Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-06
AMBERGR1s.
How a Firm i'm Boston RuIled the
Market.

Ambergris is a fatty, dIsagreeable-smelling
substance, and is only found in the lntestines of
| dead sperm whale-one that has suffered with
some peculiar disease before being killed by the
harpoons and lances of the intrepid whalemen.
Fifty years ago seekers for the leyathan did not
realize that in the body of the whale lying along
side were 100 or 200 pounds of an article worth
from SO to $50 an ounce. according to its purity,
but after the valuable discovery was made that
some whales contained this fatty dark green
substance, no whales carcass was cut adrift from
the ships side until thorough examination had
been made for this hidden treasure.
Ambergris is the basis for all Of the best OF
perfumery. 1t has the property of retaining the
scent Of cologne and other choice extracts. which
would speedily evaporate unless ambergris was
very small part. When cologne or any other cheap
perfume does not contain this ill-spelling sub
stance, you may know that ambergris is not one
of its ingredients, and so reject 1t as worthless.
for 1t will evapOrate as soon as applied, and
leave an unpleasant smell. Although amber
girls is not pleasant to infaie in it's crude state,
yet If it is heated it will please the olfactory
| nerves as much as manufactured perfumery,
while counterfeit ambergris smells badly, hot or
cold.
The largest quantity of ambergris ever taken
from diseased sperm whale except in thecase
we are about to relate) weighed 1872 pounds,
and some Jumps have been found that did not
weigh more than one pound, the last the lowest
on record. Some twenty years ago or more
there arrived in Boston an old whaling captain
from the cape with cask of ambergristha con-
tanned over 500 pounds. He had taken the
whole of it from diseased whale that he had
killed in the Atlantic ocean. This was the
largest quantity that was ever known
before or since, and while the captain
knew that ambergrss was valuable he did
not realize its worth. and thought
that he could work it off in small lots to the
apOthecares, but while some agreed to take an
ounce, Others refused to buy at any price, and
so the skipper wandered around the city utterly
discouraged. One evening" adds the New Bed
ford Mercury. member of the large firm of
Months & Pestle, wholesale druggists (the
names are flctitious), heard of the captain and
his cask OF ambergis. He did not lose moment
in hunting up the captain. but took carriage
and drove all over the north end, from one board
ing house to another and run down his man at
routed out of bed, and then Mr.. Months made
an offer fOr..the precious ambergris. He VEN
tured on 5000, but the captain thought he
would not have been called upon at l
o'clock In the morning unless ambergris was on
the rise. and he declined the offer. Then came
offers of $4,000, $1,000. So, COO, 90. eco, and last
bid of $4,000 closed the bargain and papers
were drawn up and signed. and that forenoon
the precious cask and it's contents were rolled
into Months 4 Pestle's cellar, and the skipper
received check for $4,000 and a few dollars
over for his expenses at the boarding house.
The transaction was kept secret and the next
steamer that left Boston contained Mr.. Months.
who hurried to London, Paris and Vienna sold
ambergris at each place. and made the handsome
sum OF $4,000 net out of that one cask of ill
smelling substance From that day to this
Messrs. Months & Pestle have controlled the
trade OF the country, and now ambergris of the
best quality is worth from $25 to $50 per ounce.
with but little on the market.