The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1888-05-17
A NEW INDUSTRY.
Raising Whales as an Experiment. In the
Great Salt Lake.

Raising Whales as an Experiment In the
Great salt Lake.
Intelligent newspaper readers have not
forgotten the inauguration fifteen years
ago by Mr.. James Wickham, O scientific
English gentlemen, of the whale industry
in the Great Salt Lake. AS considerable
time was required for the development
of the experiment, the subject has passed i
out Of the public mind, but il has by TO
means been forgotten by naturalist3 or
capitalists interested in the whale
fishery. The whale is the largest aud
probably the longest lived animal. They
have been known to grow to 100 feet in
length and live to the age of 400 years.
1t ls mammal, or, i'll other words,
suckles it's young Tho project of Mr..
Whickham was greatly assisted by this
fact, for the difficulty that would attend
the obtaining of whale eggs in tho deep
seas is at once apparent. 1t was only
necessary to obtain pair of whales in
order to begin the propagation of
animals under domestication. The soil
thern or Australian whale was selected as
best suited to tho climate Of tho Great
Salt Lake. Tho greater part of two
years was occupied off tho coasts of
Australia by vessel sent especially for
the purpose in continued efforts to cap
ture the young whales without injury.
The feat, however, was accomplished, and
the beasts, each about thirty-five feet
long, were shipped to San Francisco in
1873 in tanks built expressly for them
Fifty tanks of sea water accompanied
their overland shipment to insure plenti-
full supplies Of the natural element
MIR. Wickham came from London in
person to superintend the "planting" of
his loviathan pets. Ho selected q small
Day near the mouth of Bear River,
connected with the main water by u
shallow straight half a mile wide. Across
this strait he built wire fence, and
inside tho pen so formed he turned the
whales loose. After few minutes of
inactivity they disported themselves in a
lively manner, spouting water as in mid
ocean, but as If taking in by instinct or
| intention the cramped character of their
new homo, they suddenly made bee
line for deep water, and shot through
the wiro fence as if it had been made of
threads. In twenty minutes they were
out of sight, and the chagrined MIR.
Wlckham stood gazing helplessly at the
big salt water.
If Great Salt Lake were in Asia it
would be called sea. 1t is seventy five
miles long and from thirty to forty wide
SO 1t is easy to perceive how readily the
whales could vanish from sight. Thorgh
the enterprising owner was, of course
disappointed and doubtful of results, he
left an agent behind him to look aftor
his floating property.
Six months later Mr.. Wickham's rep.
rescntative came upon the whales fifty
miles from the bay where they had bro.
ken away, and from that time to the pre-
sent they have been abserved at intervals
by him and the watermen who ply the
lake sporting and playing.
Within the last few days. however, Mr..
Wickham cabled directions to make
| careful inspection and report develop
ments, and the agent followed the whales
for five successive days and nights, dis
coverering that the Original pair are now
sixty feet in length, and are followed
about by a school of several hundred
young, varying in length from three to
fifteen feet. The scheme is surprising
and complete success, and MIR. Wicl1ham
has earned the thanks of mankind.
Catching whales in Great Salt Lake
and following that business off the dan
gerous Greenland coast are two quite
different things. The enormous value
of the new industry can be better appre-
clated by remembering that single
whale produces twenty tons of pure oil.