Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-09-03
LURE OF TIE PEARL
Long Chances Taken by Fishers
For Fresh Water Gems.
ALL ARE BELIEVERS IN LUCK.
A MusseI That Holds the Coveted Prize
Looks Just the Same as One That
May Be Worthless, and Thousands
May Be Opened In Vain.

May Be 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
one grand stroke. They are optimists
and true gamblers that worship at the
throne of the goddess of luck. A thou
sand slfells may not contain as much
as worthless slug. The next one
they open may contain a rare gem
worth thousands Of dollars. They are
ready 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
Is true sport, as are the buyers.
They are willing to take long odds In
hope Of pulling down a big stake.
They are of the same disposition as
the city man who CANDLES on the po-
MES or Of the miner who follows his
pick underground, betting against long
odds and fate that he will win.
They are optimistic and hopeful, and
1t is impossible to discourage them.
They are believers in luck and as
strong in their faith as Quaker.
Every pearl fisher has his favorite
among the pearl bearing mussels. Some
like the washboard, long rough shell.
Others like the niggerhead, a small
round SHE'LL black and. rough. Others
cling with inborn faith to the spectacle,
a long shell, shaped much like spec
table case. while others hold to the
fantail and mucket. 1t is only mat
ter of fancy, however, all are pearl
bearing If they have passed through
the right conditions that go to make
the 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.
A large majority of these are to be
found in the White river. A mussel
with pearl in it looks just the same
as 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
fisher 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.
If a man can get the opening tool he
can always find partner with a 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 go to work. Uncle Sam
doesn't charge a cent. Just find place
and get busy. This applies. however.
only to some unoccupied mussel bed
If there is some one else at work on
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
ernmg OperatlOnS among the pearl ISL
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 luster,
bring up as high as S25 or $50. True
pearls. those of definite shape-ball
oval. pearl shaped. drop or button
bring prices up to as high as $1,000 If
they possess the size, color and luster.
Besides these there is the peeler. A
peeler is a pearl with rough exterior
that may have smooth interior when
the rough outside covering is peeled
away. Peeling is the biggest gamble
in the industry. A buyer may pick up
a gem for few dollars, risk his judg-
ment on it and peel out a gem worth
several hundred. Again he may ruin
it 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.