The Wichita tribune., 1898-07-23
OIL rs EXPENSIVE.
BEST KINDS HAVE A MARKET
VALUE OF $50 A GALLON.
Refining Is q Secret in Part-Metal
Disks Are Used to Determine the Pur-
ity of the Refined Liquor-A Tost
That Ii Always Infallible. Q

The general impression Is that oil is
cheap stuff. But do you know that
tiny half-ounce vial of the lubricant
which the matchmaker or repairer ap-
plies to the delicate mechanism Of a
pocket timepiece is worth a quarter Of
a dollar? True, gallon of kerosene
can be bought for ten cents; on the
other hand, this finer oil, which must
remain unchanged in character amid
all the changes of temperature, has
market value of $50 gallon, says the
Philadelphia Inquirer The engineer
sitting in the cab Of his locomotive,
ever glancing at the dial Of his watch,
knowing that it never makes mistakes,
is confident of the safety of his train.
For this he and the passengers should
give thanks to the blackfish and the
porpoise that once swan in the sea on
the coast of New England. These ma
rine animals furnish what is known as
head" oil, product which in very
small quantities is extracted solely
from the under paw and the peculiar
| fatty growth on the rostrum Of the
skull in front Of the blow hole. Black
fish head oil has almost tripled in
value, in the crude state, at Province
town, down in Cape Cod. where the
bulk Of it is landed, within the short
period of seven years. That brought in
whaling in 1890 was sold to refiners
for So so a gallon, and in 1897 the price
had advanced to $40 gallon. No sim
gle ship arrived with more than twelve
gallons on board as the result OF a
seasons work, although, of course,
there were other trophies Of the voy-
ages to be disposed of for cash. The
present scarity of blackfsh admits OF
but one explanation-to-wit, the al
most complete determination OF the
species, the result of terrific slaugh-
ter along the coast in the past. Prov
incetown is the greatest head oil en-
porium of this country. or the tota
quantity produced in the United States
during the last fifty years seven
eighths were contributed by that cap'
town, where a limited quantity, mel
lowed and bleached to a purity and
w"iteness that are marvellous during u
long period of storage, remains pro
. vision to be relied upon to an exten
, in time of need. A visit to the fac
| tory Of refiner, whose products ar
, furnished to the leading watch manu-
facturers and repairers of this countr
and Europe. ELECTED the fact that tn
work of refining is a secret in par
e This gentleman has no assistant WI
n might discover and perchance reve'
: the exact nature of the art. To d.
d termine the purity Of the refined
r ouid metal disks are used at this fa
tory. These are of brass, apparent
about the size of an oldtime copp'
cent. Oil dropped upon these disl
will reveal it's imperfection, If there
any, in the deposit or formation or
corrosive substance of green1sh n,
not unlike the color Of salt-corrode
"copper" This, although but one
several methods used at various stage
of the work, is an infallible test an
the oil which does not tarnlsh u
brass detector is indubitably up
standard and equally certain 20 pa
on it's merits. To. successfully unde
20 all tests, to fully win the favof
the exacting watch, clock and chr
nometer makers and rejuvenators, {
refined product of the factory must
entirely devoid of acidulous prope
ties, absolutely gumless, be free
have ability to withstand the rigors
the coldest climate without congeal1n
be able to maintain its body or st
bility in high temperature, and la
but not least, it must be or unl1or
quality. One other requirement-ii
perative-is the production OF an o
the hue Of which is exactly to the IL
ing of the purchaser OF the two 'nea
oils, blackfish and porpoise, the form
is the favorite by slight margin,
having a trifie heavier body than
latter, but the porpoise oil is a We
close second in point Of favor. I
melon and jaw Of the blackhsh ylt
a fair quantity of oil, three gallons
ing the medium product. The porpo
gives but little head" OIL say one-h
pint, and one pint from the jaw a
o. "melon" Of average specimens OF hi
~ bor and sea porpoises, respectively
H. Chicago Daily News.