The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-02-01
A BIG FORTUNE IN BONE,
AN EXTRAORDINARY SIGHT NEAR
SAN FRANCISCO.

Whales Teeth Guarded Like Dia-
monds-Surrounded by Stone
Walls and Watched Constantly.
X LITTLE brick and stone struc-
turc on the Potrero shore of
! ~ the bay contains a million dol
e lars worth of whalebone stored
and guarded as jealously rs il it were so
many twcnty-dollar gold pieces or its
weight in precious stones. It is the
property Of the Pacific Steam Whaling
Company and came off the whaling
barks Beluga, Mary d. Hume, Agenor
and Amer ca, lately in from the Arctic.
The building is II perfect vault with
brick and stone sides, iron roof aud iron
doors. All around the top runs a per-
forated pipe by means of which the
whole interior could be flooded if fire
should by any possibility break out.
Rats are thick on the water front and
can do great deal of damage to cargo
of wbalebone, so small iron doors have
been put in to answer as barricades when
the big ones are opened to air the place.
Oil skins such as the fire patrol use are
spread over the cargo as the final addi-
tional precaution that human ingenuity
can suggest.
The lninitiated on first stepping into
the cold, eheerless place, with its damp
cement floor, are apt to wonder why it
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 81 900, 600 stock. The
season just closing was a most profitable
one and ip consequence the warehouse is
nearly full.
"The Lady purchasing q few sticks of
whalebone on her shopping tour scarcely
realizes the immense risk and the great
amount of labor necessary to place it on
the counters" said w. Il. Wand, one of
the representatives of the whaling COM
pany. "There is a big risk even here.
We can take no chances. In the rough,
after simple polishing, the bone is
worth 50 pound and we have at least
2OO, 900 pounds on hand now. When
the vessel docks at the wharf yonder we
pitch in and work day and night until
the cargo is housed in here and then we
try to get it off on the railroad as soon
MS possible. While it is here this little
structure is guarded day and night. A
million dollars is something OF re-
sponsibility can assure YOU"
"Where does most of the bone go1n
was asked.
"a great deal Of 1t goes to New York"
replied Mr.. Wand, "but most of the
cutting is done in Paris and Bremen. A
little is done in London. We polish it
of here, get the color, assort 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 light
or pearl shade is worth more than the
black, and we have to separate it.
Several of the bundles bore the mark
NJ. D. II. in a diamond. "That,n said
Mr.. Wands, sis the name of the vessel
from which the bone was taken; in this
instance the Mary d. Hume, a vessel
which brought the most valuable cargo
ever received from the Arctic seas. One
or two Of these bundles are marked 'cut,
you observe. That is to guide the buyer
when the bone is offered for sale. 1t
signifies that the bone IS knicked on
some portion of it. The value is greatly
reduced, and we must therefore handle
the cargo like eggs. If roughly handled,
u cargo OF whalebone can be well nigh
ruined. The slightest cut in stalk
brings it down in value about one.half.
"Ihe bone you know is the teeth of the
whale, and fair sized front molar is
worth about $50. In every whales law
there are 473 teeth, and one good sized
head is worth a good deal of money. On
the last trip the men on the Jessie D.
Freeman brought one big fellow along
side, the head of which produced 5000
pounds OF bone. The mouth of the
whale is simply a huge suction pump.
The monster travels along with his mouth
wide open on the surface, The only
food he 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 and then elects the
water. The food is sifted down through
the soft teeth, and is filtered like lot |
of sawdust would be in a sieve.n
"This black HAIR that fringes the
bone has a separate value. 1t is cut
from the teeth and is used for making !
fine furniture. 1t has become so valu- ,
able, however, that IL cannot be used to
any great extent"
Ever troubled by thievesl"
"No," was the laughing response.
"The bone is trile too heavy to run /
away with aud the place Is too well
guarded. Fire is the greatest danger,
and you can see how that has been
guarded against. - San Francisco
Chronicle.