The Republican journal., 1902-11-13
THE DISPLACED WHALE.

strenuous lite OF tour centuries, this is
the coffee and cigars, the easy-chair-
and-Sllppers period of his existence
Since the time when Columbus crossed
the Atlantic he has been hunted and
harred from Arctic pillar to Tropic post:
but the economic cycle has passed, and
Tor the present the whale is ENJOYING a
period OF comparative security when he
may roam the waters in peace, multiply
and people once more the depleted seas.
Let none Degrudge him his repose. The
whale deserves well of the world. What
he has, i'll his humble way, contributed
to the intellectual development of the
human race, only the imaginative can
compute. only the ungrateful deny. For
four centuries he fed the scholars
lamp and the victor's torch. For so
much of literature and of science as we
owe TO midnight OIL the thoughtful
and the generous will give the whale
due credit. But the service he has long
performed is now done better by an
other agency and he enjoys compare
lively unmOleSted rest.
But all this talk OF detected glory is
told III statistics. In 1916 there were
40 vessels carrying the American flag
tpract1caIly All were from New Bed
tord. hunting whales in every corner of
the Watered world, from Okhotsll to
Arabia. That was a mighty fleet. OF
II to-day are left but thirty-nine small
banks and sChoonerS. January /, 1859,
a y4ar before the Civil war began. there
were G25 vessels: by 500, the figure had
TAI Ell to 263. The annals of ruined New
Bedford fortunes Will tell how much of
the decrease was caused by the vindic-
tive AIabama. The whalers would
be coming home from four year-long
cruises III the Arctic. They knew moth
ing OF the war that had begun since
they left port in peace. Their holds
were loaded down with oily cargo, and
the crews reefed and tackled cheerfulIy
enough TO the thought of homewdrd
bound. Then would come the astonish
Ell encounter with the Alabama and the
whaling captain would pace the Confed-
crate 5 decks a prisoner and watch the
fruit of his toll roll off across the sea in
big pillows of dense black smoke.
The Alabama scourge was artificial.
After the war the trade picked up. In
1868 there were 33S vessels. Then came
the striking of Oil in Pennsylvania and
the whaling industry was doomed
OF the remnant of the fleet still
afioat, tWenty-four hail from New Bed
ford, four from Provincetown, two
from Boston and ten from San Fran
cisco. These are scattered through the
North and south Atlantic, III Hudson
Bay and III the Japan and Okhotsk
Seas With the sailing vessels the old
fashion of long voyages that took a
large gap from the sailors lives still
persists. Some of the New Bedford
h. lore HOY !, CIV
1896. But Oh the Pacific Coast are half
dozen steam whalers which 60 out for
but a few days at d time and tow their
prizes 10 shore to be cut up aud boiled
his method will soon entirely super
Sede the Old one, and the steamers Will
mouopoliZe what is left OF the Whaling
industry.
These figures are for America and in
the Whaling business, ''America" meant
New bedford, until a comparatively few
Years no, When san Francisco began to
hunt toI whales with steamers In
deed, mo other country was ever seri-
oue.y COM etitor OF America. Whal-
ING. -uUIe Il lu any other calling in the
world, dem ads the highest qualities Of
courage 0iI daring. Compared to it.
soldering, rFpHi] time of war, is a com
palatlyrIy etrtut business. The per
cottage OF casualties on an old-fashjou-
ed whaling trip would make the battle
or olt1S" loQh Ike d cAllu plcnlc. It
SONY uatuIai THAT SUCH ealing should
atJ-ats (he most 9eH-IetIiIrt men III the
F"-''l tine men VINO Sought fortune II
Ill "l+PcoHltH Wpl-N anna the descelid-
anu ~ nose H'tL-, As carry as 40,
Ne" l'fe-IoiH, WIN nee OF 500 Snaps,
HI'A"pellItU me WhdIlhg business OF
lIl1 "oIIu ms monopoly 1t MAINTAIN
-" - I"H9 as Lht lHUu9ll! lasltu- IL is
tstlMattd that III 1916. When New Bed
Iolu Aad -" Shlps on the water the
totdl investment OF money was 100000,
300 ana Tue number OF people depend
enJ Oh TINS harvest OF the sea was 1o,
p'n
comparatively, the industry has dWln
died to mere nothing. 1t may ever
uWIndle yet more. But 1t VIII never
entirely disappear, There Will always
be some sllght business III the products
OF the whale. But New Bedford VIII
not toe Its headquarters. The twenty
four ships that sail from New Bedford
will disappear one by one. The whales
OF the future Will hunt with steam
He VIII Dulld his boiling establishment
on some shore near which the whales
congIegate. From this station he will
90 out every morning, shoot hls whale
with harp0On gun. instead OF the old