few years ago revealed q large
irregnlarly shaped pearl. under a pile
Of Old shells and Immediately = yaiu-
able secret was revealed 70 few per
sens
Since that time A certain number
Of men have become expert pearl hsl-
ers. and nov shipments are period
ic4lis. and in summer regularly. made
Of pearls These men make fair wages
by heir labors. though of course The
returns vary accor1ing 70 the fortune.
good or bad which attends tAe indi-
Filuai
Some OF the pearls are large and of
great value Last year about this tine
one vas sold 20 a New Yorker Of rare
discrimination ir fhs purchass Of
curios for upwari Of $1,000 In ap-
peaFanee these fresh water pearls arr
NOT easily distinguished fsom lhoss o..
talned in southern seas though unfor-
tunately a certain percentage Of them
are irregular In shape
Usually they are silver white In
color. though a young man who b4s
just returned from Labrador has
pair OF rose pink pearls. perfectly
matched. which weigh about y aims
each AMI ses worth probably So Or
so apiece
Strangely enough. this lucky one
was not a pearl hunter. but took
clump Of shells in his hand. and sat
down 10 open them with his pocket.
knife He found the two pearls in one
large she'll After that hnd he spent
fortnight In searching for more. but
only secured about half a dozen small
ones. worth perhaps three dollars tbs
LOT.
As a rule the pearl hunting IS gone
about in more scientific manner
than that The mussels are regularly
stacked on nat rocks or sand bars.
and are allowed to decompose. when
the shells open naturally and are easi-
ly examined for the pearls. which iie
loosely embedded IN the flesh Of the
fish
II appears that the Indians Of that
district have always knoNn Of these
fresh water pearls. and that several Of
the rivers running north have been
regularly hshed for them for many
generations Most 5f the pearls col
iected BY these people in olden times
we're ruined BY being rudely bored. 80
that they might BE- strung for neck
laces or for the adorumeni Of wam-
pun belts
Nowadays the wideawake Hudson
Bay company traders pay fair price
for all the Indians can collect. Some
OF the Montreal houses have regular
dealings with the pearl hunters Of the
coast. and have agents on the spot
Who secure shipments FOR them.