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At that time all combat activity on that malaria-infested island had ended, and there was very little for troops to do. Of course, there were training maneuvers and stevedore tasks assigned to various units from time to time, but on the whole, time dragged heavily for all of us. It was then that I, like many other soldiers, turned for diversion to the native craft of making jewelry and trinkets from mother-of-pearl shell.

I had always been interested in handicrafts, but here was a craft entirely new and different. I struck up an acquaintanceship with a young Solomon Islander named Adam Ilu who, at 18, was an accomplished craftsman in pearl. Adam showed me where and how to dive for oyster, mussel, and abalone shells in the waters surrounding coral reefs. By watching Adam I learned how to select and prepare the best shells for use.

He taught me how to make bracelets, rings, necklaces, crosses, lockets, brooches, pendants, and ornamental pins with only a few files as tools.

ADAM'S JEWELRY and trinkets were in great demand by air corps, navy, and merchant marine personnel who stopped over temporarily at Guadalcanal. I thought to myself, "My friend Adam is rapidly becoming a well-to-do man; why can't I?" I decided that since I had plenty of time, I, too, would go into business.

I had some difficulty in obtaining a set of assorted files necessary for the craft, but by making a trade with a Seabee in an ordinance unit, I was able to get the tools I needed.

Since my company assignment was routine, I was able to arrange my duty schedule for mornings, leaving my afternoons free to work on pearl articles. I would work two or three afternoons a week on jewelry and on the other afternoons go to Henderson Field to sell my work to pilots and other air corps personnel who were returning to the States. If business got dull at the air field, I would go to the naval base, where I could always find a ready market.

Late in 1944, our unit was moved up to the Philippines, where I managed to continue my jewelry enterprise between periods of combat duty. In December, 1945, I returned to the United States. I had set aside enough of my earnings to get my marriage started off on a good financial basis and to buy myself a new car.

A FEW months after my return, I enrolled at De Pauw University under the G.I. bill of rights. I realized that the subsistence allotment for a married student would not be enough to support my wife and me; so I called my wartime hobby back into service. I had brought back a foot locker half filled with assorted shells; so I knew I would have enough material to work with for a while.

When my initial supply of shell was exhausted, I found it much easier to obtain shells here than it was in the South Pacific; diving was no longer necessary. I have been able to obtain abalone shells from sea-food restaurants in Chicago and St. Louis for about 35 cents a shell. I get oyster and clam shells from fish markets simply for the asking. I find mussel shells along the banks of fresh-water rivers and creeks. If I am unable to obtain a particular shell I need, I order it by mail from any of a number of shellcraft dealers. These dealers' prices are very reasonable.

For greater efficiency and speed, I bought an electric power hand tool equipped with assorted drills and grinders. In my spare time between classes at the university, I was able to turn out jewelry, which I had no trouble in marketing at various gift shops and jewelry stores in town. Many of my sales were made to fellow students on the campus whom I had told of my little side line. In the summers I concentrated entirely on making jewelry, which I took to the resort town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where curio and gift shops eagerly bought all I could produce.

AFTER I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in August, 1949, I entered the school of journalism at the University of Missouri, where I have continued to make and market mother-of-pearl jewelry, concentrating on sales directly to students on the campus. My wife, Faye, helps promote sales by wearing the various articles I make to her classes. Students ask her where she gets such attractive items as scatter pins and earrings. She informs them that her husband makes them for sale, and an order usually follows. At the next class period my wife delivers the finished article.

For a pair of earrings I get from $2 to $3.50, depending on the type of pearl and intricacy of pattern. A set of scatter pins, such as the Scotty-dog type, will sell for about $3. A heart or cross pendant generally sells for about $3. Bracelets require more time to turn out than other items; consequently, they sell at a higher price, ranging from $7.50 to $15, depending on the amount of work involved.

The greatest demand is for earrings, heart pendants, crosses, and scatter pins, in that order of preference. These can be turned out rapidly. For example, I have found thar I can make a pair of earrings of almost any design and pattern in less than two hours. A cross or heart pendant requires about one and one-half hours to make, while a scatter pin set can be made in about two hours, depending on size and shape. The most intricate bracelet I make, which has a sterling silver border chain, takes me about seven hours to make and sells for $15.

