Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-07-30
YANKEE PEARL CROP,
This Years Yield Promises to Be
of Good Quality.
MANY FRESH WATER FISHERS
Three Thousand Men Fishing For
Musseis Along Mississippi, Wabash
and Illinois Rivers-Our Shell Made
as Beautiful as Oriental Product.

and Illinois Rivers-Our Shell Made
as Beautiful as Oriental Product.
This seasons pearls taken from the
fresh water mussels of the Illinois,
Wabash and Mississippi rivers have
made their appearance in the last few
days in the Maiden lane wholesale dis
trict of New York city, having been
taken there by clanmers and dealers.
High water prevented any profitable
fishing until recently.
The new pearls are supposed to be
an index to the cha"ac,rr of those to be
found during the entire season. one
of the oldest of the wholesale buyers
said recently that the pearls shown
thus far are of quality indicating an
unusually profitable season.
The American pearl fisheries indus
try is growing larger, according to
western dealers who We're interviewed
in New York city. Philip J. Mackey
of Muscatine, Ia, who has travelled
up and down the banks of the west
ern rivers for many years buying pearls
and mussel shells from the clammers,
said, according to New York Sun re-
porter, that the fisheries are only in
their infancy and that much is now be
ing done to develop the industry both
in the sale Of pearls and of shells. the
latter being by far the most important
commercially.
There would be no fishing for Amer.
lean pearls, Mr.. Mackey said if it were
not for the fact that the mussel shells
command Il price on which the indus
trious clammer may make Il livin"
this being the certain side of the busi.
ness, while the finding of pearls is pre-.
carious. But for a long time the pref
erence for the oriental shell was So
strong that the American shell was
used only for making the cheapest kinl
of shirt buttons, while many grades
were considered entirely worthless.
1t is now found that with proper
machinery and methods of POLISHING
the despised American shell can be
made as beautiful as many. of the
highly priced oriental shells. As an
instance of the change in this respec
Mr.. Mackey said the common yellow
back sand shells, which until lately
were regarded as not suitable even
for cheap buttons, are this year ship.
ped to Paris and Vienna, where they
are made into fancy buttons for waist
coats. The shells are sold at $50 ton
for this purpose.
There are now, Mr.. Mackey said, at
least 5000 men fishing for mussels
along the Mississippi, Wabash and Hi. |
nois rivers. They are scattered all |
along the Mississippi from Keokuk up
to Prairie du Chen, Wis, and even
farther north. Last year and for sev.
eral years before the Wabash gave up
the largest quantity of valuable pearls !
but this year the fishermen along the
Illinois are meeting with the most sue
cess
The efforts, which were begun June
l, to restrict fishing in order to pre-.
serve the beds from excessive activity
on the part of the fishermen started wifi
the collection of a tax of $50, which
must be paid by every man fishing for
mussels in Illinois. The expectation is
that this will reduce the number of
fishermen and give the mussels a bet.
ter chance to propagate. In other
states the enactment of similar laws
has been advocated. The establish
ment of hatcheries by the federal gov
ernment will ultimately do more. Mr.
Mackey said, for the industry than
any action of the states.
The yield of the American fisheries
in pearls and in the irregular shapes
known as baroques, according to The
latest estimates, brings 100000 Yea,
at the rivers The finest America
pearl ever found was the Queen Mulg
n round white gem found 10y an lowe
clammer who received S17.5C0 for +.
while $4,000 was finally paid hy
Partisan dealer The finding Of pear.
valued from few dollars up to Il few
hundred is common enough. and ever
year few pearls are found whicl
bring thousands to the fortunate clam
merS
The development of the fisheries
said Mr. Mackey, will mean an In
yield of fine pearls as well as
of shells, and this will be for the bene
tit of the jewelry industry and of va
rious other industries in which the
lining of the shell is
lISad