The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-07-02
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out IL to 10 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 are NOT
as large as those Of Ceylon, but run from 5000
to 1000 to the ton The true pearl oyster, the
Meleagrfna 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 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 motherof-pearl 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 a perfect skin
line 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 pearl NAV he
improved 10y W
Inc Lower California pearls are of q praa+
variety OF Shapes and color, round, pear SHAPED
CT
pearl OF irregular shape, and in color ranoino
from white and pink to blue, green, brown and
black. Some very famous pearls of history bo-,o
been taken from these waters.
VITA hardly an exception there are American
pearls among the crown jewels of every rnlar 81
europe. In 1889, at the worlds fair in p.ris
chefe was exhibited a set of seven black naar1s
honI these Mexican fisheries, valued at $22 nm
at that time and today worth rn,,cb 49, go
OF the largest pearls ever found here uos so11
IN Parls to the emperor Of Austria for e1o 900
and the Spanish government presented ~
icon Ill. with black Mexican Dea~I 1,o1uoS -.
$4,000 p'o1 valued at
IN Venezuela the principal oyster bods .ro
located around the island of Margarita which
Word IN spanish means pearl and at C,nboo-,o
III Irano' Gulf of Paria and Cora. Porlanor
MaFacapana and Macanao SO that tbis ,or+ 80
venezuela became known to the aar1,, c.
iards as the Pearl coast 0p"n
Ot the Pearl islands of Panama how D
Island Is the largest of the group. Tho on1T,
village OF any size among these islands is Co.
miguel, as old as the fisheries themselves +ba
tower OF its little masonry church being +bio1~1,,
lnlald with beautiful nacreous shells FROM 49,
fishing grounds on all sides.
From the United States and Cansao o
the fresh-Water pearls, which are produced nri,
clpaliy by the Unto, q species of mussel COW.
mon TO all the mountain streams throuob4
Tue country, although a pearl NAV he found ~
any noIlusk having o nacreous interior iini,c
FeaFls nave been brought to the New York
market from almost every state in the Union and
canada, principally from Ohio, Indiana Illinois
heACucky' missouri, arkansas, Michigan Mime
sofa, tennessee and Mississippi