The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-20
THE EXPENSIVE OILS,
eLAckFlsH AND PoRpolsE FURNISH
THE BEST KINDS.

Oils that Remain Unchanged In all Temper
atures-Invalusble for Oiling Watches
! Chronometers, Etc.-Their Market Valu.
Compared to Ordinary Oils.
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 o4
a dollar? True, gallon Of kerosene
can be bought for 10 cents. On the
other hand, this finer oil. which must
remain unchanged In character amid
all the changes of temperature, has a
marked value Of $50 a gallon.
! 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 porpoise that once
swan In the sea of the coast of New
England.
These marine animals furnish what
Is known as head" oil. product
which in very small quantities is ex-
tracted solely from the under jaw and
the peculiar fatty growth on the ros-
trum of the skull in front of the blow
hole.
Blacklist head" oil has almost
tripled in value, in the crude state, at
Provincetown, down on Cape Cod,
where the bulk OF 1t is landed, within
the short period of seven years. That
brought in whaling vessels in 1890 was
sold to refiners for $3.50 a gallon, and
in 1897 the price had advanced to $40
a gallon. No single 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 voyage to be disposed Of for cash.
The present scarcity Of blackhsh adj
mits Of but one explanation-to wit,
the almost complete determination OF
the species, the result of a terrific
slaughter along the coast in the past.
Provincetown is the greatest head"
oil emporium Of this country. or the
total quantity produced in the United
States during the last fifty years seven
eighths was contributed by the cape
town, where limited quantity, mel
lowed and bleached to a purity and
whiteness that are marvellous during
Its long period Of storage, remains, a
provision to be relied upon to an ex-
tent In time Of need.
A visit to the factory Of refner,
whose products are furnished to the
leading watch manufacturers and re-
pairers Of this country and Europe,
elected the fact that the work of re-
lining is secret In part. The GENTLE
nan has no assistants who might dis
,over and perchance reveal the exact
nature Of the art.
To determine the purity OF the re-
ined liquid metal disks are used at
his factory. These are Of brass, ap-
,arently about the size Of an old-time
copper cent. Oil dropped upon these
lisks will reveal its imperfections, II
here be any, in the deposit or forma-
ion Of corrosive substance of a
,reenish hue, not unlike the color Of
copper. This, although
tut one of several methods used at var
GUS stages of the work, is an infallible
est, and the oil which does not tarnish |
he brass detecter Is indubitably up to
he standard and equally certain to
Ass on its merits.
Successfully to undergo all tests,
ully to win the favor of the exacting
'atch, clock and chrononeter makers
nd rejuvenators, the refined products
I the factory must be entirely devoid
I acidulous properties, absolutely
unless, be free" have ability to
'ithstand the rigors of the coolest
Innate without congealing, be able to
laintain its body" or stability in a
Ugh temperature, and last, but not
EAST, 1t must be of uniform quality.
One other requirement-imperative-
the production of an oil the hue of
hich is exactly to the liking of the
lrchaser.
Of the two head" oils, blackfsh and
'rpoise. the former is the favorite by