River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-06-23
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but 10 to Is minutes, while in SO feet of wate1
he might be seen moving about on the bottom
for several hours
The pearl shells from these waters not
as large as those of Ceylon but run from 5000
to 1000 to the ton. The true pearl oyster, the
Meleagrina of the Indian and south Pacific
oceans, varies in diameter from two to eight
inches, according to age six inches being the
average. One diver working with helmet and
air pump can secure as many as $4,000 oysters
in season. The greater part of the shell from
the La Paz fisheries is shipped to San Fran.
cisco, while most of the pearls go to Mexico City
and Paris. In 1908 the production of these fish
cries was valued at $4,000 900, the pearls repre-
senting 100000 and the mother-ofpearl shell
the balance.
According to DR.. George F. Kunz, one of the
worlds greatest authorities on pearls, a pearl
of the first water should possess perfect skin
fine orient or delicate texture, be free from
specks or flaws, and be of translucent white
color, with subdued iridescent sheen It
should also be perfectly spherical or, if not. Of
symmetrical pear shape White or pink pearls
are the finest, owing to their delicate sheen
Sometimes the outer layer can be removed. the
subJacent surface revealing a finer skin than
the outer one' and In this way a pearl may be-
improved.
The Lower California pearls are of q great
variety of shapes and color, round, pear shaped
button pearl or fiat one side barooue. or
pearl OF irregular shape, and in color ranging
from white and pink to blue green, brown and
Dlack. Some very famous pearls Of history have
been taken from these waters.
With hardly exception there are American
pearls among the crown jewels of everv ru1er ne
Europe. In 1885, at the worlds fair In Paris
there was exhibited set of seven black nearIs
from these Mexican fisheries, valued at 500 OOO
at tnat time, and today worth much more Ono
OF the largest pearls ever found here was sold
IN Paris TO the emperor Of Austria for S10o0O
and the Spanish government presented Nano'
leon III. with black Mexican pearl valuad ~
$25, 00O a.
In Venezuela the principal oyster beds arc
located around the island Of Margarita. which
word In Spanish means pearl, and at Cuhagua
Ell Tirano, Gulf of Paria and Coro. Porlanoar
.Maracapana and Macanao, so that this MART 81
venezuela became known to the early Snan.
1ards as the Pearl coast
OF the Pearl islands of Panama hav pov
island is the largest of the group The onIy
village of any size among these islands is son
Miguel, as old as the fisheries Themselves az
tower of it's little masonry church being tbicLIv
1nlaid with beautiful nacreous shells from tha
fishing grounds on all Sides
From the United States and Canada oo,,o
the fresh-water pearls which are produced nrin.
cipally by the Unto, a species of musse1 com.
mon to all the mountain streams throughout
the country, although pearl may be found a.
any mollusk having nacreous interior lining
Pearls have been brought to the New York
market from almost every state in the Union and
Canada, principally from Ohio Indiana. Illinois,
Kentucky Missouri, Arkansas, Michigan, Mime.
sofa, Tennessee and Mississippi