The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-05-20
SCARCITY OF MussEL SHELLS
MAY AFFECT MANUFACTURE.
MUssEls Being DESTROYED
Bureau Of Fisheries viii Cultivate
Musseis, as oysters Are Cul-
tivated-Bia Plant IN
Iowa.
ArdmoreIte Special.

Ardmorelte Special
Washington, ID. c., May 1S.-Not-
withstanding high protection in the
tariff law, the pearl button industry
is likely to be affected seriously, II
not practically destroyed in a short
time in the Middle West by the lacG
OF raw material.
Mussel shells. from which the
house-wfely pearl buttons are manu-
featured by tens OF millions. are rap
idly decreasing. and, unless some
measures are discovered soon to en-
hance the supply the pearl button
makers will have to go out OF busl-
ness. The manufacturers have ap-
pealed earnestly to the Government
TO do something for them. In response
to the appeal. the Bureau of Fisheries
is about to undertake an investigation
into the causes OF the diminution OF
mussels
In years past, the mussel, which Is
a fresh.water shcll-fisn closely re
sembling an oyster. has abounded In
nearly all OF hte larger streams ot
the country west of the Allegheney
Mountains For a quarter OF a century
they have been sought by the fresh
water pearl fishermen. These men
drag the rivers for them and examine
the shells only to ascertain whether
they contain pearls. The shells, usual
lv broken. are tossed aside, but rare
" back into the rivers. Millions OF
mussels annually are destroyed in
this way and the shells OF the nsh
so DESTROYED are not used by the
pearl button makers. The latter col
lect the mussels in their own way
and on a tremendous scale.
Prof. u. w. Everman. of the Bureau
of Fisheries, and other scientists OF
the bureau are engaged on an investi'
CATION into the causes of the shrink
age in the supply of mussels. AS In
dicated i'm the facts already stated.
they will not have to go far to learn
the causes. Practically the same
causes have exhausted the natural
supply OF useful things. The rapacity
and greed OF man will not permit him
In look into the future. In any event
he is willing that posterity should
take care OF itself.
In the opinion of the Government
scientists who have inquired into TIE
question of mussel supply. the only
thing 10 be done is to promote the
growth OF mussels by cultivating
them Just as oysters are cultivate
The causes of the shrinkage In the
SUNNY are too evident to need sef'
ous attention. The important ques'
tion Is to find a means of increasing
the supply. so that great industr''
affording employment to large mum
ber of people. may be enabled to con
tinue. It Is hoped by Prof. Everman
and his associates In the inquiry that
they may be able to make important
and practicable recommendations in
this respect.
While enormous quantities OF vari'
Gus kinds of shell-fish are taken on
both the Atlantic and Pacific sea-
boards of America, II is an odd fac,
that the pearl button manufactures
are located almost entirely in the
Middle West. The largest factory Of
the kind In the country is at Muscd'
tine. Iowa. Immense quantities OF
rs there such a thing as a fresh
pearl buttons are made In Enrop''
but the customs duties imposed on
them by the American tariff are 50
) nearly prohibitive that few foreign
butto..s are imported. The American
industry now is ION Its feet and
American manufacturers can make rs
good buttons and make them at as
low a cost as their foreign rivals
Home competition has kept down tie
retail price. The probability is, how
ever. that, unless new source OF sup
ply OF "mother-of-pearl" is discovered
the price of ordinary pearl buttons
will go skyward before many years,
Not " As Rich As Rockefeller.