Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-05-23
WHALEBONE In PILES
A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH STORED
IN ONE BUILDING.

| How the Precious stu" IN """'
Care Is Necessary In the Handling OF tho
| Produet-w haicbone 10 Very Valuable
Nowadays.
| In little brick and stone structure on
the Potrero shore of the bay there Is
million dollars worth Of whalebone
stored. and it is guarded as jealousy ~
II it were SO many twenty dollar goio
pieces or its weight in precious stones
It is the property of the Pacific Steam
Whaling company and came OIL the
whaling banks Beluga Mary D. Hume
Agenor and America in from the arctic'
The building is a perfect vault WIN
brick and stone sides, iron roof ana IRON
doors. All around the top runs per
forated pipe by means of which the
whole interior could be flooded II iire
should by any possibility break out
Rats are thick on the water front and
can do a great deal of damage to cargo
Of whalebone, SO small iron doors have
been mt in to answer rs barricades when
the big ones are opened to air the place
Oilslins such as the fire patrol use are
spread over the cargo as the final ad-
ditional precaution that human ingenuity
can suggest.
The uninitiated on first stepping into
the cold, cheerless place, with Its damp
cement floor are apt to wonder why II
has all been done. The long black stalks
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 a 81 100000 stock. The season
was a most profitable one and in conse-
uuence 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 1t on
the counter" said W. r. Wand, one Of
the Representatives of the whaling com
pany There is n big risk even here
We can take no chances. In the rough,
after simple polishing. the bone is
worth five dollars IL pound, and we have
at least 100000 pounds ON hand now,
When the vessel docks at the wharf yon-
der we pitch in and work day and night
until the cargo is housed here. and then
, we try to get it off on the railroad as
soon as possible While it is here this
little structure is guarded day and night.
r A million dollars is something of re-
e sponsibility, can assure you.
"Where does most of the bone go?'
was asked.
"a great deal of it goes to New York,
replied Mr. Wand, but most of the cut
q ting is done in Paris and at Bremen. A
little is done in London. We polish il
i. off here, get the color. assert it out and
- put it up in bundles. Then it is forced
: through to its destination as rapidly as
possible. You see, the bone with a light
or pearl shade is worth more than the
black ana we have to separate it.
' Several of the bundles bore the mark
h M. D. H. in a diamond. That" sale
/ Mr.. Wand, lis the name of the yesse
from which the bone was taken, in this
= instance the Mary D. Hume, a vesse
: which brought the most valuable cargo
Il ever received from the arctic seas. One
or two of these bundles are marked cut,
| you observe. That is to guide the buyel
h when the boneis offered for sale. 1t sig
e nifies that the bone is nicked on some
d portion of it. The value is greatly re
l. duced, and we must therefore handle the
e cargo like eggs. If roughly handled .
u cargo of whalebone can be well nigl
u ruined. The slightest cut in stall
! brings it down in value about one-half
q THE bone you know is the teeth O
e the whale, and fair sized front molal
is worth about fifty dollars. In every
e whales jaw there are 473 teeth, and one
e good sized head is worth a good deal Of
Il money. On the last trip the men OF
the Jessie d. Freeman brought one biz
= fellow alongside, the head of which pro
Is duced 5000 pounds of bone The moutl
a of the whale is simply a huge suction
G pump The monster travels along witt
|, his mouth wide open on the surface
Il The only food he will take is little rec
Il bit of animal life that floats on The
northern seas. He sucks in enough tC
~ make good mouthful, and then eject.
the water. The food is sifted down
n through the soft teeth, and is filtered
- like lot of sawdust would be in 1
t sieve.
y This black hair that fringes the bone
n has separate value. 1t is cut from tht
"SSbii eNiNt 10 ttoSd iOA Illlt
3 ture 1t has become so valuable. how
ever, that it cannot be used to any grea
extent"
= When do you expect to ship this cargo
y Off"
G las soon as ever Providence viii LEI
l. us. 1t is something extraordinary for II.
e to have such an enormously valuabl,
:, load here, and we won't hold it da,
> longer than necessary, can assure your
}, Ever troubled by thievess'
= No" was the laughing response
+ THE bone is a trife too heavy to rur
!, away with and the place is too wei
f guarded Fire is the greatest danger
# and you can see how that has beer
o guarded against"
n Out in the bay six of the most insight,
ships that ever huddled together in por
q were tossing. Put up at auction the lo
f would scarcely bring its value in ole
n lumber, but those hulks brought in a.
valuable freight as many treasur,
: ship has been laden with. San francisco
Chronicle,
i 1t Worked.
lI,, L =