STRANGE PEARL CRAZE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 March 1925, Page 7

STRANGE PEARL CRAZE.

“SOLIDIFIED ALCOHOL.”

CANADIAN AUTHORITIES PUZZLED.

VANCOUVER, Feb. 5

British Columbians, who can buy all the world has to offer in bottles at Government liquor stores, have taken to drinking pearls—not real pearls, but the pretty imitation ones that are imported in large quantities from the Orient for ladies’ wear. The trick of dissolving one of these little globules in a harmless glass of punch or even ginger ale, and so deriving an amazing “kick,” has' made such h hit with the young men of Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, that imitation pearls are being imported from the Far East in packing case lots now. “Solidified alcohol,” in plain terms, is the chemists’ analysis- of the Oriental jewellery which is guaranteed to make any drink powerful enough for' - any purpose. The secret of the pearl cocktail has quickly spread from British Columbia to the United States. Large quantities of the imported necklaces are being shipped through Victoria and Vancouver to Washington Statei cities, and so. by devious channels, to many parts of America. Customs officers discovered the pearl craze when they commenced to investigate the recent heavy pearl importations. They were used to seeing the

iraita tion jewels reaching British Columbia in substantial quantities, but when they began to arrive in shipments large enough to keep a Cleopatra in ‘"jewellery they began to suspect, that something was wrong. Their investigations proved that the pearls are being drunk, not worn. Armed with a three-dollar imitation pearl necklace, a young man can go to a party now and provide a “kick” for every glass. A fair-sized necklace will make everyone in a large party happy for a whole evening, it is said. And, of course, the pearls are much cheaper, much,more easily handled, much safer’ and much more spectacular than ordinarv liquor. The legal aspect of the pearl cocktail is puzzling the authorities. Under British Columbia laws only the Government can sell liquor legally, but whether a pearl dissolved in grapeiuice is liquor no one seems to know.—Auckland Star correspondent.