﻿16 
  MUSSELS 
  OF 
  CENTRAL 
  AND 
  NORTHERN 
  MINNESOTA. 
  

  

  PEARLS. 
  

  

  The 
  slugs 
  and 
  small 
  pearls 
  from 
  these 
  shells 
  run 
  about 
  Ih 
  ounces 
  

   to 
  the 
  ton 
  of 
  shells, 
  which 
  equals 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Illinois 
  River, 
  is 
  twice 
  

   the 
  average 
  for 
  the 
  Cumberland 
  River, 
  and 
  three 
  times 
  that 
  for 
  the 
  

   Ohio. 
  

  

  An 
  ounce 
  of 
  these 
  pearls 
  and 
  slugs 
  was 
  purchased 
  and 
  they 
  have 
  

   been 
  carefully 
  examined 
  and 
  compared 
  with 
  those 
  from 
  other 
  locali- 
  

   ties. 
  In 
  luster 
  and 
  general 
  character 
  they 
  are 
  considerably 
  better 
  

   than 
  those 
  from 
  the 
  Illinois 
  and 
  Ohio 
  Rivers, 
  but 
  are 
  not 
  equal 
  to 
  the 
  

   Wabash 
  River 
  output. 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  the 
  musselmen 
  at 
  Menahga 
  showed 
  us 
  a 
  large 
  rosebud 
  clus- 
  

   ter 
  of 
  yellowish 
  tint 
  and 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  hickory 
  nut, 
  which 
  was 
  

   attached 
  to 
  the 
  valve 
  of 
  a 
  mucket 
  near 
  the 
  posterior 
  end. 
  They 
  also 
  

   had 
  several 
  fine 
  pearls, 
  rather 
  more 
  than 
  would 
  be 
  expected 
  from 
  the 
  

   quantity 
  of 
  shells 
  they 
  had 
  obtained. 
  

  

  While 
  conditions 
  in 
  the 
  Crow 
  Wing 
  and 
  its 
  tributaries 
  are 
  excep- 
  

   tionally 
  fine, 
  as 
  is 
  evidenced 
  by 
  the 
  superior 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  shells, 
  and 
  

   while 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  'abundance 
  of 
  the 
  right 
  kinds 
  of 
  fish 
  to 
  serve 
  as 
  

   hosts, 
  these 
  advantages 
  are 
  more 
  than 
  offset 
  by 
  the 
  very 
  poor 
  facilities 
  

   for 
  transportation. 
  

  

  The 
  rivers 
  run 
  through 
  those 
  portions 
  of 
  Wadena 
  County 
  which 
  

   are 
  the 
  farthest 
  removed 
  from 
  railroads, 
  and 
  not 
  until 
  we 
  reach 
  

   Motley 
  in 
  Morrison 
  County 
  do 
  we 
  find 
  good 
  raOroad 
  facilities. 
  Even 
  

   at 
  Menahga 
  the 
  shells 
  must 
  be 
  carted 
  5 
  miles 
  over 
  a 
  very 
  sandy 
  road 
  

   in 
  order 
  to 
  reach 
  a 
  shipping 
  point. 
  The 
  Shell 
  River, 
  however, 
  will 
  

   furnish 
  gravid 
  pockotbooks 
  of 
  exceptional 
  size 
  and 
  quality 
  to 
  stock 
  

   other 
  rivers 
  that 
  happen 
  to 
  be 
  more 
  conveniently 
  located. 
  

  

  RECOMMENDATIONS. 
  

  

  1 
  . 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  musselmen 
  at 
  Menahga 
  suggested 
  a 
  way 
  to 
  overcome 
  

   the 
  lack 
  of 
  transportation 
  facilities. 
  A 
  "wannigan" 
  as 
  he 
  called 
  it 
  — 
  

   that 
  is, 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  house 
  boat 
  — 
  could 
  be 
  built 
  and 
  equipped 
  with 
  ma- 
  

   chinery 
  for 
  sawing 
  blanks 
  at 
  an 
  expense 
  not 
  greatly, 
  if 
  at 
  all, 
  exceed- 
  

   ing 
  what 
  it 
  now 
  costs 
  ($300) 
  to 
  transport 
  a 
  single 
  carload 
  of 
  shells 
  

   from 
  Menahga 
  to 
  the 
  button 
  factories. 
  With 
  this 
  equipment 
  it 
  

   would 
  be 
  an 
  easy 
  thing 
  to 
  float 
  down 
  the 
  Shell 
  River 
  into 
  the 
  Crow 
  

   Wing, 
  and 
  down 
  the 
  latter 
  into 
  the 
  Mississippi, 
  using 
  up 
  the 
  shells 
  

   where 
  they 
  were 
  found. 
  The 
  Crow 
  Wing 
  and 
  its 
  tributaries 
  would 
  

   supply 
  enough 
  material 
  to 
  keep 
  such 
  an 
  outfit 
  busy 
  for 
  several 
  years. 
  

   There 
  would 
  be 
  no 
  freight 
  or 
  transportation 
  charges 
  on 
  the 
  shells. 
  

   Spotted 
  shells, 
  those 
  with 
  thin 
  tips, 
  and 
  the 
  whitc-nacred 
  sand 
  shells 
  

   could 
  be 
  utilized 
  along 
  with 
  the 
  others, 
  and 
  when 
  the 
  work 
  was 
  

   finished 
  the 
  boat 
  and 
  its 
  outfit 
  would 
  bring 
  a 
  very 
  respectable 
  portion 
  

   of 
  the 
  original 
  cost. 
  

  

  