The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-08-13
Money Hunting Pearls.

The pearling fever is getting astrong
hold upon people living along the Rock
and Catfish rivers since some remark
ably rich gems have been secured by
pearlers who established camps at Full
ton a few weeks ago. Farmers are
putting in their spare moments and
residents of the nearby towns are TAX
ing vacation trips to these streams, all
hunting the clans that yield the beau
tiful pearls. A good many small pearls
and some beautiful slugs are recovered,
while occasionally one of large value is
found. Albert Stricken, living in the
south part of Fulton, was in town last
week with two pearls he found in the
first two bushels of CLANS opened. One
was larger than an ordinary pea, with
a beautiful pink luster, and had it not
been that it was what is termed
''button" pearl-fat on one side in
stead of oval-would have been worth
a hundred dollars or more. Albert leu
bert of Indian Ford found handsome
81 grain milk white pearl Monday that
seems to be perfect in every respect.
Thee. Clarke also has a three grain
beauty of fine luster.
Some idea of the amount OF clans
taken from the Catfish recently may
be learned when it is known that two
car loads of shells were shipped from
this station during the week to but.
ton factory at Davenport, Iowa. 1t is
estimated that 80 tons of shells have
been raised from about 40 rods of the
stream running through Frank Pease's
pasture at Fulton. Until recently it
was the general belief that the only
valuable part of the clam was the pearl
which it might or might not have. Nu-
merOus beds in Wisconsin have been
completely wiped out of existence by
pearl hunters, who after opening the
clans throw the shells aside as useless.
A party of four men worked several
months and their receipts were in the
neighborhood of $780, More than that
amount ought to be realized from the
shells if sold to the button factories.
III BE MADE.
What becomes of fresh-water clam,
such as can be seen almost anywhere
in Rock river, from the time it is two
months old until it is two years old?
For something like two years it disap-
pears and up to the present time no one
knows where it goes. Unfortunately,
the fact that the clam has no wings
precludes the theory that it migrates.
Where does it go?
This question, in addition to others
quite as mystifying, Professor Riser
and Chester West who have been
working on government survey of the
clam beds of Rock river for several
weeks, hope to answer. Not only will
their Investigations explain many per-
picking idiosyncrasies of this member
of the mussel family, but the mission is
an important one from commercial as
well as scientific standpoint.
Like the war of determination that
was waged against the American bison,
the merciless destruction of the fresh
water clam goes merrily on. Pearl
hunters and button makers destroy an
nually thousands of tons of the clans.
To guard against their depredations
and to gather statistics regarding the
USot IlSdilS VI ISplcIllSIllIlS Tile CIdIIl
beds is the object of the national gov
eminent and in part of the great
scheme of conserving the national re-
sources. The government fish commits
sion appropriated $25, 900 for this years
survey in which Professor Riser is
participating. The Rock river with its
| tributaries was assigned to him, not
because it is great clam producing re-
gion but simply for the purpose of
gathering data to be used in the re-
ports. The several different kinds of
CLAIMS in this section of the survey are
all classified scientifically, their habits
noted and anything that may be useful
in improving their quality, such as fav-
| orable water and land conditions, is
noted for future reference. Starting
at Waupun, the professor has worked
his way south, investigating all the
clam beds both in Rock river and its
tributaries, and living at farm houses
| or in the boat
Change in Business.