The Butler weekly times., 1910-06-09
BUTTONS
of Missouri Are Sold in Europe
Something About the
Industry.

y
factory began operating here, the
value of the output exceeding that
for 1907, the previous record year,
by Sc per cent, and that for 1908 by
1856 per cent, according to advance
information from the 1910 Red Book
of the bureau of labor statistics, made
public today by Commissioner j. c.
A. Hitler.
Five pearl button factories, four OF
which are in Lewis county and the
other in Pike county, report an out
put amounting to l49, ,Sl5, 72S buttons
and blanks, valued at $267, 794 for the
twelve months in question. Thous-
ands of rough and ugly mussel shells
were consumed in turning out this
vast array of smooth, shining round
pearl buttons Of sizes varying in di-
ameter of a quarter of an inch to
those measuring an inch and a half
across and which are used chiefly for
ornamental purposes, to lend a finish
ing touch to female wearing apparel.
The blanks are the plain round discs
which are cut from the rough shells,
and need finishing touches in the
way of the last polish and the four
holes for the thread before they be-
come buttons and have the lustre and
name of pearl.
One Missouri factory shipped its
output as far east as Germany and
England, which fact speaks highly
for the Missouri pearl button, as
further east there are many such fac
tories, past which our product had to
be sent before it reached these
foreign countries. In addition nearly
every state in the union used our
output in 1909 and during the early
part of this year.
In former years goodly portion Of
the shells used by the Missouri fac
tories, came from the bed of the Mis-
sissippi river north Of the mouth of
the Missouri, but now the state must
depend upon the mussel diggers of
the Wabash, Black, White, Cumber-
land, Tennessee, the Illinois and
other streams for their supply.
Shells are still obtained from the up
per Mississippi, but not in quantities
like in former years. Occasionally
shipments are received from fisher
men, who operate in smaller streams
in the interior of Missouri. In later
years the price per ton of shells has
steadily increased in value. Of
course, all these streams belong to
the Mississippi, as tributaries, and
therefore all shells from them are
credited by Uncle Sam as the output
of the Mississippi valley region. For
1903 the crop, according to the feder-
al authorities, amounted to rs, 265, 700
pounds of shells, worth 1886, l20.
But of course all these shells did not
come into Missouri. The 1909 figures
have not been compiled as yet, but
will probably be as great both in
quantity and value.
Valuable Pearls Found.
AT the most the life of a mussel
digger is a monotonous and hard one,
exposed as he is, to all grades of
weather, and being obliged constant
ly to toll in and above water, but
occasionally there comes CLEAN of
sunshine in shape of a pearl, which
when placed in the hands of a jewell
er, brings sum Of money, depend
ing on the size, shape and color of
the find. 1t is estimated by the fed
eral authorities that the pearls and
slugs found in the 38,637 tons of
mussels placed on the market by the
"diggers" Of the Mississippi river
and its tributaries were worth $299,
800 to the finders. This sum when
added to the worth of the shells gives
a total value of 1886, ,920 for the mus
sci fishermen for one year of work.
1t must, however, be remembered
that the pearls and slugs brought
much more to the jewellers, who buy
the raw articles. The same authority
gives the first value Of pearls and
slugs for 1905 at 1881, 900 and for
1907, 1884, 500.
In color the fresh water pearls are
white, cream, pink, purple, blue and
rarely, black. The shapes are irregu-
lar, being either button, round, oval,
pearl and of drop forms. For nearls