﻿.24 
  MUSSEL 
  RESOURCES 
  OF 
  THE 
  ILLINOIS 
  RIVER. 
  

  

  especially 
  in 
  the 
  channel, 
  is: 
  Washboards, 
  75 
  per 
  cent; 
  blue 
  points, 
  

   10 
  per 
  cent; 
  and 
  warty-backs, 
  10 
  per 
  cent. 
  A 
  good 
  32-grain 
  pearl 
  

   ■was 
  found 
  in 
  this 
  stretch 
  during 
  the 
  summer. 
  

  

  There 
  were 
  four 
  camps 
  and 
  26 
  tons 
  of 
  shells 
  on 
  shore 
  in 
  the 
  dark 
  

   or 
  right 
  chute 
  of 
  Diamond 
  Island. 
  This 
  chute 
  is 
  deep, 
  narrow, 
  and 
  

   has 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  hang-ups. 
  No 
  shelhng 
  is 
  done 
  here 
  on 
  Mondays 
  

   on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  steamboat 
  which 
  makes 
  a 
  round 
  trip 
  then 
  

   from 
  St. 
  Louis 
  to 
  Kampsville. 
  In 
  going 
  through 
  this 
  chute 
  the 
  steam- 
  

   boat 
  makes 
  such 
  large 
  and 
  dangerous 
  waves 
  that 
  no 
  small 
  craft 
  there 
  

   could 
  keep 
  from 
  sinking. 
  Twenty-eight 
  species 
  in 
  all 
  were 
  taken 
  

   here, 
  including 
  the 
  only 
  spectacle-case 
  {M. 
  monodonta) 
  taken 
  during 
  

   tlie 
  entire 
  trip. 
  The 
  shells 
  are 
  largely 
  washboards 
  of 
  excellent 
  

   quality, 
  and 
  but 
  few 
  lady-fingers. 
  The 
  bed 
  affords 
  400 
  to 
  600 
  

   pounds 
  per 
  day 
  per 
  man. 
  The 
  left 
  or 
  light 
  chute 
  is 
  much 
  shallower 
  

   and 
  the 
  beds 
  have 
  a 
  good 
  yield 
  of 
  commercial 
  shells. 
  

  

  At 
  Hardin 
  there 
  were 
  from 
  60 
  to 
  100 
  gasohne 
  boats 
  at 
  work 
  on 
  the 
  

   mussel 
  beds, 
  the 
  yield 
  being 
  from 
  400 
  to 
  700 
  pounds 
  of 
  good 
  quahty 
  

   shells. 
  Probably 
  by 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  July 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  1,000 
  tons 
  

   had 
  been 
  shipped 
  from 
  there, 
  about 
  one-third 
  of 
  the 
  amount 
  going 
  to 
  

   Canadian 
  factories. 
  It 
  appears 
  that 
  Harchn 
  would 
  be 
  an 
  excellent 
  

   location 
  for 
  a 
  button 
  factory, 
  the 
  raw 
  material 
  being 
  so 
  abundant 
  

   and 
  near 
  at 
  hand. 
  A 
  niunber 
  of 
  good 
  pearls 
  were 
  found 
  this 
  year, 
  

   the 
  most 
  valuable 
  one 
  seUing 
  for 
  $750. 
  

  

  A 
  series 
  of 
  test 
  hauls 
  were 
  made, 
  beginning 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  Diamond 
  

   Island 
  and 
  extending 
  to 
  Hardin. 
  The 
  mussel 
  bar 
  and 
  crow-foot 
  

   hooks 
  were 
  used. 
  From 
  this 
  bed 
  34 
  species 
  were 
  taken, 
  also 
  a 
  

   number 
  of 
  dead 
  shells. 
  The 
  percentage 
  was: 
  

  

  Washboard 
  23 
  

  

  Blue-point 
  20 
  

  

  "Warty-back 
  13 
  

  

  Three 
  ridge 
  1 
  1 
  

  

  Nlggerliead 
  4 
  

  

  Pig-toe 
  2 
  

  

  Others 
  13 
  

  

  Noncommercial 
  14 
  

  

  In 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  lUinois 
  from 
  "Hardin 
  to 
  Grafton 
  at 
  the 
  mouth, 
  

   ^ 
  distance 
  of 
  20 
  miles, 
  there 
  are 
  practically 
  no 
  places 
  for 
  accommo- 
  

   dations 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  lodging, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  necessary 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  survey 
  

   of 
  the 
  interesting 
  district 
  in 
  one 
  continuous 
  run, 
  from 
  early 
  morning 
  

   until 
  late 
  at 
  night. 
  There 
  are 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  good 
  and 
  productive 
  

   mussel 
  beds 
  in 
  this 
  region, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  miles 
  

   of 
  the 
  river. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  left 
  chute 
  of 
  Mortland 
  Island 
  the 
  yield 
  of 
  shells 
  is 
  400 
  to 
  600 
  

   pounds 
  per 
  man 
  per 
  day. 
  There 
  are 
  12 
  to 
  15 
  camps 
  within 
  2 
  miles 
  of 
  

   oach 
  other, 
  and 
  90 
  to 
  100 
  tons 
  have 
  been 
  taken 
  this 
  year. 
  The 
  

   shells 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  usual 
  run 
  of 
  those 
  found 
  in 
  this 
  stretch, 
  though 
  the 
  

  

  