The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1907-07-27
A WONDERFUL GEM
FOUND PEARL THAT SOLD ron
10000 PESOS.
II Was Found In Sea Near suIu
Islands and Was a. Big az a Mar.
BILE and OF Beautiful Color.

A single pearl worth $4,000 pesos!
The possibilities of pearl fishing In the
Sulu sea seem unlimited. According
to Stephen Jurika. of Jolo, who Is now
a visitor in Manila. the greatest pearl
ever claimed from the sea In the Sulu
archipelago was recently marketed In
Singapore for 10000 pesos. 1t Is the
size OF marble, perfectly round and
of beautiful color. The finding of the
gem by poor Moro fisherman, it's
seizure by the sultan. and the Interior
ence OF Gov. Steever, who took the
part OF the poor man and saw that he
had justice. make good reading mat
ter.
Under the old Moro law, In force
when the American troops first took
charge OF Jolo, all pearls Of unusual
size must be sent to the sultan, who
In turn made the finder present"
The only alternative the finder OF
large pearl had.was to sell his treas:
ure privately to the pearl traders,
thereby placing his life in jeopardy.
for the trader, II he could not buy at
hts own price, would report to the sui
tain who had power to seize the fisher
man and execute him II he so desired.
OF course, under the American admin
istration, this unjust law was abol-
ished but SO great was the fear of the
poor Moros OF their powerful dattos
that 1t has been the custom during the
last few years for them to carry on
their business secretly with the
traders.
In this instance the Moro fisherman,
somewhat more enlightened than his
predecessors, when forced to give up
his gr oat find to the sultan trekked
into Jolo and made complaint to Col
Steever, governor of the Sulu group.
The matter was soon brought to the
courts and the greedy sultan forced to
disgorse the pearl.
Gov. Steever commissioned the Jolo
Trading &C mpany to sell the gem for
the benefit OF the finder, and 1t was
recently sert to Singapore and there
sold for $4,000 Lesos. The Jolo Trad
ing company received commission Of
ten Lor cent.
So far as is known this Is the largest
pearl taken from the Sulu sea. Three
years ago a pearl, found somewhere
to the south Of Jolo, was carried to
Batavia and there sold to an European
buyer for $4,000 pesos. AS previously
stated, however, the business has been
carried ON so secretly. owing to the
old law, that pearls of great value
rare see the light before they reach
Sing lpore, and many OF them not short
OF / irope.
Nj. Jurika states that during the re-
cent fair at Jolo, instituted by the gov
eminent for the purpose OF bringing
the Moros together. Capt. Trana of the
Jolo Trading company exhibited
mas nificent black pearl, valued at u
600 pesos, a rare gem of unusual size
and beauty.
Tie firm Of Hernandez & Co., Of
which Mr.. Juelka is member, has
: been employ'-; Japanese divers for
pea...ns, 49,, md them to be unsatis-
fac tory AS has been elsewhere In the
Islands, the Japanese as soon as they
gct a little money ahead ignore their
contracts and outfit balandras (sloops)
OF their own. entering into active COM
petition with their employers. The
best and most. reliable divers, accord
ing to Mr.. Jurika. are the Malays. who
stand the hardships and do the work
better than any others. and spend their
earnings In the country. The Japa-
nose have already established settle
ments Of their own at Zamboanga and
Jclo, and trade only among them
selves.
The Moro who secured the great
}earl was only poor fisherman, using
the threeprong deep sea rake OF his
forefathers. He refused to divulge to
anyone ire vicinity in which he made
his lucky find. When he receives the
prococSs nj Re sale he will be one OF
the wea. -hiess Moros in the Sulu arch
ipelago.