﻿36 
  MUSSEL 
  RESOURCES 
  OF 
  THE 
  ILLINOIS 
  RIVER. 
  

  

  best 
  slug 
  producers, 
  although 
  the 
  warty-backs 
  {Q. 
  pustulosa) 
  occa- 
  

   sionally 
  have 
  good 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  latter. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  paper 
  shells 
  

   and 
  floaters 
  were 
  observed 
  to 
  have 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  attached 
  pearls, 
  

   appearing 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part 
  at 
  the 
  tips 
  or 
  posterior 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  shells. 
  

   These 
  pearls, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  are 
  of 
  no 
  value 
  except 
  from 
  the 
  standpoint 
  of 
  

   the 
  experimenter. 
  

  

  The 
  average 
  yield 
  of 
  slugs 
  for 
  the 
  entire 
  river 
  will 
  not 
  exceed, 
  per- 
  

   haps, 
  one-half 
  ounce 
  per 
  ton 
  of 
  shells, 
  while 
  the 
  percentage 
  of 
  good 
  

   pearls 
  is 
  very 
  small 
  indeed. 
  Many 
  valuable 
  gems, 
  however, 
  have 
  

   been 
  found 
  in 
  this 
  river 
  during 
  its 
  shelling 
  history. 
  It 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  

   determine 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  Illinois 
  River 
  pearls 
  and 
  slugs 
  for 
  1912 
  or 
  

   for 
  previous 
  years, 
  as 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  buyers 
  traveling 
  along 
  the 
  

   stream 
  during 
  the 
  shelling 
  season 
  who 
  make 
  private 
  purchases 
  of 
  

   them, 
  paying 
  for 
  the 
  slugs 
  from 
  $3 
  to 
  $3.50 
  per 
  troy 
  ounce. 
  Pearls 
  

   ranging 
  in 
  value 
  from 
  $5 
  to 
  $25 
  and 
  upward 
  were 
  found 
  in 
  1912 
  at 
  

   nearly 
  all 
  the 
  principal 
  mussel 
  beds 
  from 
  Hennepin 
  to 
  below 
  Hardin. 
  

   Among 
  the 
  best 
  finds 
  may 
  be 
  mentioned 
  the 
  foflowing; 
  Three 
  fine 
  

   pearls 
  were 
  found 
  in 
  Peoria 
  Lake 
  and 
  sold 
  for 
  $1,100 
  each, 
  and 
  one 
  

   exceptionally 
  fine 
  pear 
  pearl 
  of 
  beautiful 
  luster, 
  weiglnng 
  64 
  grains, 
  

   sold 
  for 
  $2,500. 
  One 
  at 
  Pearl, 
  111., 
  sold 
  for 
  $2,700, 
  and 
  one 
  found 
  at 
  

   Hardin 
  brought 
  $750. 
  The 
  news 
  of 
  such 
  good 
  finds 
  spreads 
  rapidly 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  locality 
  and 
  is 
  a 
  great 
  stimulus 
  to 
  the 
  pearl 
  and 
  sheU 
  

   industry. 
  The 
  pearlers 
  become 
  expert 
  in 
  their 
  fine 
  of 
  business 
  and 
  

   can 
  usually 
  tell 
  at 
  a 
  glance 
  from 
  what 
  general 
  class 
  of 
  shells 
  the 
  pearls 
  

   and 
  slugs 
  are 
  taken. 
  For 
  example, 
  it 
  is 
  well 
  known 
  to 
  them 
  that 
  the 
  

   lower 
  river 
  beds 
  produce 
  ''washboard 
  stuff," 
  which 
  is 
  very 
  -wlute, 
  

   although 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  pieces 
  may 
  be 
  stained 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  spots 
  in 
  the 
  

   shell, 
  and 
  the 
  upper 
  river 
  stretches 
  yield 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  ''blue- 
  

   point 
  stuff," 
  often 
  having 
  a 
  tinge 
  of 
  pinkish 
  color. 
  

  

  