New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-22

A week or two ago a Florida cracker VINO
was walking along the beach, saw mass OF gray
ish black substance. waxlike in consistency. ylns
on the sand He stopped to examine IT. and felt
Of IL There was something curious about H. ana
bs concluded TO investigate further Picking up
lump, which weighed number OF pounds ms car
Red Il home. Some Of the neighbors were consult
ed There were rumors that u was worm soHis-
thing. .
.r've heard Of stuff like that being worth money
s.id a vriseacre I'm the tone OF one who was an
encvclopaedfa OF information and solomon Oh WIS
dom and Judgment Now" continued ne peICeiE-
ing the perplexity OF the cracker. ana GUioA -
taks advantage of the opportunity 70 convey an
rnr,esx,on Of superorty after the manner OF WISE
acres OF his type I'D send chunk OF tnat Up %
Jacksonville and see II faint worth soInetHinS
Accordingly the cracker" receiving no better az
vice sia as was suggested It was worth money.
as he learned in a letter few days later ''4-
1ou So, commented the wiseacre, when ne hearo
that the lump was worth more than tnoUSa"-
dollars ct read in book somewhere Ina' So
like that was picked up on the beach anu WI :.
as much as gold Now. don't forget your Itle-LS
The news of the sudden afiuence OF their helsNOO,
oufckIv snread and that night the tide oollterateo
a beaten path in the sand In the neishoorhooN
where the ambergris-for It was that curious SUI
stance-had been found
The history Of the uses Of this "solidifed foam
OF the sea- as II once supposed 20 De- "i4iI-i
ia literally worth its weight in gold Is an interest
ing one Doubtless the thousand and one tales
OF The Arabian Nights Entertainment were
dreamed while under the influence OF us csAca's
perfume for the Arabans were the hrst 70 prize
it and to give it the mama Of amber ana u was
long burned with fragrant gums in the apartments
Of royalty. For many centuries the fragrant per
fune of this costly substance rose fronl tne cen"
sers as the priests the Church with solemn step
and perfunctory fntonatio executed the coulpl-
Gated cereuoniaIs In the East it's delicate aroma
was often blended with the steam Of the COOKING
viands and European royalty sometimes inoulseu
in food favored with It That English monarch
of many adventures. Charles ii, eVldenLJ enJOySU
a dish seasoned with this queer substance Ior Ma
cauIay refers TO rumors in connection Win ms
death that something had been put into MS orotn,
something added to his favorite dish OF ess a"U
ambergris"
The principal use OF ambergris. however, says
Charles H Stevenson, in pamphlet entitled FISH
OTIS FATS and Wakes" published by the United
States Commission of Fish and Fisherles' was a
a medicine and as a perfume. especially IN ASIA
and Africa Until recently 1t held place III pnaI
rnac,- being regarded cardiac and anuspas-
uodic. somewhat analogous to musk. and was
recommended in typhoid fevers and various nervous
diseases
Now. however It finds almost its only use on the
dressing table OF my fine lady,, as one OF ths
chief ingredients OF the perfume whose presence
tells Of her proximity in evening crowd -
sa-ves az a "fxer' and gives to perfunery per-
,nanency of fragrance. The selection OF Just the
quality to produce the desired bouquet forms
NM Of the nfcetieS Of the perfumers art
.pThe value of ambergris.' Mr.. Stevenson says
.d.,a,de largely on its scarcity at the time and
q. freedom from impurities During the last thtrty
Years IL has varied in price from $ TO $50 an ounce
At the present time it Is quoted al y 20 W an
| ounce In 1880 crude ambergris brought home by
the whaIers was sold at so ounce and the DRIED
article at $50 an ounce. In 1876 the value, DRIED
Was s25 an ounce In THE London Price current
n, Colonial Produce 1906 ambergrts Is quoted at
| 4os TO ASS an ounce for gray, fine
! I. IS not possible to determine accurately the
| value of ambergris found annually. for Its COM
nactnsss facilitates possession whenever II IS
dssrned advisable to preserve secrecy regarding a
| sa II varies greatly as scarcely one ounce may
/ he obtained in some years. while In others the
n-oduct may exceed $4,000 in value. Although for
centuries the origin Of ambeTsris was not known,
| II is now well known fact that IL Is generated
| IN the intestines of the sperm whale and Is the
| result of a diseased state Of the animal. caused
possiby by hillary irritation. as the individuals
from which it is secured are almost invariably OF