The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-09-03
SOME BONES VERY VALUABLE.
A SKELETON OF THE GREAT AUX
rs WORTH 5000.
That OF n Gorilla brings Half that
sum.


Fifty years ago, says the Washington
STAR the last Individual of the species
persisted. 1t is represented now by a
skeleton worth $500. standing by heap
of bird remains. such as chiefly compose
the surface soil of Funk Island, while
alongside u AN egg of the fowl, valued
at $500, together with the inner skin
OF another egg.
all Of the great aux bones In the world.
The finest collection of skeletons in the
world is stored at the National Museum.
They are arranged in "A series, SO as
to run upwari from the lowest fishes
through the reptiles and birds, to man.
Human bones are much cheaper than
those Of many otter animals. one can
buy IA nicely articulated skeleton OF Il
man for $40, or of a woman for SJo-sex
makes some difference in the price
whereas the skeleton of Sorl lila costs
$780, of a whale $3.50 of an elephant 500.
of II lion SIS. of IA horse $40. VI cat Sl2
and of python SO.
The bones of IA human being are nearly
one-quarter water during the life Of the
of phosphate of lime. but contain good
deal of animal matter and other ele-
mentS. In the skeleton of y man are
nearly four pounds of the metal calcium,
which Is many times more valuable than
gold, being worth $500 an ounce. Thus in
the osseous framework of the. average
tramp may be found material with d
market value of about $4,000. but the
trouble is to separate 1t from the sub.
stances with which 1t is combined. That
is what makes calcium costly.
1t Is only IN bones that phosphate pm OF
state. Everybody knows the value OF
that material as II fertilizer, but 1t Is
only recently that human skeletons have
been imported into this country to grow
crops with. Not long ago a. shipment
was made from Mexico to the United
states of ten carloads of human bones
said to have been obtained from ancient
mounds in Southern Mexico, but more
probably gathered from various old and
abandoned cemeteries. AS these remains
were fragments of unassorted skeletons
it was estimated that 5000 individuals
were represented In the lot.
This would be considered a novelty In
Europe. Years ago English farmers
used human bones to some extent to fer
tilize their land. The battlefield of Wa
terloo was for a time the base of sup
plies, and this was supplemented by
mummies from Egypt. ground to fine
powder. The mummies were fetched for
this purpose by the cargo, and the pre-
served corpses of people dead for thous-
ands of years doubtless formed part Of
the concignments, but the bulk of the
material consisted of mummies of cats
and other small animals. The Egyptians
of old used to mummy the cat. ibis
and other creatures. which they regard
ed AZ sacred. In ancient Egyptian
tuIlDS arc loullu VI Nop-
per boxes, opening at one end by slide,
which contain mummies OF cats, hawks,
ibses and now and then snakes and
small croCodiles.
Mummies are a recognized commercial
article in that country to-day. For
long time locomotives were run between
Cairo and Suez with no other fuel.
Corpses of royal personages, 1900 years
old and upward. fetch high prices. The
processes adopted for their preservation
began with the removal of the intestines.
Then the brain was taken out through
the nostrils, and the body. after being
soaked in preventative substances, was
wrapped round and round with band
ages. The bundle thus made was placed
inside of a papier mache case, formed
of pulp composed of linen and whiting.
and this was Enclosed in series of
wooden collins.
Less than year ago the Austrian
bark Villa was deserted by her crew.
Later she was picked UP Ms derelict
off Cape Hatteras and fetched into the
port OF New York, Her cargo was
found to consist in large part Of bones
The balance was composed mainly of
the bones of horses and cattle. In the
corner of her hold was a great heap
of human skulls. No one knows to
this day why the crew deserted the
vessel in mid-ocean. She was worth
$4,000, including her freight. The grue-
some, character OF the latter was
presence of swarms of blue flies,
Information obtained respecting the
bark from Alexandria, in Egypt,
showed that the bones had been col
lected in deserts and cemeteries of that
country and were shipped to the United
States for use as fertilizer. The prepa-
ration of human skeletons for market
is quite an important industry. The
chief centre for this branch of com
mercial activity is Paris. where three
concerns are engaged in the business
on considerable scale. They obtain
he a
OF bodies from public institutions, most
of them being those OF paupers and
criminals. who have died in the asylums
and prisons.
The French government considers 1t
a good plan to turn to a useful account
| in this way after death the thieves and
murderers who have been enemies or
society during their lifetime. 1t Is a
| rule recognized In most countries that
| a person who accepts the hospitality of
an almshouse must sacrifice the priVi-
In the United States the existing
| laws would not permit the establishment
OF factory for bleaching and pre-.
pairing human skeletons. The bodies of
| criminals and paupers may md their
way to the dissecting- rooms OF medical
colleges. but 1t is required that eventu-
| ally they shall be accounted for and
buried. In Europe this matter is
and the manufacture OF the skeletons
! OF men, women and children for the
| market is regularly conducted IN Berlin
| and Vienna, as well as in Paris.
Thus 1t happens that the human
skeletons required by scientific institu-
| tons in this country are imported from
| abroad. The only sort OF skeleton pro-
| duced here is of the family type
| which Is kept in the closet To supply
| the demand in this country about ,50t
| skeletons are imported annually. This
| reckoning does not include minor parts
| such as skulls and thigh bones. These
are in great request by secret societies
| being absolutely Indispensable for mi
| tiatory ceremonies. One may purchase
| a Uranium and cross bones for only $40
| But II you want something really fancy
| in the way you must pay $40
| The demand for human bones always
exceeds the supply. 1t Is said that the
finest work ever bestowed on skele
| ton may be seen in that used by tn,
magician Hermann, though he will moi
permit anybody to examine II. The
first operation in preparing a skeleton
| after the Partisan method Is to remov,
| the flesh by means of the knife. Their
the bones are boiled, after which they
are scraped and bleached in the sun
II Is said that the French secure tn,
dazzling Wilderness which marks theil
| work in this line by treating the bones
| with ether and benZine. Finally, tn,
bones pass into the finishing room,
| where they are assorted. Many skele
| tons being cleaned at once, the bones
are more or less mixed up, and a singl,
| skeleton as sold may consist OF frag
ments of number OF individuals.