36 



THE MUSEUM. 



er state protection of the beds is de- 

 sirable or necessary, is answered with 

 more or less definiteness in seventy- 

 three papers, and, as might be ex- 

 pected on such a subject, with much 

 diversity. Forty-six of the responses 

 see no need of advantage from protec- 

 tion, and twenty-three favor it. One 

 or two fail to understand the purpose 

 of the question clearly, and some hold 

 that, while not necessary now, it may 

 be in the future. Two or three say 

 that it would be difficut or impractic- 

 able. A few of the answers may be 

 referred to more particularly. Of 

 those that do not favor protection, two 

 (Michigan and New York No. i) think 

 it not worth while or desirable to pre- 

 serve the unios, the latter curiously re- 

 marking that "the water would be 

 purer without them," and one Tennes- 

 see fisherman seems to hold a similar 

 view, saying that protection is not de- 

 sirable, though it is necessary to the 

 preservation of the shells. Tennessee 

 No. 74, failing to appreciate the ques- 

 tion involved, opposes protection "be- 

 cause pearls bring in a great deal of 

 money, and the mussels are of no use. " 

 Two or three think that the shells are 

 inexhaustible and in no danger of ex- 

 tinction. One of those that favor the 

 suggestion, Indiana No. 2, says that it 

 would be well if no shells were taken 

 for five years; the Ohio paper advo- 

 cates "if the mussels are to be preserv- 

 ed. " Tennessee No. — alludes to the 

 value of the shells for pearl buttons as 

 a reason for protection; Tennessee No. 

 32 and No. 33 advocates a limitation 

 as to not opening young shells. 



The whole question is curiously sug- 

 gestive of the similar conditions in res- 

 pect to forestry and lumbering — the 

 apparently inexhaustible natural sup- 

 ply; the reckless prodigality and waste 

 of such resources by man; the rapid 

 diminution and impending extinction, 

 which it would require years of labor 

 to restore; the foresight and remon- 

 strance of the few, and the indiffer- 

 ence or opposition of the many, as to 

 any limitation or protection designed 



to preserve the natural resources, and 

 the ease with which they could be pre- 

 served by a few simple and intelligent 

 modes of management, once establish- 

 ed and made familiar to the people, 

 and the pressing importance of some 

 such action in place of the post nos sil- 

 uvium at present prevailing. 



APPROXIMATE YIELD OF PEARLS. 



Only a few approximate figures can 

 be given. The total production of 

 pearls may be summed up as follows: 



First— 1856 excitement, $50,000, 

 worth to-day at least four times that 

 amount. 



Second — 1868 excitement, $50,000 

 worth. 



Third — 1889 Wisconsin excitement, 

 perhaps $300,000 worth; the Tennes- 

 see fisheries, $100,000; Kentucky, $10,- 

 000; Texas, $20,000; Arkansas, $35,- 

 000, single pearls found in the past 

 year selling for over $1,000, many 

 over $100 and $200. 



The great importance and value of a 

 rural population obtaining ready money 

 so easily as by pearling cannot be over- 

 estimated and is a great boon to the 

 pearlers in the payment of taxes, in- 

 terest and for such things as only 

 money will buy. Therefore the pro- 

 tection of the pearling interests is one 

 of great importance, as it opens up a 

 new industry, if properly regulated, in 

 which the product can always be sold 

 for spot cash. 



To conclude, it is interesting to note 

 a few of the 



FRAUDULENT AND ACCIDENTAL INTER- 

 MIXTURES WITH PEARLS. 



In the small lots and packages of 

 pearls that are sent to commercial cen- 

 tres for purchase or valuation and sale, 

 quite a variety of foreign objects are 

 found, some of which have eviilently 

 been introduced with fraudulent intent, 

 while others have got among the pearls 

 accidentally. Among the former are 

 regular artificial pearls — that is, hollow 

 beads of thin glass filled with wax or 



