The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1910-06-24
- Owls ~ N1z1y3V ne NC1slNV O(s7zTS ARE R4kSED

but 10 to Is minutes, while in so feet of water
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 S., 100000 the pearls repre-
senting 100000 and the mother-of-pearl shell
the balance.
According to Dr. George F. Kunz, one of the
worlds greatest authorities on pearls, 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 fridescent 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 NAV he
improved.
Ine Lower California pearls are of great
variety OF shapes and color round. pear sbaned
button pearl fiat on one side. barooue ~
pearl OF irregular shape, and in color RANGING
from white and pink to blue, green. brown and
black Some very famous pearls Of history have
been taken from these waters.
With hardly an exception there are American
pearls among the crown jewels of every ruler of
Europe. In 1889, at the worlds fair in poris
there was exhibited set of seven black ne.rIs
rom these Mexican fisheries valued at 900 mn
at that time, and today worth much moro ono
or the largest pearls ever found here woe c1a
IN Parls TO the emperor of Austria for SIN mn
and the spanish government presented No.
leon ILL., with black Mexican pearI vo,,,os =.
$4,000 ueo at
In venezuela the principal OYSTER beds orc
iocated around the island of Margarita which
word IN Spanish means pearl, and at Cubagua
III iTano, Gulf of Paria and Coro. por,am.r
Maracapana and Macanao. so that this mart ~
venezuela became known to the e.rlv c.
iards as the Pearl coast 0p'A
OF the Pearl islands of Panama bav Pow
Island is the largest of the group. The on1v
village OF any size among these islands is San
Miguel as old as the fisheries themselves tba
tower OF It's little masonry church being thick1v
1nlaid with beautiful nacreous shells from tho
fishing grounds on all Sides
From the; United States and Canada Gonna
the fresh-water pearls, which are produced nrin-
clpaliy by the Unto, species of mussel oon,
mon to all the mountain streams tbrouohort
the country, although pearl may be foun5 in
any molusk having nacreous interior linino
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