The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-07-22
OIL is EXPENSIVE.
BEST KINDS HAVE A MARKET
VALUE OF SEQ A GALLON.
Refining Is Secret in Part-Metal
Disks Are Used to Determine the Pur-
ity of tho Refined Liquor-A Test
That is Always InfaiIible. 0


ity of tho Refined Liquor-A Test
That is Always InfaiIibIe. .
The general impression is that oil is
cheap stuff. But do you know that a
tiny half-ounce vial of the lubricant
which the matchmaker or repairer ap-
plies to the delicate mechanism Of a
pocket tlmepiece is worth a quarter Of
a dollar? True, a 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 blackfsh and the
porpoise that once swan in the sea off
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 $3.50 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
seasons work, although, Of course.
there were other trophies Of the voy-
ages to be disposed of for cash. The
present scarity Of Blacklist 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. OF the total
| quantity produced in the United States
| during the last fifty years seven
eighths were contributed by that cape
town, where a limited quantity, mel
| lowed and bleached to purity and a
wilderness that are marvellous during it's
| long period of storage, remains pro-
| vision to be relied upon to an extent
| in time of need. A visit to the fac
tory of a refner, whose products are
furnished to the leading watch manu-
facturers and repairers of this country
and Europe, elected the fact that the
work of refining is secret in part.
This gentleman has no assistant who
might discover and perchance reveal
the exact nature Of the art. To de-
termine the purity Of the refined Ii
quid metal disks are used at this fac
tory. These are of brass apparently,
about the size of an old-time copper
cent. Oil dropped upon these disks
will reveal it's imperfection, if there be
any, in the deposit or formation OF
corrosive substance Of greenish hue
not unlike the color of salt-corroded
copper. This, although but one OF
|
Of the work, is an infallible test and
the oil which does not tarnish the
brass detector is Individually up to
standard and equally certain to pass
on its merits To successfully under
go all tests, to fully win the favor Of
the exacting watch, clock and chro-
nometer makers and rejuvenators, the
refined product of the factory must be
entirely devoid Of acidulous proper
ties, absolutely gumless, be free"
have ability to withstand the rigors Ct
the coolest climate without congealing,
be able to maintain its body" or sta
bility in a high temperature, and last,
but not least, 1t must be of uniform
quality. One other requirement-im-
perative-is the production of an oil.
the hue of which is exactly to the lik-
ing of the purchaser OF the two head"
oils, blackf1sh and porpoise, the former
| is the favorite by slight margin, 1t
having trife heavier body" than the
latter, but the porpoise oil is very
close second in point of favor. The
"melon" and jaw OF the blackfish yield
fair quantity Of oil, three gallons b.
ing the medium product. The porpoise
gives but little head" oil, say one-half
pint, and one pint from the jaw and
"melon" of average specimens of har-
Dor and sea porpoises, respectively
Chicago Daily News.