Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-20
ABOUT wHALEBoNE.
Ubv its Price May Double or Halve
Itself in "A Few Months Time.
From, the Nelo York Sun.

from bHe " ttu AOFh Gun.
$40 article of commerce varies more
widely in its market price than whale
home" said Mr.. B. Seligman, one of the
ollast dealers in whalebone. SIN Jan
sry It may sell for 50 a pound, and in the
allowing June for 50 pound. Twenty
Ave wears ago the price was 75c. pound.
Ityaries according to the catch, and this,
IN turn, depends on the luck of the
whalers. If they find the whaling
,rounds closed by ice, meet with ship
wreck. or for any reason fail TO Kill
whales. the price will go up. This makes
il a very speculative business, and the
dealers can never tell what their stock is
worth until they get news of the catch.
The main supply from the north Paci-
mr. wnalers comes in November, and q
smaller amount from the South sea catch
In June. Now and then a small supply
comes from DaYid's straits in Hudson's
hay. Whales are caught there at all sea-
sons Of the year, and the bone coming to
New York is apt to disturb the price here.
MANY wears ago it was the custom Of
Whaling captains, when out OF stores, to
stop at some Pacific port and exchange
some of their whalebOne for the necessary
articles, and in this way small lots would
come in to trouble the market. Ships are
now supplied so thoroughly that there is
no longer any necessity of continuing this
practice.
occasionally news Of the whalers is
received from some vessel which CHANGED
t0meet with them, and recently an Incl
dent OF this kind caused break in the
market The Arctic oil works of San
Francisco sent a tender, the Thomas Pope,
to convey stores to its vessels in the North
haH hapn
one, and the tender found that the vessels
had been kept back by the ice and were
waiting chance to 90 north. They had
had however, very good luck in meeting
whales. and had killed 10. Instead of
returning empty, the tender took on full
cargo and two weeks ago she landed at
san Francisco 100000 pounds of whale
bone. The price at once broke from SO 80
tO$2 50 a pound, where it now remains.
"The whalers will be pretty much all in
by December, and in January the price of
ghalebone is generally at it's lowest point.
After that it's ascends, anu its future pro-
gress depends on the June and November
catches.
"Ihe whalebone business is very small
compared to what it was thirty years ae 4.
In 1854 the catch was 8, AS, 200 pounds,
and in 1884 it was 426, 96S pounds. This
great decrease was due to the great fall
ing of in the whale oil fisheries, and to
the substitution of other material for
whaleb0ne in the manufacture OF various
articles. The decrease In production
sent the price up from 75c. pound, and
another reason for high prices is that a
great part Of the catch is exported. Last
year 1904 pounds were sent abroad
The supply comes from New Bedford and
san Francisco, which are the great whal-
ing ports OF this country. A great amount
formerly came from Nantucket, but the
shsll0wness Of its narbor and the greater
conyenieuces Of New Bedford drove its
trade 10 the latter place. There are now
ABOUT 1873 vessels engaged in the whale
fisheries.
The visible supply OF whalebone on
nand ls 244000 pounds, and the price is
30 low thar dealers are losing money on
II. IL the fall catch is q poor one it Will
send prices up again. The price would
probably have been lower, but news has
been received ofthe wrecking ofone steam
er ana three ships in the north Pacific.
"Ine bone from finback, sulphur-bot-
IoIn' or humpback whales, such as are
commonly seen near Long island, is of no
lHiQe, AS IL Is too brittle to be of any use.
On board ship the slabs of whale bones, as
tAe! are termed IN mercantile phrase, are
uohe up IN bundles or about 200 pounds
eacn, and are sent to market In that shape.
~ cutting up whalebone there is a loss OF
4@oJul ~ per cent. on the raw material.
Iae '1ar' Is worth l0c. a pound for
mixing With horse hair for upholstering
uIposes. and it is sometimes used in the
manufacture OF brushes