The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1915-10-07
Lure OF The 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.
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 us to sweep
them into the realms of prosperity at
u grand stroke. They are oDtimlsts
and true gamblers that worship at the
throne Of the goddess Of luck, A thou
sand shells may not contain us much
as a worthless slug. The next n
they open may contain q rare gem
worth thousands Of dollars. They are
rcady and willing to take the chance.
They may come out to the good or they
!may come u mosquito bitten, full Of
4.:tlnril, with trembling knees.
The pearl fisher of the Upper White
Is Il true sport, as are the buyers.
- MY dIc Nllll!I5 " tuhC lOlS OluS III
hope OF pulling down Il big stake.
They are of the same disposition as
the city man who ganlblcS on the po-
MES OF 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.
F'h,v ,r, I,,Ii,yn,. ;t Ir.l. ,n1 ~,
strong III their faith rs 4 Quaker.
Every pearl fisher has his fuvoritc
among tho pearl bearing muSSels. Some
like the waShboard, a long rough shell.
Others like the nigycrllcnd, Il small
round shell. black and rough. Others
cling with inborn faith to the spectacle,
a long shell, shaped much like Il spec
table case, While others hold to the
faltai! and mucict. 1t is only Il mat
ter of fancy. however, all are pearl
bearing if they have passed through
the right conditions that 20 to make
The pearl.
The chance of finding one Of these
rests With luck and luck alone, for
there are some 800 different kinds Of
A1Cou N0iti lit!NStIS tEtt Dt.ll pttlllS.
"a large majority of these are to be
found in the White river. y mussel
with a pearl in il looks just the same
As one that has non and ii is simply
matter of opening them to determine
which ore carries 4; valuable gem.
The equipment OF Il White river pearl
ssllcr ranges in Waite from several
F,II}.ti.,,1 .,f,,lt.tr- .,ta,y,, 20 ,,,+I,;-r
lseal!y ON" can Star; i'll With nothing
but ain old knife or sharp edged instru-
mcnt with which TO open the shells.
If Il man can get the opening TOOL he
a always find Il partner with Il gunny
sack and that is Ill that he needs to
woo fortune With. He can use the
knife on the bank to open the shells
with. Lis partner gathering them from
che bed Of the river III shallow places.
carrying them to him on the bank.
You don't have to get permission,
either, to so to work. Uncle Sam
doesn't charge a cent Just find Il place
and get busy. This applies, however,
only to some unoccupied mussel bed.
If there is some II else at work Oh 4
S>o i'iA ''H INV anu it 10 lulSe.
than yeu. leave him alone. 1t Is his
by might and right of discovery, and
these are two Of the natural laws gov
ernins 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
II many shapes and sizes. The slugs
Ire the most worthless and seldom
bring over 81. Baroques, which are
slugs. but which have a fine luster,
bring up as high as So or $50. True
pearls, those Of a 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 a rough exterior
that may have q smooth interior when
the rough outside covering is peeled
away. Feeling Is the biggest gamble
IN the industry. A buyer may pick up
a gem for a few dollars, risk his 1udg-
91ent on 1t 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
been greatly depleted.-Washing.
9Pn Post.