ADAMS : MUSSEL F1SHI^G AND PEARL-BUTTON INDUSTRY. 2i5 



tubes with teeth at one end which, as they rotate in a lathe, are 

 pressed against the shells, and the "blanks" thus cut out are forced 

 back through the tubes into a receptacle. The daily capacity of the 

 largest factories is 700 to 1,000 gross of finished buttons. The unit 

 of measure of the size of buttons is the "line," which is one-fortieth of 

 an inch (not one-twelfth). From 100 lbs. of niggerheads 34 gross of 

 of 16-line buttons or 15 gross of 24-line buttons may be cut. One 

 medium sized niggerhead can be cut into four or five 18-line or 2oline 

 blanks. The largest deerhorns may be cut into 25 or 30 blanks. In 

 the factories from 30 to upwards of 200 people are employed, males 

 and females being in about equal numbers. The best wages are paid 

 to cutters, who are always men, 5 to 10 cents a gross (14 dozen) being 

 paid for "rough blanks" according to size. Skilled men can cut 150 

 to 200 gross per week and can earn $15, but the average is $8 to $10. 

 The average wholesale price for finished buttons is double that of the 

 blanks of corresponding size. 



The second step in the making of a complete button is the dressing 

 or grinding of the back of the blank to remove the epidermis and 

 make an even surface, to accomplish which each blank has to be held 

 with the finger against a revolving emery wheel. 



Turning or "facing" is the next process, similar to preceding, gives 

 to the front of the button its form including the central depression. 

 This is followed by drilling three or four holes for the thread. The 

 final polishing is done by causing a quantity of buttons to rotate 

 together in a vessel containing a chemical — possibly an acid. 



From 50 to over 90 per cent, of material is waste after the blanks 

 have been cut and the accumulation of this is often a nuisance. A 

 certain proportion is utilised for road making and some for feeding 

 poultry. The fine powder left after drilling, grinding, &c., being almost 

 pure carbonate of lime has been esteemed highly as a fertilizer. 



The United States Fish Commission, though it has no jurisdiction 

 over the Mussel Fishery (this being vested in the States concerned), 

 has given in this Report some exceedingly wise and practical recom- 

 mendations regarding the measures that seem necessary for prevent- 

 ing the further depletion of the Mussel beds — suggesting (i) The pro- 

 hibition of the gathering of small Mussels; (2) A period of close time 

 at the spawning season ; (3) Prevention of damage by sewage and 

 factory refuse; (4) A restriction of the depletion by prohibiting the ship- 

 ment of Mussels to distant States; (5) Recommendation of care and 

 economy in cutting out the blanks. 



