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  MUSSEL 
  RESOURCES 
  OF 
  THE 
  ILLINOIS 
  RIVER. 
  

  

  and 
  favorable 
  mussel 
  beds 
  especially 
  suited 
  to 
  pearl 
  study. 
  Among 
  

   the 
  most 
  interesting 
  localities 
  for 
  observing 
  pearl 
  formation 
  and 
  de- 
  

   velopment 
  may 
  be 
  mentioned 
  Peoria 
  Lake, 
  Havana, 
  Bath, 
  Beards- 
  

   to^vn, 
  Meredosia, 
  Pearl, 
  and 
  Hardin, 
  at 
  whicli 
  places, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  at 
  

   many 
  otliers, 
  excellent 
  pearls 
  have 
  been 
  found, 
  and 
  no 
  doubt 
  there 
  are 
  

   many 
  more 
  there 
  yet 
  to 
  be 
  taken. 
  

  

  FINDING 
  THE 
  PEARLS. 
  

  

  The 
  cooking-out 
  process 
  of 
  the 
  mussels 
  is 
  an 
  interesting 
  and 
  

   important 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  in 
  the 
  camps 
  along 
  the 
  Illinois. 
  The 
  

   mussels 
  are 
  steamed 
  for 
  15 
  or 
  20 
  minutes 
  in 
  a 
  crudely 
  constructed 
  

   vat, 
  until 
  the 
  shells 
  have 
  opened 
  and 
  the 
  meats 
  may 
  be 
  readily 
  taken 
  

   out. 
  Shells 
  and 
  meats 
  are 
  then 
  transferred 
  from 
  the 
  cooker 
  to 
  the 
  

   sorting 
  table, 
  and 
  the 
  parts 
  there 
  separated, 
  the 
  meats 
  being 
  put 
  

   aside 
  temjwrarily 
  and 
  the 
  shells 
  thrown 
  into 
  a 
  near-by 
  bin. 
  The 
  

   meats 
  are 
  then 
  carefully 
  examined 
  one 
  by 
  one 
  — 
  a 
  very 
  tedious 
  process, 
  

   but 
  well 
  worth 
  the 
  trouble. 
  

  

  The 
  slugs 
  and 
  other 
  minor 
  nacreous 
  pieces 
  when 
  found 
  are 
  dropped 
  

   into 
  a 
  glass 
  of 
  water 
  on 
  the 
  sorting 
  table 
  and 
  are 
  afterwards 
  cleaned, 
  

   usually 
  with 
  soap 
  or 
  soap 
  powder. 
  A 
  pearl, 
  however, 
  being 
  much 
  

   more 
  valuable, 
  receives 
  an 
  entirely 
  different 
  treatment 
  in 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  

   "tempered" 
  by 
  being 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  mouth 
  for 
  a 
  while, 
  then 
  wrapped 
  

   loosely 
  in 
  cotton, 
  and 
  put 
  in 
  a 
  small 
  tin 
  box 
  or 
  other 
  receptacle 
  for 
  

   safe-keeping. 
  The 
  pearlers 
  and 
  pearl 
  buyers 
  believe 
  that 
  this 
  method 
  

   of 
  treating 
  the 
  gems 
  prevents 
  cracking. 
  

  

  "Does 
  the 
  boiling 
  or 
  cooking-out 
  process 
  of 
  mussels 
  injure 
  the 
  

   contained 
  pearl 
  ? 
  " 
  is 
  a 
  question 
  that 
  is 
  often 
  asked 
  and 
  one 
  that 
  has 
  

   led 
  to 
  considerable 
  discussion. 
  From 
  personal 
  observations 
  and 
  

   from 
  the 
  statements 
  of 
  mussel 
  fishermen 
  and 
  pearl 
  buyers 
  it 
  appears 
  

   that 
  moderate 
  cooking 
  or 
  steaming 
  of 
  the 
  mussels 
  does 
  not 
  injure 
  

   the 
  pearls 
  at 
  all, 
  provided 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  fall 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  or 
  become 
  

   disengaged 
  from 
  the 
  meats 
  and 
  thus 
  reach 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  cooker 
  

   and 
  get 
  scorched. 
  Some 
  mussel 
  fishermen 
  who 
  have 
  had 
  practical 
  

   ex])erience 
  along 
  this 
  line 
  of 
  work 
  maintain 
  that 
  moderate 
  cooking 
  is 
  

   beneficial 
  rather 
  than 
  detrimental, 
  inasmuch 
  as 
  the 
  process 
  "cures" 
  

   the 
  organic 
  matter 
  of 
  the 
  pearl 
  and 
  renders 
  it 
  less 
  liable 
  to 
  crack 
  or 
  

   otherwise 
  to 
  deteriorate. 
  However 
  that 
  may 
  be, 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  evident 
  

   that 
  by 
  far 
  the 
  greater 
  percentage 
  of 
  the 
  pearls 
  and 
  slugs 
  are 
  found 
  

   after 
  the 
  mussels 
  have 
  been 
  cooked, 
  the 
  exception 
  being 
  for 
  those 
  

   shells 
  which 
  show 
  distortion 
  or 
  some 
  other 
  pecuharity, 
  when 
  they 
  

   are 
  generally 
  opened 
  with 
  a 
  knife 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  found. 
  

  

  