The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-06-24

but 10 to Is minutes, while in SO feet of waite,
he might be seen moving about on the bottom
for several hours.
Inc pearl shells from these waters are 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
lnches' 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 20 to Mexico City
and Paris. In 1908 the production of these fish.
cries was valued at $5.0oo,00O, the pearls repre-
sent1ng 100000 and the mother-of-pearl shell
the balance.
According to DR.. George F. Kunz. one of tho
worlds greatest authorities on pearls, a pearl
OF the nrst water should possess perfect skin.
me orient or delicate texture, be free from
specks or flaws. and be of translucent white
color with a subdued iridescent sheen, It
should also be perfectly spherical, or, if not of
symmetrical pear shape White or pink nearla
are the finest, owing to their de1icata sheen
sometimes the outer layer can be removed. tho
suD)acent surface revealing a finer skin than
the outer one, and in this way pearl NAV he
improved ' ~
Inc Lower California pearls are of a great
variety OF Shapes and color. round, pear shaped
f-A VI AoI ou one Side, barOOue. or
pearl OF irregular shape, and in color ranpino
from white and pink to blue green, brown and
olacK. Some very famous pearls of history have
Deen taken from these waters
win hardly an exception there are American
pearls among the crown jewels of every ruler n,
EUROPE In 1882 at the worlds fair IN Parts
.nere was exhibited set of seven black near1s
from these Mexican fisheries, valued at 500 nm
at that time, and today worth much max 49,
OF the largest pearls ever found here wa. ~
IN Paris to the emperor of Austria fo e1o oon
and the Spanish government presented Nono
icon ILL., with black Mexican near, va,,as ~
$4,000. pA' 'a'ued at
III venezuela the principal oyster beds .ro
located around the island Of Margarita. which
woro IN spanish means pearl, and at Cubapua
FL 1rano, Gulf OF Paria and Coro. Por1amor
A1aracapana and Macanao, so that this mart ~
venezuela became known to the ear1v sn.n-
iards as the Pearl coast 0p""
VI the Pearl islands of Panama hav Pow
Island Is the largest OF the group. The on1v
village OF any size among these islands ia Son
Miguel, as old as the fisheries themselves The
tower OF Its little masonry church being thicklv
inlaid with beautiful nacreous shells fronr +he
fishing grounds on all Sides
From the United States and Canal. oon,.
the 1resh-Water pearls. which are produced nrtn.
c1pally by the Unto. a species of mussel con-.
mon to all the mountain streams throuehout
the country. although. a pearl may be found IN
any mollusk having a 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 MichiRan. Mime
sota' Tennessee and Mississippi