During my time at the university, I have made and sold enough jewelry each month to pay our rent and about half of our grocery bill. If I could devote my full time to the work, I am sure I could make a great deal more.

THE PROCESS I use in turning out this unusual but beautiful jewelry is very simple, and the tools are few and inexpensive. Here is how it's done:

After you have obtained your shell, get the following tools: a hack saw, vise, pliers, a horse rasp, a very fine-ridged flat file, a small triangular file, a packet of sandpaper of all degrees of coarseness, a ruler, a pencil, a scriber, a tube of household cement, a small stick of jeweler's rouge, and a few clean cotton rags. A small electric power hand tool with assorted drills and grinders will increase efficiency and speed for doing a creditable job on the jewelry.

Once you have assembled these tools and materials, you are ready to begin making the jewelry.

First, take one of the abalone, mussel, or oyster shells and place it in the vise. Then, with the horse rasp, file away the outer coating of the shell. Once this is completely removed, a second layer of white, brown, or light yellow will be exposed. If the shell is abalone, the exposed layer will be rainbow-colored.

I have found that another excellent method for removal of this outer coating is to grind it away with an emery wheel. I do this by holding the shell in contact with the wheel, while applying sufficient pressure to the shell to make the grinding effective.

Next, remove the shell from the vise. Then, using a pencil and ruler, mark off a series of one-and-one-half-inch squares on the face of the shell. When this is done, replace the shell in the vise, and cut out the squares with the hack saw. A piece of jewelry can be made from each square.

LET'S ASSUME that the article to be made is an ornamental piece of the scatter-pin type to be worn on a sweater or blouse. The process described will apply to practically any other piece of jewelry. First, carefully design the shape of an animal, bird, or flower on a piece of stiff paper. In this case, let's say you want two pins with a Scotty dog design. If you are not too good at drawing (and I am not), you can get excellent patterns to copy from children's story or cut-out books. These offer a large variety of designs. When the pattern is drawn, cut along its outline with scissors. Then take one of the 1½-inch squares and trace the pattern of the Scotty on it with a pencil.

So that the outline will be more permanent and will not be smudged when the pearl is handled, go over the pencil lines with a scriber. Before I obtained a scriber, I used the pointed end of a file, which served the purpose very well.

Next, place the piece of pearl in the vise, being sure to tighten the vise securely. Now, using the hack saw, cut out the pattern of the Scotty, You will be unable to follow the outline exactly, but follow it as closely as you can.

When the rough outline is cut out, take the triangular file and shape the pearl more in accordance with the traced outline. If you have the electric power hand tool, use one of the grinder wheels in this process. The flat file may be used to smooth the face surface of the pearl. In order to complete the pair of pins, merely repeat the above process to obtain your second Scotty.

I give a three-dimensional effect to the pieces by beveling the edges with the triangular file or power hand tool grinder.

When the Scotties have been worked into well-shaped pieces, smooth all the surfaces with sandpaper. It is advisable to use the coarser paper first, gradually using finer paper as the smoothing progresses. Finish the sanding with the finest-grained sandpaper.

ALTHOUGH THE two pearl Scotties may now look like finished products, a few more steps remain.

Next, take the stick of jeweler's rouge and rub it onto one of the cotton rags until a part of the rag is thoroughly covered with rouge powder. Jeweler's rouge is an excellent polishing agent.

Now rub the pieces of pearl briskly with the polishing cloth until a highly reflecting luster appears.

When the polishing is completed, you may want to join the two pins together. This is easily done by means of a two-or-three-inch length of sterling silver chain. Sterling chain can be purchased at any jeweler's for about $1.50. This chain is connected to each pin by means of a copper or silver wire collar around the neck of each Scotty. The collars are adjusted with pliers in a matter of seconds, simply by twisting the wire until it is secure.

After the pieces are joined together, you are ready to put pin backings on the scatter pins. Pin backings can also be obtained at reasonable cost at any jewelry store or can be ordered by mail. Now, take the tube of household cement and apply a large dab of the cement to the back of each piece of pearl. Allow the cement to dry for a few seconds. Then place the backings onto the pieces in proper position. Hold them in place a minute or two until they are secure. Let the cement harden for about twelve hours before using the pins.