Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 230, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1912 — PEARL HUNTING IN THE IROQUOIS [ARTICLE]

PEARL HUNTING IN THE IROQUOIS

Walter and Lester Schreiner and Frad Whitman Get Car Lead of Shells and Many Pearls. Walter and Lester Schreiner and Fred Whitman have been working for the past four weeks at a new enterprise for Jasper county, that of-gath-ering clam shells and hunting for pearls. They have been working in the Iroquois river near the Jay Lamson farm, 7 miles southwest of town, and near the residence of Lester Schreiner, at about the same place where Levi Crltser found several pearls a few months ago. They have succeeded in getting out about twenty tons of shells, which they will ship to the pearl button factory at Muscatine, lowa, and for which they expeet to get about sls per ton. The shells will be loaded at Julian, on the C. & E. I. railroad.. In addition to the Shells the men have found a large numbef of pearls, many of them small and of little value, but 13 of them are large and well shaped and the men expect to realize handsomely on them. One pearl is especially large and perfectly round and weighs 30 grains. Walter Schreiner, who has been in the pearl fields near Sandwich, Ilk, for several years, says he expects to receive SI,OOO for this pearl, while the others will also bring good prices. They have also found a good many slugs which are worth about $2.50 an ounce. The season closed with them Tuesday, when they got -out about fifteen bushels of clams and not a single pearl or Blug. It is too cold to longer Work In the water and they have given it up until next year. Their way of working was to wade down the river, one on either side of a boat and to reaefh down with their hands for the clams and throw them into the boat A bank fire was kept going and the clams were'cooked for a short time and then opened and searched for pearls. The shells were piled up for shipment and the clam meat put into a vessel and later haulqd to the hogs, , which thrive on the food. If the men succeed in finding a good market fov the pearls they will begin operations again in the spring.