The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-04
WHALEBONE IN sTACKe.
A Million Dollars Worth Stored In San
Francisco.

A Million Dollars Worth Stored In San
Francisco.
From the San francisco Chronicle.
In little brick and stone structure on the
Potrero shore of the bay there's 81 900, 600
worth Of whalebone stored, and It is
guarded as jealousy as If It were so many
$40 gold pieces, or its weight in precious
stones 1t is the property Of the Pacific
Steam Whaling Company and came off the
whaling barks Beluga, Mary D. Hume. Age
nor aud America, lately In from the Arctic.
The building is perfect vault with brick
and stone sides. iron roof and iron doors. All
around the top runs a perforated pipe by
means of which the whole interior could be
flooded IL fire should by any possibility
break out, Rats are thick on the water
front and can do great deal of damage 10
| cargo OF wbaleb0ne, SO small iron doors
have been put in TO answer as barricades
When the big ones are opened to air the
place. Oilskins such as the fires patrol use
are spread over the cargo as the final Addi-
tional precautioa that human ingenuity can
suggest.
The uninitiated on first stepping into the
| cold, ohssrless place, with its damp cement
| floor, are aps to wonder why 10 has all been
doue. The long black stalks dou't look like
| much piled against the walls, and 10 hear
| their immense value set forth 10 enough TO
not always contain g., 000, 600 stock. The
season just closing was q most proftAb
one and In consequence the warehouse is
nearly full
1.-THE lady purchasing few sticks Of
whalebone on her shopping tour scarcely
realizes the immense risk and the great
amount Of labor necessary to place it on
al, n
representatives of the whaling company,
yesterday. "There is big risk even here.
We can take no chances In the rough,
after q simple polishing, the bone Is worth
S. a pound, and we have at least 300 900
pounds on hand now. When the vessel
docks at the wharf yonder we pitch in and
work day and night until the cargo ia
housed here, and then we try TO get it of
on the railroad as soon as possible. While
1t is here this little structure is guarded day
and night A million dollars is something
Of a responsibility, can assure you"
"Where does most of the bone goa" was
asked.
"a great deal Of it goes to New York, "
replied Mr. Wand. "but most of the QUITTING
is done in Paris and Bremen. A little Il
done In London. We polish IL of here get
the color, assors 1t out and put It up In bun
dies. Then 10 is forced through to its desti-
nation a. rapidly as possible. You see the
bone with light or pearl shade IL worth
more than the black, and We have to separ-
ate it,"
Several of she bundles bore che mark NJ.
D. Ii. In q diamond. That" said Mr..
| Wand, sis the name of the vessel from
the Mary D. Hume, vessel which brought
the most valuable cargo ever received from
the ARCTIC sea. One or two Of these bun.
dies are marked cut you observe. That Is
TO guide the buyer when the bone is offered
for sale. 1t signifies that the bone is nicked
on some portion of IT. The value is greatly
reduced, and we must therefore handle the
cargo like eggs. II roughly handled q cargo
OF whalebone can be well nigh ruined. The
slightest cut In a stalk brings IL down In
| value about one-half.
1.-THE bone, you know, II the teeth Of the
whale, and fair-sized front molar il worth
about $50. In every whales jaw there are
473 teeth, and one good-siEed head ID worth
a good deal of money. On the last trip the
! men on the Jessie D. Freeman brought one
| big fellow alongside, the head of which
produced 900 pounds Of bone. The mouth
| Of the whale is simply huge suction pump.
The monster travels along with his mouth
wide open on the surface. The only food
| be will take is a little red bit of animal
| life that floats on the northern seas. He
sucks in enough to make a good mOuthful
1 and EDen e10CLS Bn0 Wht6Ts Auo lOOU Is
sifted down through the soft teeth and Ia
| filtered like lot Of sawdust would be in a
| sieve.
This black hair that fringes the bone has
| a separate value. It is cut from the teeth
and is used for making fine furniture. IL
| has become SO valuable, however. that il
cannot be used to any great extent"
when do you expect to ship this cargo
| OFF,
'As soon as ever providence will let u.s.
1t il something extraordinary for as to have
such an enormously valuable load here, and
we won't hold it a day longer than neces-
sary, can assure you"
ever troubled oy thievesr
'No,n was the laughing response. "The
bone Is a trife too heavy to run away with
aud the place ia too well guarded. Fire is
the greatest danger, and you can see how
that has been guarded against"
| :. Out I'm the bag six of the most uusightly
ships that ever huddled together in port
were tossing. Put up at auction the lot
would scarcely bring its value in old lum-
Der, but those hulks brought in as valuable
freight as many a treasure ship has been
/ . a Ill