Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-01-21
WHALEBONE IN PILES
4 MlLLios DOLLARS woRTh STORED
~ ONE BUILDING.
Eov tho Precious Stun Is euardod-Gress
CHro Is Necessary IN the Handling Of tho
Observation-Disclosures Is Very Valuable


EowsAays.
In little t,rick end stone structure on
the Potr,,ro shoae sf the bay there IS q
million dollars worth OF whalebone
stored. AID it Ia guarded Us jealousy e.
if 1t were So many twenty dollar gold
pisces or its weight In precious stonea.
I, is tho property Of the Pacific Steam
Whaling company and cslno of the
whsling bariSs BeluGa. Mary D. Hume,
Ayonor and America. IN from the arctic.
The hIild!ng is perfect vault With
brick and ssone sides, iron ,ooe and iron
doors. al around tho top ruus q PER
forated Pipe By means OF which tho
whole interior could be flooded If n FIRE
should by any possibility break out
Rats are thick On the water front and
can do u great deaf OF damage 70 cargo
Of whalebonc. 60 small iron doors have
been put in to answer % bsrricades when
the big Ones e.e opened to air the place
Cilskins such AZ the fire patrol use ers
spread over the cargo as ths final adj
ditional precaotion that human ingenuity
Gun suggest.
The uninitiated on first stepping into
the cold. cheerless place. with its damp
cement floor. are apt to wonder why is
has ell been done. The long black stalls
don't look like much piled against the
walls. and to hear their immense value
set forth is enough to take the breath
away. But the place does not always
contain n q 600 toC stock, The season
was most profitable one md in conss-
ouence the warehouse is nearly full.
THE lady purchasin., . few sticks Of
whalehone On her shopping tour scarcely
realizes the Immense risk aid tue great
amount Of labor ..c~.asary 10 place it On
tie counter" said ". +. Wand. one OF
tie Representatives Of the whaling co;n-
nany. There is big ri.;..: even hare.
We can take 40 CHANCES. Ii tie rougG,
after y silnp::'. polishing. the bone 10
worth five dollars :. pourd. and we have
AT least 215.c0o pc.,,ds On hand Tow.
When the vessel ;;ocEs 4: lie wharf yor-
der we pitch in an.! work day and right
until the cargo is horecti here. and then
We try 70 get il CT Oh tic railroad ss<
soon as possible. While it ia Zero this
little strur:Tre Is ;,1lcrtai cay and n;ghs.
A million dollars il ao,nct!l;1g OF re-
sponsibility. caIl ASSURE you"
Where does nlcst of the Zone go:"
was asked.
"a great deal Of it goes 70 New York"
replied Mr.. Wand, "bGt most of the cut
ting is done II Paris and at Bremen. A
little is done il London. We polish Il.
off here. get the color. assort it ont and
putt rip in bundles. Then 1t is forced
through TO IT'S destination as rapidly US
possible. You SEQ. the bone with light
or pearl shade is worth more than the
black and we hsve to separate it"
Several of the bundles bore the nazd
NJ. D. H. in diamond THAT" Ca;d
MIR. Wand. lis the name. of the vessel
from which the bone was taken, in this
instance the Mary D. Hume. vessel
ss'7Cthicha brso;ish 1t tn NEST valuable cargo
ever received from the arctic seas. 0ns
or two Of these bundles are marked cut
you observe. That is to guide the buyer
when the bone is offered fer ssle. It sig
rifles that the bone is nicked on como
portion Of it. The value il greatly re-
duced, and we must therefore handle the
cargo like eggs. If roughly handled a
cargo OF whalebone car be we'll nigh
i-iined. The slightest cut in STALK
brings it down il value about one-hsif.
"The bone you knew is the teeth Of
TIE whale. and z fair sized front uoiar
is worth about fifty dollars. In every
jaw there are 473 teeth. and one
good sized head is worth q good deal OF
money. On the last trip the men on
The Jessie D. freeman brought one big
fellow alongside. the heed Of which pro-
luced 5000 pounds of bone. The mouth
If tne whale is simply huge suction
pump. The monster travels along with
lis mouth wide open on the surface.
The only food ne will take is little red
ii Of animal life that fosts on The
lorthern seas. He sucks in enough to
make good nouthful. and then elects
he water. TIE food is sifted down
through the soft teeth. and is filtered
ike 10: of sawdust would be- in 1.
icve.
This black hair that flinges the bone
as separate value 1t is cut from the
-N-A ' ~ go .o- -'4''A.i3 H,19 i,-i
yer t,,at It CANNOT he ,1aed ~ anv 800 800
xtent"
nyshon Az uo,, o,-,,oo. - .h;a4h;,
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