Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-19
NEW INDUSTRY.
Raising Whales rs an Experiment in the
Great Salt Lake.

Exchange: Intelligent newspaper reader
have not forgotten the inauguration fftesI
Years ago by Mr. James Wickham, a scien
tific English gentleman, OF the whale indus
try in the Great Salt Lake. AS considera
BILE time was required for the development
of the experiment, the subject has passed
out Of the public mind, but il has By nc
means been forgotten by naturalists or CAP.
~itaiists interested in the whale fishery. The
whale is the largest and probablr the
longsst-iived animal. They have been known
to grow to one hnndr@d feet in length and
live to the age OF four hundred years. It is
a mammal, or, IN other words. suckfes It's
young. The project of Mr.. Wickham was
greatly assisted by this fart, for the diff
Guilty that would attend tn obtaining OF
whale eggs Ia the deep seas is at once an
parent. 1t was only necessary to obtai. q
pair OF whales in order IL 6esin tie propa-
CATION Of animals under dumestieati.n
The southern or Australian whale sas Sc
ieeted as bsst suited to the
Innate OF THE G=EAT sALT LAKE.
The greater part of two years was spent eff
the coast of Australia by a vessel sent cs-
pscially for the purpose ii. ca, tinEed Ell. .rts
tt capture the young whales without in
Jury. The leaf, however, sas at last ac-
ronplished, AID the basis, each about
thirty-ive feet hong, .ere sl.ipD-d to San
Francisco in 1878 ia tanks built exDressi.
f'r them. Fifty tanks of sea water accom-
panied their overland shipment to insnre
plentiful supplies of the natural element.
NJ NsaHha M -. e. 81
tn supefintend the plJ ntins" ~ the levia-
than pet. He selected a sul all bay near the
mouth Of Bear River cou.ected with the
main water by a shallow strait half a mile
wide. Across this strsi he bailt q xire fsnce
and inside the pen 50 formed he turned the
whales loose. After a few moments ui in
activity they disported themselves in a
lively manner. spoutiag water as if in mid
OCEAN, but asif taking in By instinct or in
teatiOn the cramped character of their new
home, they suddenly made a bee line for
deep water, and Shot through the wirsfenee
as if it had been made az threads. In twenty
minutes they we're out OF sight, and the
ci,agrin~ Mr.. WickiiauI stood
GAZING ~HELPLgssLY AT THE BIG SALT
WATER.
ii Great Salt Lake were III Asia it YOU'D be
called a sea. 1t is seventy-fire miles long
and from thirty 10 forty wide, so it is easy
to perceive how readily the whales could
vanish from sight. Though the e~Bterpris-
ing owner was, OF course, DIS ppointei aud
doubtful of results, !3e left an aggnt behind
b'm toiook after his floating property. SIX
months later Mr. Wicki.am's r pr i, nta-
tive came upon the wi.a!rs fifty miles from
the bay where tGey had broken awag, anG
from that iitIi= to the preeent they have
been observed 81 Intervals By him and tbs
<aternen wins ply the lake spuuting and
playing.
Hrhiu the last f.w days. however, Mr..
'ficks.am ~cet,ie,i dirucais,ur TO make a
careful 'ns;ectipn aa-i report develop
uients, a::d tic a-yrt i.rIawrd The whales
for live s'iecc-siye 'iay. sI.: sights. ~tsis.or-
criHg I;at tine original pair are row SIX =
f.si 80 isizt:,. aid ii ry!G9ei abnl:: BY q
school Of -evera! hun.+..i young. verci ing
L. tei.gtk, fss,an tn-ea - f:t.sn Let III
schcfIe i IA 'uIi.risifts fs:ii complete sue.
cess, and NJ. HickE.IH has e4ragd thu !
thaoks II mankind. Catching viIa.rs .H |
Great Sa Lake and ~folio~;ug that busi- |
ness Cf the dangerous Greenland coast are
two quRte different Things. The enormous
value OF the new industry eau be better
appreciated by remembering that a single
whale produces twenty tons OF pure DILL
ExobD-po 1