The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-10-31

Are on the White River and
Just as Picturesque as
Those IN Ceylon Are.

-.
years output OF tho White river pearl
fisheries has not been nearly SO large
as that OF last year. with one excep-
ton.
During the dry season. when many
bars are uncovered and mussel beds
underlying the shallow water for more
than 500 miles are exposed to view, It
y Impossible to look either up or
down the stream and not see as MAJ
as q dozen pearl fishers at WORT I'm
der every cool, cedar clad bluff there
are always from one to dozen
camps.
The fresh water clam, one good
only for fish bait, has in recent years
become a big commercial commodity,
and the principal industry of Its kind
in this country is that Of the White
river fisheries.
Newport, the Peal CITY," is the
center of the industry, practically all.
thesDearls and shells found in the
upper part OF the river being market
cd there. Another thing that draws
many men and women away from
farms and from the cities is that
while in former years the fishers had
TO depend entirely on the chance of
finding pearls for their profits, they
now have a steady income from the
shells. which they dispose Of at from
$40 to SIP a ton to the button factor
les. Many of them are earning from
$15 to $50 day from this source
alone.
The sPearl King.
Jesse l. Wilson, former sheriff of
one Of the White river counties, and
now known as the Pearl King" has
earned perhaps more than any other
one man from the waters OF White
river. Three years ago, with his wife,
he made his first attempt at pearl
fishing. He started out with q fiat
bottom boat and pair Of tongs with
handles about ten feet in length. With
these he brought from the bottom
Of the streams the clans They were
then carried to the bank and placed
In q sheet iron boiler and cooked in
order to easily extract the flesh and
leave the shells clean and ready for
market. That year he sold close to
hfty tons Of shell ITO thebutton fac
tories and found 100 pearls of vary
Ing size. weight and color. The
larger and finer OF these he disposed
Of to foreign buyers for total of
$3,6SO. With the smaller ones his
wife began collection for a neck
lace that now rivals some Of those
owned by. the wives Of millionaires.
Last year, a dry season, Wilson had
several helpers and he cleaned up
about $4,000. in addition to nearly 200
! small but very beautiful pearls turn
sied into the growing collection OF his
wife:
Y This year things looked rather
gloomy for while. A.few miles from
Newport, where lies one OF the finest
mussel beds in the river. Wilson con-
structe. da sort of wharf, upon which
he laid o miniature railroaA track
from the high bank to a rocky islet
near the middle of the stream. On
this track he PLACED u dump car. The
small steamers belonging to the but
ton factories could "lay up to the
end Of his wharf, no matter of what
stage the water was. and the shells
could be dumped into them easily.
Having disposed Of the problem of
loading the shells, Wilson then put
into operation his plan Of securing
tAAC 1luoSo4o 1LVAl utlGulu luc uGSU
water. On account OF the depth, the
tongs were no longer feasible. so he
constructed several RATS and two
boats resembling Chinese "sampans."
Then he hired twenty or thirty me-
groes, mostly boys. as divers, and
operations began. The negro boys
along the White river are regular
water rats" and are at home even
In the swiftest current
The Divers.
The RATS and "samrans" were an
rhored over the mussel beds and the
negroes began diving for the clans.
Cabins were fitted up on the boats
and the divers made their homes in
them. On cold, cloudy days, IL a
diver became chilled, he made for a
"sampan,," where fire was always
kept, with plenty Of hot coffee. AS
the wind Is always up the river"
when another location was desirable,
The RATS were hooked to the boats,
yails were raised and the. change was
made easily
Wilson treated his men and boy
divers we'll, paid them good wages
And saw that they had every comfort.
kA SAAAAttVAb lac 0AOWSu I'VE per
bent Of the proceeds of the shells.
Ropes were attached to all rats,
and when one was loaded it was
drawn TO the shore. the mussels were
parted to the cooking vat, the meat
was extracted and carefully examined
Tor pearls and the shells were piled
hear or dumped into car ready for
leading into steamer.
$4,000 Necklace con the Side.-
Wilson's success this year is the
Talk Of the river folk. He had a prac-
lical monopoly Of the she'll industry,
ls the high water prevented all others
from earning more than bare liv-
> Ing. He sold nearly $1,000 worth of
thells and $4,000 worth OF pearls. in
addition to one fine gem of splendid
lustre. weighing 1875 grains, for which
he received $1,000.
Besides all this. Mrs. Wilson Sc
cured enough medium sized gems to
complete her necklace, which she is
pow wearing, II is valued at $4,000.
It is comprised OF 500 pearls, in sew
Pm strands, and ranging from little
larger than. pinhead to five ball
a