CHAPTER IV. 



PEARLS ARE FOUND IN MOST RIVERS OF THE UNITED 

 STATES AND CANADA. 



PEARLS are found in nearly all of the rivers in 

 the United States as well in many streams in 

 Canada. There is no certain portion of our coun- 

 try that might be referred to as being our only source of 

 pearls. While more pearls have been found in some 

 rivers than in others, most of our rivers contain them 

 and there are but few rivers in the United States that 

 have hot yielded these brilliant gems. 



Eighty-five per cent, of our United States streams, 

 however, are in the mighty Mississippi drainage system. 

 The streams of this system drain a large area of land. 

 Lake Chautauqua, in New York ; Lake Itaska, in Minne- 

 sota, and Yellowstone Lake, in the Yelk >tone Park, 

 in far away Wyoming, belong to this system. A thou- 

 sand streams, from the babbling brook up to the mighty 

 Missouri, all pour their tribute of water into the great 

 Mississippi. Altogether these connect thirty-four States 

 and reach into Alberta, Canada. 



Pearls have been found in streams in nearly all of the 

 States that are in this great system. 



Most of the rivers which empty into the Gulf of 

 Mexico from the north have yielded pearls. 



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