The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-11-14
SKELETON MARKET.
UNCLE SAM is THE CHAMPION bona
COLLECTOR OF THE WORLD.


ket Value of Skeletons.
Funk island-that is, part of it
mas been reproduced for exhibition at
che National museum at Washington.
1t was on that lonely rock, 80 miles off
the coast of Newfoundland, that the
now extinct great aux had its principal
roost. Fifty years ago the last individual
Of the species persisted. tits represented
1ow by g. seleton, worth 5000, stand
ing by Leap of bird remains such as
chiefly compose the surface soil of Funk
island, while alongside is an egg of the
fowl, valued at 81, 800, together with
the inner skin Of another egg. The Ma
tional mus an possesses nearly all o.
the great au- zones in existence. They
are the me costly bones in the world.
The finc collection of skeletons in
the world also stored at the National
museum. They gl' upward from the
lowest fishes through the reptiles and
birds. to man. Euman bones are much
cheaper than those Of many other ami
mails One caa buy "a nicely articulated
skeleton of IN; 4 for $40 or of woman
for $50-sex makes some difference in
the prioe-where2s the skeleton OF q
gorilla costs $500, Of whale $3.50, Of
an elephant $500, of a lion SO, of a
horse $40, Of cat SO and of a python
875.
The bones of a human being are near
ly one-quarter water during the life of
the individual. They are chiefly COM
posed of phosphate of lime, but contain
q good deal of animal matter and other
elements. In the skeleton of man are
nearly four pounds of the metal cal
cium, which is many times more valu-
able than gold, being worth $500 an
ounce. Thus in the osseous framework Of
she average tramp may be found ma
terial with a market value Of about
&16, 600, if it could be separated.
1t is only in bones that phosphate Of
lime is found in anything like pure
state. Everybody knows the value Of
that material as a fertilizer, but it lie
only recently that human skeletons
have been imported into this country to
grow crops with. Not long ago a ship
ment was made from Mexico to the
Omitted States of 10 carloads of human
bones, said to have been obtained from
ancient mounds in southern Mexico
but more probably gathered from vari-
Gus old and abandoned cemeteries. AS
these remains were fragments of unas-
sorted skeletons, it was estimated that
so, 600 individuals We're represented in
the lot
This would not be considered novel
'ty in Europe. Years ago English farm.
.ers used human bones to some extent to
.fertilize their land. The battlefield of
Waterloo was for time the base of sup
plies, and this was supplemented by
acargoes of mummies from Egypt ground
TO fine powder.
In ancient Egyptian tombs are found
great numbers of copper boxes, opening
at one end ny a slide, which contain
.mummies of cats, hawks, ibises and
now and then snakes and small croco-
fdiles Mummies are a recognized com.
mercial article in that country today.
For a long time locomotives were run
between Cairo and Suez with no other
fuel Corpses of royal personages 8, 000
years old and upward fetch high prices,
A year ago the Austrian bark Villa
was deserted by her crew. Later she
was picked up as a derelict off Cape
Hatteras. Her cargo was found to con-
Sist in large part Of bones, and of these
one-fourth were human. The rest was
composed mainly of the bones of horses
and cattle. In one corner of her hold
was great heap of human skulls. No
body knows to this day why the crew
deserted the vessel in midocean. She
was worth $40, 600, including Ter
freight. The bones had been collected
In deserts And cemeteries of Egypt This
preparation Of human skeletons for ptar-
ket is quite an industry. The chief GEN.
ter for this branch of commercial acti8.
ity is Paris, whore three concerns are
engaged in the business on a considerable
scale. They obtain the requisite supplies
of raw material in the shape of bodies
from public institutions, most of them
being those of paupers and criminals.
In the United States the existing laws
would not permit the establishment of
q factory for bleaching and preparing
human skeletons. The only sort of
skeleton produced here is of the family
type, which is kept in the closet.
To supply the demand in this country
about /, 500 skeletons are imported an
nually. This reckoning does not include
ninor parts, such as skulls and thigh
bones. These are in great request by Sc
cret societies, being absolutely indis-
pensable for initiatory ceremonies. One
may purchase a Uranium and crossbunes
for only $40. But if you want some
thing really fancy in the way Of a skull
you must pay $40. 1t is worth the
money, however, being beautifully dis
articulated, so that each particular bone
may be studied separately, including
even the little bones Of the ear
You can buy very good skeleton
complete for $40. A plain skull costs
only Sc. By students of obstetrics
there is a special demand for the pelvis,
which comes at 81. Clubs organized to
defy superstitious beliefs affect the use
of skulls for drinking cups, and young
men who are studying for the medical
profession indulge CHASTITY humor by
employing similar reoeptacles to hold
tobacco. The demand for human bones
always exceeds the supply.-New York
World
Aluminium money.
Financiers are discussing the advisa-
oility of the question of replacing the
material of the hank nntas and ho-ds