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Show oo FORTUNES IN RIVER MUD A writer in an Illinois paper estimates esti-mates that ?2,00n,0f)0 is paid In that state everv year for the pearls that are found In mussels taken from the river beds. This Is th0 way ho figures fig-ures it: "A professional buyer, representing a French firm, deolnres that ho ordinarily ordi-narily pays out from $200,000 to $400.-000 $400.-000 each season for- fresh-water pearls In this state." says Ihe Illinois Statesman." "There are probably five other buyers whose dealings are as extensive who patrol tho Illinois river, riv-er, visiting the camps of the mussel seekers. "That makes a total of $2,000,000. But It It were possible to establish as strict a censorship over the quest or pearls in Illinois as in tho diamond dlgglns of Africa, and the actual number num-ber of pearls found, with their value, placed on record, the estimate of $3.-000,000 $3.-000,000 might be found to be far too low." What really keeps the industry going go-ing is the fact that there Is a steady market for the shells. Missouri now boasts of five factories, which turned out 149.815.72S buttons and blanks, valued at $267,794. Iowa claims to lead the United States In button-making, button-making, the city of Muscatine alone possessing thirteen factories. About 250 men and 750 girls find employment In the Muscatine button factories, and about 900 tons of sheola are annually consumed by these plants. The waslo sections of the sheels are ground into powder and sold to qoultry fanciers for feed. Tho button factories of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri ship their product all over tho world. The labor-saving machinery machin-ery with which each is equipped enables en-ables the American button to compete com-pete successfully with tho hand-made product of Europe. Buyers representing various button but-ton factories visit the camps at fre-nuent fre-nuent Intervals and contract for the product at the current market price. The shells are then loaded Into box cars or river barges and sent to tho factories. Experienced hands sort the shells, those of tho largest size and smoothest glaze being shipped to Europe, where the finer grades of buttons are manufactured and where the art and machinery have become more highly developed. Only the cheaper grades of buttons are manufactured In this country. From ?S to $20 a ton is paid for the shells. Tho highest grade Is known as tho "sand mussel." An industrious seeker of the mussels can clear up from $2,50 to $4 a day from the shells alone, and regards the finding of a poavl as a welcome additional reward for his labor. |