Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-07-30
Dr.. Edward s Letter

the Society group, after leaving
San Francisco, he sights the first
land in more than three thousand
miles, and at the same time sees
one # the numerous islets which
form the fringe of the main grOul
Going en- from Tahiti the islands
are more numerous and rarely a
day passes without sighting land
In sight of Papeete may be seen
low lying islands off the north
east and if one be curious and
ask about them he will be told
that it is where the pearl fisher
les are. While visiting in Pa.
peeta, met DIR. Williams, who
has come to this out of the
way place to practice dentist
ry, and at the same time make a
fortune in pearls. | was fOrtu-
nate enough to get view OF hls
collection of some three Thousand
pearls, and after being fully I'm
pressed with them found that
tbav came from the island lying
on the horizon.
. There is quite a mistaken idea
regarding pearl fishing, and 1T is
the common belief that the flsh-
ers are in position to steal the
the. finest pearls. 1t needs but a
visit to the fisheries Ito disabuSe
your mind of such an idea
Pearls are found in oysters, as ev'
erybody knows, and at the hs1-
cries thousands upon thousands
of oysters are brought TO tint sur
fac, and destroyed in order to
obtain a very few pearls. Not eV,
cry oyster contains a pearl ano
the diver has no means OF know
ing anything about the contents
of the shell.
Divers go DOWN into the wat !
er with a sack attached to thea
rocks, and they loosen as many
oysters as possible and put the en-
in the sack before being compel
ed to come to the surface Tht
sack is taken by an Overseer, ano
fine oysters are emptied in a palf
on the rocks. After they nave
lain there for several hours thu
oysters are not only dead but am
in a bad state of decomposition!
The shells are then opened ane ann,
carefully examined, and all pearls
found are carefully guarded an .5
nut away in a safe pllace ANU m9l
thew can be taken to Papeete; In n
natives who dive for the shell'
and who examine them fOr'pearls
w L,,o,,o,ht to the island on tht
boats of the owner and have the !,
Et.-i here during the season. =. l. .
is possible for them to ,, Sec ,a' = 80
few pearls, but generally the , eA
animation of their clothing and e
fact racts is 50 rigid that they can
not carry off many. IT. ,, too
afp they get away with them EN-
thew find it very difficult to dl Us
NJ ,.s 50 Of them, for they are watch It
ed pf' closely and if 1T is found tina
nearls are being sold by natives
they are arresVeu anu thom
As to where they obtained them
The life of a pearl fisher is
hard ono. but the natives do no
, ,rr' at it iung enough to o "a,
them them great inconvenience. Inc!
Iii0iN ,,ork for so man.
weeks, and are taken to the ! pear sl,,
fisheries where they are fed Du'
mot housed. The housing Is sla4 7
Nv Inv q matte matter Of putting to &C. n
e g a few oOcoanut leaves We ,a aney
r re 1sI no pay unil the seas Sol
;s over and their contract has ea a
\, nir ~tt' The They are them ezam5 I'M ID
pnd # it It's is found that they nav aay'
s sa,~ + 4 no pearls they get , thei1
f fuIl nav for the time employee yss.
which vJ,i is 50 small a sum UNI, ul q,
one wonders Wny ul'
ali ,,.,,otaa is one of the pear
islands, s and all Though ss st BnS se0a a.
are found od.~ ot1 sas all Sa' Of these is
1T may wv" ts,o nearl oyster
yet y5si sa ~ to the pearl i aaana1s
the shells also have have Commercial Commercial
Ill.,. :1' 5st '!s he e %:: e. E !, 81
On On al i11 parts q he e S.a5ss "s sat