Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-28
Mississippi Valley Industry Is
Nearly Destroyed.
COMMISSION INVESTIGATING
Government Seeks Means for Propo-
eating the Mollusks.
CRAZE FOR Pea
Everybody Out After Treasure Bear
ing VivaIves-Stories of Remark
able Finds in Arkansas Rivers

one OF the tasks the government has
g.. for itself this summer is to find out
why The pcHrl-hrlr!ns mussrls of the Miss
issirpi river and its tributaries are disap-
p,,r.rg and To try to propagate them A
comm. sion. headed by Prof. Paul Bartsch
OF GurIiuetou has just begun thorough
s..r.h uI tine Mississippi and its tributaries
60 ind ont all about the mussel.
~.c mu=sI IS highly regarded in that
= ION Cd: tie country. Not only has 1t been
the basis of very profitable industry in
tn way ~ furnishing raw material for but
tom making. hu. IT has enriched great
many Who have merely TAX up the hunt
g. -..,. hope of finding valuable pearls
ArI-se.s have been found in large guam
tides along the upper Mississippi, Hut
pearls are few and far between, due posi-
iy .0 the fact that the temperature of the
vat.r IS not 50 favorable to the propaga-
.t.ua # the slug, the technical name for the
rura-i-haarlug s.evrtiuUs Down along the
WI, and Arkansas rivers hundreds OF
thousands Of dollars worth Of pearls have
been found in the last 1--WE years. In Ar
Kansas more than IA million dollars worth
OF t..rm have been unsarthed in that time.
Everybody Gets Craze.
TIE -.a:l-hsaring mussel has been found
ror nd then for years in the Arkansas
rivers hy fishermen who use 1t as bait
Tor the drum and the red horse varieties of
tn sucker family OF fish. Several lucky
rr3= II this character on the Black river
s'ar-.I everybody hunting.
l. was all u gamble. only now and then
"a rr.ssyl with the precious stone attached
" -'i We found hut when once discovered
~ ....- well worth the time employed. Those
w.u would not wade loafed around on the
banks ana bid against one another feT me
uIr.urArd shells brought In ny IN" hsAer-
mn Bathing parties and picnics at which
t.. interest conferred In pearl fishing were
common.
Many stories are told of lucky finds
trlp IT ramps one day tried TO induce a
f.rryuan t. larry thom across the river.
II sruh!v refused. telling them to go to
work ana hunt pearls for living lhey
took his advice. and in about three hours
hal gathered several bushels or shells Sit
ting down to open them. they discovered In
III Hsth shell pearl that sold for more
.thau enough To buy all the earthly posses
siurs Of the ferryman.
\ Lad playing about boat used for pearl
fishing discovered something shiny on the
bottom He showed it to man whom he
met on the street, and cheerfuliy accepted
ST. for the pearl The man disposed of 1t
TO a friend for $50. who sold it later for
four times that sum to a professional buyer,
who is reported to have received several
thousand dollars for 1t.
Saved From Bankruptcy.
A business man who was on the verge
OF bankruptcy went down to the river
40 put In a few days fishing while he
contrived to think some way out of his
difficulties on the first day he found
three pearls that he disposed OF for suf-
fcI-n, 20 pay all of his debts.
Pearls worth 500 We're found one after
noon by three young northern women who
had accepted an invitation from southern
hostess TO join them in bathing party
with d pearl fishing attachment. Inc
prop,r dress FOR these functions. by the
wa vas the ordinary bathing dress and
bruad-brimmed straw hats.
Although the industry has waned greatly
n. last year, there are stil numerous
q camps OF fishermen to be seen dotting the
river banks The shadows were, of course,
shrst looted. and nowadays most Of the
; work is done IN the deeps. For this pur-
iposg oyster tOHgs are used, and the WoFK 10
kept up most OF the year.
Dredging for pearls ia very largely
) business matter these days. Dredges are
useI on the deep places and on the bars
The river bottom ploughed up and
the mgsSels brought In sCOws and opened.
Tu. SHELLS We're saved and sold to the but
ton factories that sprang up at every town
AMI village. These shells more than PAID
In expenses Of the work. and the pearls
found were clear profit Several comfort
alb. fortunes We're built up in this way
There are hun :reds of button factories
all along the upper Mississippi. Wherever
ttarr- are saudbArs and shallow places the
work Of dredging for mussels goes The
supply Is getting shorter every year. and to
,presyrva the sources and propagate the
unused the last Congress was induced TO
max. liberal appropriation
Shells Sent to Germany.
Saevs by the carload are shipped to the
factories and there they are made into
blanks and buttons. A big business in ship
ping the blanks to Germany has been built
up IT, the last few years
TIE expedition is 10 examine into the
l.lsbits and conditions of the mussel and TO
determine what can be done to save this
lucrative industry. 1t is intended to visit
f. launch every sand bank and slough,
'eye.y bayou and tributary from st. Paul 10
the Arkansas. In an interview Prof.
Ear-s.h says:
5! "Tn, difficulties OF artificial propaga-
ton 81 the mussel are many. These may
b. overcome. but at present we do not
know sufficient OF the lnussel and its habits
10 br able TO form definite opinion. 1t is
u .,ry smplr thing To- trrn millions of eggs
into fish. but the egg OF the mussel passes
t..aIg. another stage before IL becomes d
. Is.,.~--.. After being Matched IL is u para
sc w.!Ch attaches itself to fish. Now,
w.G- one u.ussrl may produce 6O,GiD eggs,
bat u very small number of these VIII be
Ia-..cd That Is one of the things the eX-
.I.I..:ou will .aru som thing about. If ar
Car.., perhaps by protecting the FISH and
IT, ;uussals AL! having clos d season
during which the muss. IS mus. not be dis
turbaI the desired results may be at
tanned"