42 PEARLS AND PEARLING 



them in the rivers. It has been learned from other 

 sources, however, that the Ocklocknee River has yielded 

 some small pearls. History records that the Spaniards 

 had a pearl fishery on one of the islands in Lake Okee- 

 chobee in early times. 



Most of the rivers near the Gulf Coast are very diffi- 

 cult to work because of brush, snags and vegetation. 



The mussels are sm.ill, so no large pearls can be ex- 

 pected from them. 



Georgia has had some "pearl fevers." One of these 

 was in 1897 and the other in 1911. Some nice pearls 

 were found. 



At the time De Soto was in Georgia, the Indians 

 secured some pearls for him from the Oostariula River 

 near the place where Rome, Georgia, now stands. 



Illinois is especially favored. The Mississippi River 

 on the west, the Wabash River on the east, the Ohio 

 River on the south, and the Illinois, Rock, Kankakee 

 Rivers and many other smaller streams inside the State 

 make it the most prominent pearl State. 



No other State has produced as many fine pearls 

 within the last few years as Illinois. 



Some of the finest fresh-water pearls in the world 

 to-day came from the rivers in and bordering this State. 



The Illinois River is the most important pearl stream 

 in the State. In 1910 there were 2,600 boats on this 

 river engaged in pearl hunting, or "claming," as it is 

 called in many places. 



In 1912 there were only about 400 mussel boats in use 

 on the Illinois River. 



