Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-12-16
MAY SAVE VANISHING INDUS
TRY.

1890
given the discoveries which are being
carried on through the United States
government, regarding the scarcity
of mussell shells, which will surely
cripple and finally terminate the man
ufacture of pearl buttons in the mid
die west. The following article Is
taken from the University Missouri
ian, a daily newspaper published at
Columbia by the students in the De-
partment of Journalism of the State
University:
Experiments in the propagation of
mussels which are being conducted
by the department of zoology of the
University of Missouri have already
resulted in important discoveries.
Prof. William c. Curtis has discover
ed that the carp, the sluggish and
much condemned fish which SPOTS
game fishing by feeding on the little
fishes of game variety, furnishes life
to many of the minute mIssels.
'ottu VI llsSA Wa iCSSiNSN
from the United States Bureau of
Fisheries by the department of zool-
ogy recently, to be used in expert
ments relative to the pearl button in.
dustry. The scarcity of .mussel shells
has come to be serious problem in
tris industry and it is the aim of the
department of zoology in making the
experiments to increase the supply of
mussels.
Value Of the Carp.
In the three weeks that the exper-
iments have been carried on the
fish have been under the careful OBJ
servation of Prof George Eefevre,
head of the department, and Prof.
Curtis. In their observations they
have noticed that the carp are of
much value in the production of mus
sells. 1t seems that the carp, in
poking lazily along the creek Bottoms,
is often made the clinging home of
mussel spawn, which matches and
clings to the sides of the fish. sub
sisting on the fish until it becomes
sufficiently large to drop off and shift
for itself. They are often no larger
. than one-fifth the size of pin head
! when they drop.
If some means of propagation OF
of mussals is not found, it is esti-
mated that the manufacture OF pearl
| buttons will have to be discontinued
| within ten years.
The Importance of the pearl button
industry is shown in the story OF
Muscatine, Iowa, and an old button
maker of that place. The industry
was started there by and old German
named Boepele, and, although his
methods were crude, the industry has
grown until today Muscatine is the
+, center of the pearl button industry
| The story of Museatine.
About thirteen years ago Beopele
settled in Muscatine. He lived il
the edge of. town in an humble little
house. He would wade around II
| the streams awhile and then return
with basket full of mussels. II
| his house he would sit for couple
| Of days and then saunter up tow
with a few dozen pearl buttons ant
/! sell them to dry goods merchants.
The old Germans implements wer
|csude. He had been a button make
| in Germany and his methods wer
ks ut secret. 1t was learned, however
tt at he had two or three holloN
metal cylinders with saw teeth file
in the edges. With these he save
out the buttons on roughly col
; structed turning lathe. Then holdin
the button in his hand he woul
grind out its shape on the lathe.
During the growth of this one ma
: enterprise Nicholas Barry, anothe
Muscatine man, began to scheme
find way to improve the butte
making machinery, The result
: ten years of study and experiment
some Of the most intricate manufa
I. turing machinery in extstence-ar
$ all of it made in Muscatine, too.
Finally the original button maxi
A became dissatisfied and sold on
alas for him. Capital was intereste
in the venture and the factory gre
until now, with its machinery whie
makes all styles of pearl buttons au
g omatically, it occupies whole bloc
It From the market basket clam fishil
= work has increased until the Mis-
s issippi river and its tributaries fro
e middle Minnesota down to Louisial
J, i, secured for mussels.
WRECK AT DELAWARE.