16 MUSSELS OF CENTKAL AND NOKTHEEN MINNESOTA. 



PEARLS. 



The slugs and small pearls from these shells run about 1§ 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 sheUs 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 railroad 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 pocketbooks 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 sheUs 

 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 white-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. 



