Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-01-10

the whaling business as prosecuted mere
in the carly part of the century.
About the year 1889 number of the
business men of Wilmington conceived
the idea that whaling company would
be successful enterprise here. Putting
the project into active service they or
ganized what was known as the Will
mlngton Whaling Co. The stockholders
in the new enterprise met and elected
directors for the company and among
those remembered we're; Stephen Bon
sail David @. Wilson. Allen Thompson,
Miller Dunnett, William Chandler, |
Samuel B. Wheeler, Merritt Candy and
Elisha Huxley. of which the first-named |
was made president and Allen Thomp- |
son, treasurer.
OF the few scattered "reminiscences in |
| mind, the first is the purchase of a |
whaling ship which had already been
| in service called the Circe. This vessel
was recoppered and then sent out, arriv-
ing back again after an unsuccessful
cruise Of over three years. The com
| pany, however, was not discouraged,
but bought other ships to carry on the
work, one of which made an eighteen
months voyage and returned laden
with oil. Another ship was bought and
| sent cut, which returned from an un-
successful cruise in the Pacific ocean,
her captain having died on the voyage.
The company had soon five ships in
the service which were the means of
giving much employment to people
along the wharves, and in fact was no
small factor in the business circles OF
Wilmington.
Among the trades employed by the
company were Ship.carpenters, caulkerS,
Triggers, sail makers, blacksmiths ,coopers,
boatbuilders and other minor trades
men. Besides these, tailors, shoemakers
and hatters came in for their share,
being patronized by the crews of the
vessels. Coopering for the whaling COM
panies was an important business,
coopers being constantly employed
and the Wilmington company had a
shop of their own with Asa Poinsett in
charge.
When the fifth vessel was fitted out
and all were sent to their respective
stations everything, apparently working
, nicely, the company was broken up by
two men. Much of the stock was sold
in Philadelphia and these two men
went there, got their proxies from the
stockholders and elected themselves,
with others, as directors for the purpose
, of winding up the company.
These new directors sold all the ships
which were at sea on the whaling
, cruise This was great industrial loss
to the people of Wilmington, especially
to men alongshore, there being some
times goodly number of them en-
ployed, and its winding up was of no
, benefit to anybody. Some people are
!. better known as stopping industries
than in their prosecution even If there
= is not much in them, financially. II
: was also the intention of the directors
to build a new vessel within a few
!. months for which certain preliminary
J. arrangements had been made.
: 1t is remembered that on certain &C.
casion the directors visited Mr.. Harris
shipyard, whore the writer was EN-
plSyed, to talk about the matter and
u David U. Wilson who was then presi
-, dent of the whaling company said
!. y timber to build the new ship" So you
= see the building Of this new ship was
Z. wiped out by the unceremonious man
a ner of winding up the company.
8 Among the last ships fitted out wa
l. the Jefferson" and among the crew
y was Eli Mendinhall OF this city who
!, shipped as green hand. Two OF hi.
- brothers, both old men are yet living
Mendinhall was moulder by trade anc
had served his time at James Rice'I
A. about 55 years ago.
N The Jefferson sailed southwark anc
r. after paying visit to st. Helena TO
10 fresh provisions, was busy whaling il
IF the waters off Cape Horn, when the yes
A. sci was overtaken by d terrific storm
n. All the boats crews were recalled to tn
y vessel. Among the men who went alof
N were Eli Mendinhall and his shipmate
i. While out on the yard-arms taking il
h: the topsail, the vessel rolled and gave
er tremendous lurch, causing the two mel
n TO fall, the one lighting safely on til
r. deck, but Eli Mendinhall went over
n, board, never to be seen again.
h: One of the ships, | think it was tn
Circe, when homeward bound, stoppe
at the Society Islands, inhabited by car
nibals, in order to get fresh provision
NJ. and water. When ready to leave one q
,rs the natives volunteered to come HON
at with the captain. The crew, who wer
IL Portuguese, dubbed him Kanaker, bu
us he was always called John by the car
III tain. John was an innocent kind {
an an man and would do anything that b
ift was told. In appearance he was shor
he bodied, black haired and with sur
nd burnt looking skin. The Gree arrivin
de at the mouth of the Christiana
Z. was found that the tide was again
, as her, being lowed up tine river and IL
las steamboat New Jersey, a market al
air boat, took the officers and GREY
with the exception of John, ashore, MI
the vessel was brought up the next da
The agent of the company was job
ed A. Duncan, whose duty it was to loo
TT, after the crews of the incoming vessel
w. A boarding place for the crew W;
in found with u colored man, John !
ok Poulson,
inc To return to John, who was left {
ter the ship. All the provisions on boal
en had beed consumed and when the DIT
be following John was brought ashore
9TH was very hungry, and when taken
Mr.Duncan to q separate boarding hous
for the crew would not have him wi
them, which was kept by colorea mi
iss named Douglas, living near Fourth al
,ab Orange streets, he was given i
Ir. dinner for which he had u voracio
appetite.
- Bent on mischief, the crew went
D. Johns boarding-master with a numb
OF tales about him, among other thin
is saying he was a man-eater, which
HI, course alarmed Mr.. Douglas and /
- wife very much. The former went
Ii sec the agent about the matter, al
y. asked him what kind of man he b.
~ been sending him to board. Mr.. Dune
an | asked him his cause of ron,nlaint