Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1915-08-06
lure OF THE P PEARL Earl.
Long Chances Taken by Fishers
For Fresh Water Gems.

For Fresh Water Gems.
AL ARE BELIEVERS IN LUCK.
a Musssl That Holds the Coveted Prize
y Looks Just the Same as One That
May BE Worthless, and Thousands
May 30 Opened In Vain.
The pearl fishermen of the Upper
White river in Arkansas are the most
hopeful of mortals, ever dreaming OF
picking from curiously shaped shells
big pearls Of such value as to sweep
them into the realms Of prosperity at
lsoe grand stroke. They are optimists
Ind true gamblers that worship at the
throne Of the goddess Of luck. A thou
and shells may not contain as much
jas worthless slug. The next one
they open may contain rare gem
worth thousands Of dollars. They are
}eady and willing to take the chance.
They may come out to the good or they
may come out mosquito bitten, full OF
malaria, with trembling knees.
The pearl fisher of the Upper White
u true sport, as are the buyers.
They are willing to take long odds In
hope Of pulling down big stake.
They are of the same disposition as
khe city man who CANDLES on the po-
hSes or of the miner who follows his
bsck underground, betting against long
odds and fate that he will win.
They are optimistic and hopeful, and
ht Is impossible to discourage them.
They are believers in luck and as
erong in their faith as Quaker.
Every pearl fisher has his favorite
hmong the pearl bearing mussels. Some
kke the washboard, long rough shell.
pthers like the niggerhead, small
tound shell, black and rough. Others
hing with Unborn faith to the spectacle,
I long shell, shaped much like spec
liable case, while others hold to the
kAntail and mucket. 1t is only mat
" Of fancy, however, all are pearl
hearing If they have passed through
he right conditions that go to make
ne pearl.
The chance of finding one Of these
rests with luck and luck alone, for
there are some 500 different kinds of
fresh water mussels that bear pearls.
large majority Of these are to be
tound in the White river. A mussel
with pearl in it looks just the same
- one that has none, and it is simply
= matter of opening them to determine
which one carries valuable gem.
The equipment Of White river pearl
usher ranges in value from several
hundred dollars down to nothing.
Really one can start in with nothing
but an old knife or sharp edged instru-
ment with which to open the shells.
IL man can get the opening tool he
can always find partner with gunny
sack and that Is all that he needs to
WOO fortune with. He can use the
knife on the bank to open the shells
with, his partner gathering them from
the bed Of the river in shallow places,
carrying them to him on the bank.
You don't have to get permission,
either, to 60 to work. Uncle Sam
doesn't charge cent Just find place
and get busy. This applies, however,
only to some unoccupied mussel bed.
II there is some one else at work on 4
bed when you arrive and he is larger
than you, leave him alone. 1t Is his
by might and right Of discovery, and
these are two Of the natural laws gov
erning operations among the pearl fish
ers of the Upper White.
The pearls found on the White river
are Of good luster and bring fancy
prices when free from flaws. They are
Of many shapes and sizes. The slugs
are the most worthless and seldom
bring over 81. Baroques, which are
slugs, but which have fine ulster,
bring up as high as $25 or $50. True
pearls, those Of a definite shape-ball.
oval, pearl shaped, drop or button
bring prices up to as high as 5000 II
they possess the size, color and luster.
Besides these there is the peeler. A
peeler is pearl with a rough exterior
that may have a smooth interior when
the rough outside covering is peeled
away. Peeling is the biggest gamble
In the industry. A buyer may pick ur
q gem for few dollars, risk his 5udg
ment on 1t and peel out a gem worth
several hundred. Again he may ruiz
u and lose all.
For the past four years, which have
been extremely dry ones, pearl fishing
has been general, and the mussel beds
have been greatly depleted.-Washing
ton Post
Harpers Ferry.
Harpers Ferry was named after RGS
ert Harper, an architect and mill build
er, born in 1903 in the town Of Oxford
England. He came to America in 173;