Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021 - 32
MOUNTAIN CURiOS
Pearl Rush Clinch River? Yes.
on
the
At the forefront of the 1895-1935 harvest was a young man
without sight, who used his feet to feel for pearl-holding mussels.
By ANGELA MINOR
B
arefoot and pushing against the
swift currents of the mountain
waters, Joseph Gossett reads
the bottom of the Clinch River
with his toes, searching for treasure- freshwater pearls.
This is the mid-1890s, and
Gossett is using his toes to feel for mussels
because he is completely blind, having
lost his vision to malaria. But despite his
handicap, Gossett is dedicated to his craft,
using his sense of touch to accurately rate
the size, quality and value of his finds,
and depending upon his sister to describe
subtleties of color to him.
Gossett was one of the first to discover
this east Tennessee bounty and take his
place as a famous " pearler " among hundreds who worked the river.
Known as the " Queen of Gems, " these
pearls sparked a " rush " in the streams and
mountains of the Blue Ridge. The center
of prosperity was the small town of Clinton, Tennessee which soon earned the
moniker, " City of Pearls. " For the locals,
husbandry quickly became secondary to
this new industry. And as it grew, buyers
arrived regularly from around the country
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Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021 - 3
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021 - 4
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021 - 5
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Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021 - Cover4
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