The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-06-13
A FLOURISHING INDUSTRY ENDS.

the town Of New Bedford, Mass, was
the most prosperous place financially
in the United States, in proportion to
the number Of it's inhabitants. It's
enterprising merchants and seamen
realized the value OF the whale fisher
les, and equipped numerous ships that
chased the sperm whales in the Allan
tic and then doubled Cape Horn in
the pursuit of the right whales The
towns OF New London and Sag HarbOr
and the people of Nantucket were also
engaged in the business.
AS the fisheries declined in the
North Pacific the ships pushed into
the Bering Sea, and during the open
season, caught the big fish, and when
the ice closed in they bore away for
these Islands, where they refitted and
recruited until the season again open
ed At the end of a three years cruise
each vessel again doubled Cape Horn
for the, home port, and every man and
boy from the captain down got his
share in the venture, because no wages
were paid.
These were the bonanza days of
New Bedford. Whale oil was mainly
used for illuminating purposes, and
the bone had some value in the arts.
AS a rule each vessel was equipped
through the division of the venture
into shares. These shares returned
enormous profits. Every merchant,
every clerk, every professional man,
every carpenter and many of the do
nestle servants owned shares in these
vessels. Whenever a shipping house
proposed new venture the subScrip-
ton list was passed around the town,
and both sexes, and people of all con-
ditions at once filled it. Although the
indiscriminate slaughter of whales
continued, especially the slaughter OF
the calves" which were left to per-
ish, new fishing grounds were opened
in the Japan Sea. There was no Amer
lean nor international law which for
babe the useless destruction OF the
young, by depriving them of their
mothers, and it was merely question
of time when the industry would end.
In 1860 experiments made with the
shales of Nova Scotia developed the
existence of coal oil. A process was
invented for it's distillation. Among
those who invested in this new indus
try was the noted Delmonico of New
York, who ventured his entire fortune
in it. Just after the process for eX-
tracing the oil from the shale had be-
come profitable, the natural oil wells
of Pennsylvania were discovered. At
once the price of Illuminating oil fell.
Coal oil began to take the place OF
whale oil. Those who had invested in
the new processes for distilling coal
oil were made bankrupts. The great
prosperity of New Bedford began TO
decline The fleets of whale ships
which had visited this port and Lahal-
ma every season, to the number OF two
hundred and more, rapidly decreased
San Francisco became the port fol
supplies. and in time what REMAINED
of the industry passed into the hand:
of the merchants of that place, and /
is now in their hands. During th'
''forties'' as many as one hundred an'
fifty whalers visited the harbor OF Ho
nolulu at the same time. The aVerag
tonnage of these whalerS was abou
three hundred and fifty, and they la.
side by side, like packed sardlnes, Il
our hrbor The average crew con
sisted of about thirty men, and
many as three thousand seamen at on
time generously distributed the vice
= of civilization among the native Ha
waiians.
New Bedford New London, Nan
tucket, Martha's Vineyard and Sa
Harbor went TO seed. The ships ro'
ted away or were sold The youn
men scattered and settled in the lars
er cities, or emigrated,to the West
large part of the capital accumulate
Inv the fisheries was transferred
BOSTON and New York. The enterpri
ing men of those places believed th'
now industries would take the pla(
of the old one. But economic law
ruled these places out, ana grass gre
in the streets. The only hope OF he
prosperity was in the line or man
turing. New Bedford alone estapllsl
several cotton mills, but the prom
from these were insignificant III con
harrison with the extravagant return
of the whale fisheries.
The demand for whalebone has i
creased TO such an extent that II u
prices now paid for it had prevail
in the early days the dividends of Il
owners of shares in the whaling fe
would have been fabulOus-far e
ceeding the dividends Of the most 81
cessful plantations.
The story of the whale fisheries