SUDDEN FORTUNE

Evening Star, Issue 20586, 11 September 1930, Page 20

SUDDEN FORTUNE

PEARLING STILL HOLDS ROMANCE - The pearling industry of Broome, in Western Australia, teems with romance and tragedy. Here the famous Southern Cross pearl was found. This extraordinary pearl, or cluster of pearls, is probably the most remarkable that Nature has over produced. Jt contains a group of nine pearls, naturally grown together in so regular a manner as to form an almost perfect Latin cross 'Seven pearls compose.the shaft, which measures one inch and a-half in length, and the two arms of the cross are formed of one pearl on each side, almost opposite to live second pearl, reckoning from the top downward (writes Frank .Reid, in the Melbourne ‘Argus’). The- component pearls of the cross are ot line (pinlily, and they.would be of good shape wore it not that by natural compression during growth they have become slightly flattened on their opposite sides, .while some of them, though round in front, are distorted into deep shapes at the back. This pear) was discovered by a man named Clarke, who, with his son. was pearling in the bigger Ethel. Tho craft was owned by a mati named Kelly. When the opened shell disclosed tho remarkable pearl cross all tho crew were tilled with amazement and awe. Kelly, who regarded it as a heaven-wrought miracle, with a certain amount of superstitions dread, buried the pearls, for how long is not known! The cross was discovered in 1871, and in 1876. it was "exhibited at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, where it attracted much attention, set in a simple gold mount, which left both tho back and front of the pearl perfectly free. At first sight it might haVc been supposed that the pearls had been artificially joined together, but a number of scientists and experts wen? allowed to examine the cross closely with powerful magnifying glasses and a brilliant light. Broome waters have given up many other remarkable pearls. There is tlie story of one found in 1916 in shallow depths by n black diver which brought tho remarkable sum of £B,OOO. Then there was the Eacott pearl. There has been some dispute over tho discoverer of this gem, but the man who owned the lugger, and whose property it became, was a pearler named .Eacott, and the gem was named after him. Eacott sold it for £IO,OOO. and promptly invested tho proceeds in a station. Some years ago, when I was in--1 forested in the North Australian pearling industry, I. was intimately acquainted with Mr Mark Rubin, who, after his death in 1919, left in the United Kingdom an estate of the value of £53,946. Rubin was probably the most eccentric pearler in tho history of Australia. At Broome many stories arc still told of tho way in which he carelessly carried pearls of great value, and displayed them wherever he went. It a remarkable that he was not killed on several occasions, for there were many desperate characters in Broome who greedily gazed upon tho costly gems he so recklessly exhibited. From tho first week he interested himself in tlui pearling industry he had extraordinary luck. If memory serves rightly, it was on his third trip out that one of his divers brought to the surface a pearl which was afterwards soi l in London for £B,OOO. Two weeks later the same diver found another gem, which was valued at £IO,OOO. Rubin made a huge fortune in nor- ! thorn pearling waters, but he spent it ! lavishly When I was at Broomo in { IF-T' he gave a banquet on board live s.s. Paroo. As soon as the guests were [ sealed each was presented with a bunch l -vf rare,orchids, which had been brought j'. Broome encased in ice. On another j occasion lie gave a banquet in McJI bourne at which each guest had a i ; 'ate placed before him in the centre ! of which'lay a pearl of no small value. 1 In 1907 a Jewish buyer named Leibgild was lured out at Broome one night by three Malays with a promise ot a pearl for sale. He carried £3OO in his clothes to make the’ purchase. Ho was stabbed, robbed, and thrown into the creek. Tho Malays were captured and hanged in Fremantle. The decoy was not a pearl, but merely a glass marble.