New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-02
LACK OF WHALEBONE,
THIS SEASONS SUPPLY Is MUCH SMALLER
THAN THAT OF 1896
THERE ARE TWO GRADES or BONE. SHELL
AND "GRAIN"-A FIREPRooP VAULT IN
WHICH WAS STORED BONE WORTH
A MILLION DOLLARS
A MILLION Dol

This is the time Of year when the men who
prepare whalebone for the market busiest
And as II happens, whalebone i3 just
scarcer than ever before
"Whalebone hard to get last year" said
one Of the largest dealers in the commodity.
but this seasons supply will be 4 good deal
smaller than that Of 1896 short time ago
there were advces that eight whaling vessels
were stuck in the ice away up north and ac-
there is danger that they will not he able 10 get
out at all this II hey do not. the
shortage will continue and that will mean hard
| times for US, since, although he price Is high,
we can make sales il we have bone. Put
| IL the ships should escape-it Is hardly POSSIBLE
that the may even now have forced their way
out Of the ice-we shall have good trade at sails
! factory figures
They have made a fair catch. but they will
! not bring south large enough supply to break
! The market Ruling quotations now range from
/ 81 % to 81 80 a pound, but the 50 mark VIII
| be reached soon, whether the imprisoned ships
I succeed in getting free or not.
Nearly all the bone used in the United states
| is brought from the Arctic by Yankee whalers,
| although a little comes from the South Seas
and some from Japan The supply from all
quarters is much less than formerly. The de-
mand, too Is nothing like what II used 10 be,
despite the great increase OF population, for
! all sorts OF celluloid. feather favor cork rub
Der steel and other substances have been very
! generally adopted.
THE high grade-'shelr bone-goes into first
| class corsets and Is used for stays In costly
gowns. the demand for these purposes being
Z
else. except certain surgical instruments. The
+ grain bone goes into the cheaper corse.s, whips.
etc. The two qualities differ greatly. the shell
bone being without grain and easily WORKED
While ii is not whit less elastic than the
other il can be pierced or bored without danger
OF splitting but this is not true OF me gram
bone which, its trade name indicates. IS
made up Of fibres that are prone TO split apart
Most OF the cutting" Of whaleboae as those
In the business term It's preparation, Is done
In Paris and Bremen. little is done. too. in
/ London. and there are seven cutting establish
ments in the United States-four in New ork
two In Boston and one in San Fran ,i5c1 IL
seems strange that the industry should he so
slightly represented in San Francisco. the great
port for the reception Of the raw bone. tut
! in that regard this business does ~ differ from
some others notably sugar refining. which Is
chiefly carried on IN Newfork for ine eLure
United States and cotton milling, which Is
carried on IN England and New-EnS ana Tor
the whole world. despite the fac. That the
! worlds sugar and cotton crops are raised tnou-
sands Of miles further south.
Five years ago the supply OF whaleD1ne was
as rhenomnnally large as the pres II suipy
is small There had been an unusually hcaVy
take after several lean years ana al Ieasl
10000 pounds. worth 81 a pound or 4 COO
81 600 600 altogether. was stored in a little rex
and stone structure on the Potero shore OF san
Francisco Bay.
supply was as carefully guarded as II il had
been made up of golden eagles Not that th.fc
was much danger Of rs being stolen-lor " mar.
bone is stored in such heavy masses that u
cannot easily be taken away-but II Is de-
cidedlv innammabla substance. and there was
great fear OF fire. The storehouse Is perfect
TauIt with walls II brick and stone and iron
roof and iron doors perforated pipe, from
which the whole place could be readily hoodeG
in case Of a sudden outbreak OF tre' runs an
around the top, and when the store OF bone is
large trusted watchmen guard the place night
and day. $780,, :. ,Ao,ohore
! from, rats-pests which are extremely numerous
on the San Francisco waterfront, especially
| in the fall when the whaleships make their ap-
pearance In order to make sure Una, these
sharp toothed destroyers shall be kept out snal
iron doors grated in small meshes. have been
! mi in When the big doors are opened ior
ventilation-and whaebone must be treated 10
plenty Of fires n air-these grated screens ane
/ shut AS rats teeth. though potent, are nor
| c,,ita hard enough to negotiate cold iron TINS
precaution has always served It's purpose al
mirably. ~ C.. .,o MAN
who receive the bone from the SHIPS are az
| ,ravs in n hurry 20 get through with H. As
soon as a bone-ladcn craft docks blS torce OF
/ men is employed, and they plich IN ana uals
The cargo with all possible haste. working nlfht
and dav until the task Is done. And as soon
! thereafter as II is feasible the whole patch Is
put aboard ships and railroad trains lor tne
! East there TO be distributed to the American
md European "cutting" establishments.
From a thousand to three thousand POUNDS OF
hone are furnished by each whale the iatter
| orrount however being decidedly eXceptlohdl
| Refore leaving san Francisco the bone is Spit
| sorted according to color and tied UP IN nundies
After splitting. the pieces are termed starr
| 80 ..elabe" Ttey are from three TO eight reef
W ,a"gth when ready for shipment, and weigh
| FROM, three pounds up 10 SIX or seven -,
! When received by the MANUFACTURER each sap
is fringcd with strong glossy biack nan a. "a ~
roc a senarate value Of its own and IS used ~
no. atr furniture manufactures: also. mixed win
horeehair in brushes. after II mas oeeh III. ~, 80
Off the slabs scruobed VIGOROUSLY, anu W, ~
,,,, ~ soak in water for about week Wheh
ssnFciently softened they are subjected 10 the
| oction Of not steam in strong receptacleS q.