The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1896-08-13
WHALEBONE FACTORIES.
Where the Crude Bono Is Prepared
for the Market.
The First Factory Established In san
Francisco, Others wili he Located
In the Eastern states - An
Important Industry.
San Francisco

The establishment OF the whaling
station at Monterey boy will. IL is ex-
pccted, increase the demand for skilled
labor employed in this city in the man
ufacture of whalebone. This is looked
upon by the Merchants association as
another indication OF good times for
California, and the whaling industry
on this coast will be fostered.
In itself. the whaling trade Is consid
cradle at this port, but it's increase
means more to landsmen and the manu-
featuring interests OF the city than is
generally known. IL means that With
IN the next few years San Francisco
will become not only the whaling port
of the world, but also the center of the
whalebone manufacturing interest.
Already n whalebone factory has been
established in this city, and before long
the six other factories in the United
States--now located in the eastern
stutes-will undoubtedly be moved 70
this city. This proposition is almost
self-evident when IL is considered that
at present five-sixths OF all the whale
bone manufactured in America Is
shipped from this port across the con-
tlnent before IL is prepared for the
market.
New bedford, once the great whaling
rort OF the world, does not send out
more than one or two ships after the
lcviutban now, and all the rest OF the
trade is oentered at this port. II was
this fact which called into existence
the wholebope factory and that will
bring other factories OF the same kind
TO this city.
The price OF this commodity is on the
increase, II anything, though the whal-
ing industry itself has fallen into com
rsrstively Insignificant proportions,
Many refined DIV hayr been found TO
take the place OF sperm oil, but no sub
stitute has ever been found for whale
bone. Many efforts have been made 70
find some substance that could be used
in the place OF wbnlebone. and many
experiments on various metals and sub
stances have been made. but TO no pur-
pose For corsets and dress bodiccs, no
other substance will answer. Nothing
else is so plisbe and 80 lasting at the
| same time,
II is not generally known, but IL is n
fact, that whslebone may be used over
and over again, and Is practically in
destructible. When bent out OF shape
IL can be Strengthened by first stenminR
md then placing IL under pressure.
Aside from the part IL plays in woman's
apparel, its chief use is for whips. The
process of cleaning and drying the crude
whnlebone when first taken from the
ships Is interesting. 1t il scrubbed
and drcnched with fresh water when
unloaded at the yard, and then stood up
in punches TO dry In the sun. Down AT
the yards of the Pacific Steam Whaling
| company at the Potrero the stranger
who sees the vessels unloading from q
distance and beholds the washed strips
OF bone stacked up to dry, is very like
~ TO mistake II for some rank growth
OF weeds or tules,
When thoroughly dried IL is bundled
mp and taken TO the factory on Califor
MIA street, or shipped east 20 the fac
torres, there TO be still further soraped
aud dressed, then steamed aud polished
and cut into marketable strips, From
first 70 last good many men are re
quired 70 handle the bone product that
j. brought 10 this port by the whaling
vessels, and when IL Is considered that
each one OF these vessels Is manned and
provisioned here the real importance o!
the entire industry Is seen 10 be not
at all insignificant to the material wei
fare OF colifornia--sa9 Francisco Call