The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-07
A SHORE-GOING WHALER.
PROF. BUTLER WENT INTO THE BUS
INESH so YEARS 400.

"
Luroa TIVE whales to . Fiery Death at Bar-
num's Triumph or the wi Over
AEnssis. the Naturalist, with Acknowl-
edGunents By tho vaneuished Professors
Acting as custodian to a travelling whale 10 .
wearing occupation. Prof. II. D.. Butler, who
brought the two white whales now in the Aqua
rum from Riviere ouelle, near the mouth Of
the st. Lawrence River, by railroad, has boon
making up for lost sleep since his arrival. For
two days and nights he didn't get q wink OF
sleep, but was Watching his ponderous charges
constantly to sec that they were all right and
keeping sufficiently moistenod. BY yesterday
afternoon he was fairly awake and was found by
a reporter at his home in South Elliott place,
Brooklyn. Prof. Butler has had moro experience,
probably, with whales on land than any other
man in this country, and he had much to tell of
the best methods Of transporting whales, and
also of tho history of some Of the fow whales
ever In captivity In this part Of the world.
I'm telling you how keep q whale alive on
land" said the Professor, II am giving away
ono Of my professional secrets. But I guess
there is no reason why I shouldn't give 10 away.
First catch your whale. Then put him In a box,
open at the top. and lined with wet soaweod.
That will give him enough moisture to keep him
fairly comfortable. Now comes the trick Of the
~trado-that In, to keep his blowholo moistenod
with O wet sponge. OF course you know that Q
whale 10 not o lsh. Ho breathes air, like any
| other animal, and he has only one breathing
passage, the blowholo. He can't breathe through
his mouth a. o mar can, and II he caught q bad
cold In his blowhole he would SURROGATE for lack
of air. Now, II tho blowholo dries up 1t cannot
relax and contract, but sttfens up, and the
whale promptly dies. Therefore 10 is necessary
to keep 1t constantly moist. This requires little
water; In fact, I think I didn't use moro than
two pailfuls on my two whales In the 300 miles
trip down. That included q sponge bath apiece
twice o day.
IT remember very well my first whale. That
was about thirty years ago. whom I was In the
show business. 1 was employed In Barnum's
Museum here. and l also had an aquarium in
Boston, whore i spent one week out OF the four
While, I was there two men named Tetn came
from ths mouth of the 81. Law rSnS ,s, WITH 4; two
building on Chatham street. a noat business
they did, too, with those whales. Eventually the
p pIssslea A mn de wsS a. on s't snsmini9R he 3
t prsSspoas sisG to BRING 81 4 f iiv. s whs !, q t Boston ,1 w 81
the financial advantages of such a scheme had
.sTt those fellows can mako a good thing out
Of dead whales I said, i can make q fortune
ProieSsor,' seId1, How long will a whale
1--we g 81. Ct Soo Mssf Il L /. . good healthy specimen
.~t
from sF f. ss' si{ to 81 Hggi Ct. Es s2s sssp h :sis. by !. fFs Ss,
lie.ye YS San R Sso him ,a, ali I've ! ar5aRg y sa' &c ,Su alocY: If
tor time with 1t than that,
m shs; LII I b'l e. ss Fs:aa' s to c. &c I % made / n s5afef IN
tho ones now in ths Aquarium here. apd I got 4
fbsSss IT. p.p rasn p saS liGSssai'sss sspst e. Of t,I hha 'e q
t sSoufRh r0T that w HiSns was a member Of royalty
from the attention no ATTRACTED: That was the
eTss T%d!1 S Ss9a si' to see It. had a special OK;
hh1sSiii5}tIG Da.. e MS MatSa AMgfhnii;i an; 1folH ogya asrii %nna aed
Srssg ssHEa rs P,6 a.1 1ssssif sa1s: r..,
nothing like believing in q thing and then going
NO sooner had Mr.. Barnum, heard of my
"h%el hassihl.. Ba NJ ae lISa t. w %s tho the s oniy profanity h.
ever used, why can't we have a whale in the
4 that time there seemed to DO no space for
tank. but later I put ono In; Meanwhile tn,
made for it. which |. 'hitched to q water chariot
I Tank, ~ ana any ToS ahild dr sSst tR M,s sssf'G could aEGq riao fba s
3 basin nn dug s.Ed in the aSS soI hee. Of Bsr S : So Museum am
I problem. We decided on a bold course, and O
sistiRsaI pip n,sn down ef f aiRs 81 str @eR s sed t Il s0ri
Warrington Market to the river. It was don
chance 70 get out an Injunction against Us. !
few people knew about It among them the 4 !
. was ali right. Iguess the pipe Is there yet.
6 or "s s,Sa, we had S a gi%I5Rin Wit engine Sass w f2s.b G. aa
He lived Tor nine months. Aftcrward. when m
. Boston whale died. l brought on the tank, cuti
S kSTts p% put l. in T BbsGnu% %sto f S%rn sSt II, 1~ the NOR Or
0 which destroyed the museum In March. 1858,
strange death for a whale. Some time after "
t & Si, Coup p tho 81 sh Sn marian iams ss e T n9 wiSf { p stpss
: and Broadway. Al first | said l wouldn't Z
ih @'T II G tell y aSse% %hat wse sTTd do.' / s SAID L." We
get q whale. put him under canvas. and bull
. 'n wiz faa" this notion We O. Started out, but afte,
8 ward We reconsidered and decided 70 build on
= got Ritchie, tho animal and bird man, into tn
d 5000 aquarium. with fishes ofell sorts, seal
Well. But 'RFiitchie and Coup, were not satisfied
r nSe ]pro wSniea fhs s9 t RHs would so ' aiienate the IN s chSrc
folks, who bad been our best friends gres
Sunday schools to the scholars-the theatre wa
put In and the ~receipts tell OF; Coup sold out
70 in part payment and they all died within q shol
time 9e,, p,,o,t. hod . notion ., oDorirr r
st Sundays. I pointed out that that would brln
> the church folks into direct opposition. II
was done, / said. / would get out, 80 l SOLD OF
10 Richie. Later on. / believe. he arranged
A. have some whales brought on. but he never e
/. them. and the museum failed.
" "Those are the only whales ! know OF whiC
have been In captivity in this country, excel
one at Coney Island some years ago. The whal'
now in the Aquarium here are fine specimen
4 In their quarters. with plenty Of fresh waite
they should live q long time, As a rule. HOY
70 ever, whales arc delicate, and difficult to ko'
70 alive in captivity"
o. AQUARIUM WHALES HAVE 2l.45e VISITORS.
IN The whales at tho Aquarium are popular Of
q, 456 persons went to SEQ them yesterday. TT
E. whales were very much frightened, by the nois
and, In their efforts to hide Themselves, churn'
and beat the murky water 80 that they cou
l. hardly be seen. At 4 O'Clock, the building W
8. cleared and Mr.. Spencer fed the animals;
ID IT think they will live he said. Tho pri
Ia cipal trouble at present Is to obtain proper TO-
III for them. Ihavo given them live cells. but tn
low"
which was the record until yesterday.
% AND GUICID