The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-08-26
LURE OF The PEARL
lonu Chances Taken by Fishers
For Fresh Water Gems.
ALL ARE BELIEVERS IN LUCK.

LEI. AnE 0E6t@uEh0 tW kUONs
"A MusseI That Holds the Coveted Prize
ooks just the Same az One That
May Be Worthless, and Thousands
mav Be Opened In Vain.
THE pearl fishermen Of the Upper
white river In Arkansas are the most
hopeful of mortals. ever dreaming Of
n,cking 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 shells may not contain as much
AZ worthless slug. The next one
thew 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
"a a 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
Il is impossible to discourage them.
They are believers In luck and as
strong in their faith as a Quaker.
Every pearl fisher has his favorite
among the pearl bearing musseIs. Some
like the dashboard, long rough shell.
Others like the niggerhead, small
round shell, black and rough Others
cling with Unborn 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 1t looks just the same
as one that has none, and 1t is simply
matter Of opening them to determine
which one carries a 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 man can get the opening tool he
can always find a partner with q 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 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 q
Ded 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
ernlng 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 a fine luster.
bring up as high as $25 or $50. True
pearls, those of definite shape-ball,
oval pearl shaped, drop or button
Drlng prices UP to as high as $1,000 if
tney possess the size, color and luster
BESIDES these there is the peeler. A
peeler is pearl with rough exterior
tnat may have smooth interior when
'ne rough outside covering is peeled
AWAY Feeling is the biggest gamble
IN the industry. A buyer may pick up
gem for few dollars, risk his judg-
ment on 1t and peel out a gem worth
several hundred. Again he may ruin
1t and lose all.
FOR the past four years, which have
Deen extremely dry ones, pearl fishing
mas been general. and the mussel beds
nave been greatly depleted. Washing
ton Post