Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-30
IVORY IN ALASKA.
GREAT QUANTITIES OF MAMMOTH
TUsI<s FOUND THERE.
An Unexpected Source of Profit
Fresh Mammoth Meat from an
Animal That Died 1000 Years Ago.
Sources OF Ivory.
washington Post.)

Valley, Alaska. IL the report does not
exaggerate the facts, It seems not un-
likely that mining for this precious mate
rial will be conducted come day in Uncle
Sans Arctic province on a considerable
scale. as is now done In Siberia. I'm
questionably there is truth in the story,
for scientific men journeying through
that region have come across many
tusks. some OF them lying exposed on the
ground and others sticking, out Of clay
banks. Only last summer. far up on the
Yukon. Mr.. Spur, OF the Geological Sur
'vey, picked up a molar tooth and part OF
tusk. which once belonged to a pachy-
derm Of gigantic size.
But the statement that the tusks thus
found are those Of mastodon, Is mis-
take. In all probability, the mastodon
never ranged north OF the present Cana
dian boundary. II was the mammoth
that left these interesting memorials Of
its occupancy OF that far northern coun-
try. where in its day the climate was
much warmer than at present, being
about the same as that Of the temperate
zone to-day.
Additional interest attaches to the
mammoth for the reason that it was al
most undoubtedly contemporary with
early man. 1t lived as late, perhaps as
5000 or even 1000, years ago. The In
dams TO this day have traditions relating
to such a monster. which In their legends
is called the father of the buffalo. Some
Of their ancient mounds are built, APP
parently, in the shape Of the mammoth.
At all events. they are elephant-like in
Iot he nj &c
Alaska were wiped out by the oncoming
of great cold, as is said to have been the
case with the mammoths of Siberia. DIR.
Dali of the Smithsonian Institution, Wis
iting Arctic Alaska not long ago, Sc
cured a bit Of perfectly fresh fat from
the body of a mammoth. which had been
frozen in a bank of clay thousands OF
years before. A stream cut away the
clay-bank. and so the monster was re-
vealed. The fat was being used by the
natives for greasing their boats
Nearly all of the ivory used by Rus
sian workers in that material Is NAM
moth ivory, and most Of IT comes from
the valley of the Lena and other rivers
which empty into the Arctic ocean.
Some OF II is of excellent quality, but II
is apt to be brittle and inferior on ac-
count Of partial decay. Astonishing
nuallv. To the northeast Of the Lena
delta is a group of islands known as New
Siberia. and there immense deposits OF
"fossiT' ivory are said to exist. as yet
untouched Great herds Of the NAM
moth seemed TO have been overwhelmed
bv snowdrifts. lying down to die beneath
heecv avalanches, which were finally
transformed into. solid ice. Thus buried,
thew were in a situation to be preserved
Indefinitely. Doubtless, the Islands OF
New Siberia were at one time connected
with The mainland. hence the presence Of
the bones and ivory there.
Mammoth bones are found scattered
all over Europe and Northern ASIA.
The species whose remains are dlscoV-
cred in the United States are not the
same. though nearly related, and SUI
another specie is known to have inhabi-
ted South America. Like modern ele-
phants. mammoths delighted in water
and miro and loved to wanow in mud.
This instinct tempted them into treache-
rous hogs where sometimes they were
caught. Thus their bones are frequently
found preserved in beds or peat, an en-
tire skeleton being discovered occasional
w in an upright position. A full-
grown specimen attained a height or 10
feet n length Of % feet. and girth
about the body of 20 feet. The animal
had a shaggy name, and was covered
all over with hair. some or when was
a foot and a half long. Mr.. Frederick
A Tncas Of the National Museum, not
long ago found a complete skeleton OF a
mammoth in n spring at Paso Verde. IN
the country OF the Papago Indians. EVi-
IDENTIFY the animal sought the spring
when diving. and fell into IT. The In
dams were unwilling to have the bones
removed. believing that the water would
dry up if this were done
The price Of ivory has risen very much
during the last few years. owing 10 lhe
di,niniebinp supply. The elephants
which furnish the bulk Of it, are being
wined out rapidly, and it is likely that
there will be hardly any ivory on the
market couple Of centuries hence
For a long time past the supply has Deen
mainly dead" ivory. drawn from the
boards of African chiefs. For centuries
the native tribes OF the DARK Sohl'ilen.
have been boarding the elephants
usks burying great quantities of them.
and now these savings of ivory are
coming TO market through the hands OF
traders. who purchase the stun with
rum bright -colored cloths, brass wire,
and trinkets. It is alleged on good au-
thorjty that there is still enough ivory
In CENTRAL Africa to last the world an
other hundred years. The opening OF
that mart of the world by the Belglahs
has brought an immense amount OF
ivory TO Europe. About 5tovV POUNDS
we're exported from Congo Free State
last year Dorsey Mohun' now Oni'su
states Consul at Zanzibar, says that he
saw stack of tusks at the court of
native king which represented the accu-
mutation OF centuries, the pile compris-
ing thousands Of teeth.
Until within very recent years London
has been the great ivory market OF the
world. but now Antwerp does the buik
of the business. Last year 10000 pounds
~ elephants tusks, nearly all OF them
from the Belgian Congo, were sold ID
Antwerp. The present quotation Tor
frst-rate teeth Of the largest size Is S5''
a hound: defective ones bring all the
way from 81 a pound down TO - cents a
pound. Africa exports ABOUT AV'V'V"
pounds OF ivory annually
The tusks Of the African elephant are
larger than those of the species native
~ India. and the grain Of the ivory IS
aner The female elephant OF AFRICA
has big tusks. as we'll as the male, but
the female elephant of India Is dehcient
IN this respect, possessing tusks only
few inches In length. Many or the males
among Indian elephants have very small
tusks. and in Ceylon not more than one
elephant i'm 300 is powerfully armed. the
individual thus exceptionally equipped
being much dreaded by his fellows on ac-
count of his superior prowess in battle
Nearly all mammals may be said TO
he producers of ivory, and man Is no
evception to the rule. The tusks OF the
elephant are merely the upper incisor-
teeth. developed enormously for use as
weapons They are also employed IN
variety OF other useful ways. The MP
popotamus yields an ivory that Is SUI
nerior i'm fineness and durability to that
- tho elephant, the upper and lower
" - In. to.Lh hDi.a-