The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-04-24
CURIOUS STATE OF
WHALEBONE: INDUSTRY

Each whalebone is long and fiat.
tapering to point. and nea-the point
is fringed with what looks not unlike
horsehair, but is really fbers of the
'bone'-if one may use such an express
sion. considering that bone is not
fibrous-real bone. at least
The right whale has never been very
plentiful, compared with other species,
and he is even less so now than for
merly. or at least he's less so in accessi-
bic waters, though one of our captains
who was in here day or two ago told
rae that he felt sure that there were
Just as many of them as ever. but that
the years of hot pursuit when the in
dustry was at IS height lad driver:
them all TO the inaccessible waters
around the poles. They're as numerous,
but not so foolish--educate;I by advers-
ity. as it were
THAT is probably why this years
crop Is so small, and why there are so
few vessels in the business. The whole
fcet-of all the world mean-is nov
scarcely a score of vessels. while il used
to be coo or 200 from New England alone.
How long do you suppose il IS since a
whaler was fitted out or sailed from
Patchogue? Or from jefferson? Or from
Bridgeport or New Haven2 Tl!ev used
to sail from both shores of Long Island
and from both shores OF the Sound.
OF course New Bedford and Nantucket
and Martha's Vineyard were the head
quarters of the whalers In those days.
but there wasn't n seaport town from
Maine to Cape May that didn't con-
tribute TO the whaling fleet Now you
may see in the harbor of New Bedford
or OF Nantucket dozens of old whalers
rotting at their docks The small fleet
of today puts in and discharges its
catch on the Pacific coast.
"A full grown right whale is from
fifty TO seventy feet long. He yields from
i 800 TO 5000 pounds of whalebone and
the 'baleens, as the whaIebone blades.
or teeth. are called. may be from eight
to twelve feet in length. so that it
would not require the killing of any
very great number OF whales 10 supply
tho market. and make whalebOne very
cheap But it's getting dearer and
6earer every year, and even at that
there is every year less In it for the
owners.
''whaling as it is done today is far
more comfortable and FAR less danger
Gus for the men-the provisions are
good. the big steam whaler is thorough
" seaworthy and as comfortable as any
vessel in the merchant marine, the har-
pooh guns, which bury a bomb in the
animals head. to explode there and kill
the whale. have reduced the danger 10
the men TO a minimum, but there's
very little I'm II for the owners. This
year. as I told, the entire harvest is
perhaps $4,000 pounds.
'.Of that our firm handled 29.OO0;
Lewis. of New Bradford, handled, / be-
Iieve. about 1900 and the Dundee fish
cries accounted for the rest, Almost the
entire catch goes abroad, most of IL to
the French market to be used, and
good deal Of IL 10 return 10 this country
in the shape of fine French corsets, or
in the boning of fine French costumes.
That is all II is used for now that II is
so tremendously expensive, and II is
only used there when expense Is no con-
sideration There are a great many
substitutes. but nothing really as good,
where fieXibility and toughness are both
desired.
"A small part of the catch is prepared
in this country for the few manufac-
turers who make a real bone corset, and
the few dressmakers who use real bone
in their costumes. There are four firms
In New York who cut whalebone for
lDe trade. 1ney maven Deen aDie inns
season TO get enough material to keep
them busy. They'll work now as long
as their bone holds out and then shut
down and wait until next fall. when the
new catch Is locked in hopes that IL
may give them work once more.
There are no two opinions about it,
the get-rich-quick days of whaling are
only happy memory. Whaling itself
viii soon have ceased to exist as an in
dustry.
Its only hope is that some of these
millionaireS with money 10 burn Will
take IL up as a sport. 1t would be a
fine sport-more expensive than auto
MODELLING, but as exciting as tiger hunt
ing. There's an idea for you-revive
whaling as a sport. Why not?' And the
old man laughed gently at the idea.