The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1907-08-22

the first sperm WHARF hno"u " nave
been taken by American whalers."
The Nantucket fishers began at once
TO nut out vessels for the sperm
whale fisheries. Sperm oil had been
introduced by Hussey, and the whal-
ers extended their voyages gradually
until they penetrated every sea of the
globe. Mr.. Tower recalls local ira
dition to the effect that the first Nan
tucket whaleship to cross the line ar
rived home on the day the battle OF
Lexington was fought. When the rev.
olution began Nantucket had the most
important fisheries in the colonies. In
1775 the port had $50 vessels, some OF
them large brigs, in the industry.
Along the cape and generally on the
Massachusetts coast the fishing was fol-
lowed, bringing prosperity to many
towns. New Bedford did not appear
as a fishing port until the middle of
the century, and then not as a rival OF
the happy island of Nantucket. There
every resident was engaged in the
trade. Macy says:
Many branches of labor were con-
Quoted by those who were Immediate
~ interested in the voyages. The
young men, with few exceptions, were
brought up to some trade necessary
to the business. The ropemaker, the
cooper, the blacksmith, the carpenter,
in fine, the workmen were either the
shipowners or their households; so
were often the officers and men who
navigated the vessels and killed the
whales. While a ship was at sea the
owners at home were busily employed
in the manufacture OF casks, iron
work, cordage, blocks and other arti-
Giles for the succeeding voyage. Thus
the profits of the labor were enjoyed
by those interested in the fishery, and
voyages were rendered advantageous,
even when the oil obtained was barely
sufficient to pay for the outfits, esti-
mating the labor as part thereof This
mode of conducting the business was
universal"
The revolution stopped the whaling
business except from Nantucket, whose
people, indeed, had no choice but to
pursue it or desert their homes. So
deplorable did their situation become
that in 1881 the British Admiral at
New York granted permission to the
islanders to send out q vessels which
the British cruisers haG orders not to
modest. Protected from these enc
mics, some of the whalers fell prey to
American nriyoteerc which toolg than
to ports in which they were liberated
when the authorities learned their
stories. When the war began Nantuck-
ct had $50 vessels. At its close two or
three hulks remained. For 80 years
the upbuilding of the industry was
slow and marked by many setbacks.
Then the second war with England
gave it another staggering blow. How
serious this was is shown by the rec
ords of imports of whale products for
what Mr.. Tower calls two representa-
tive years:
Gal. Gal. Lbs.
Year. Sperm oil. Whale oil. Bone
1911 .Si4, 200 304,S25 4S,20O
1915 .......... $3.50 4,347
In the period between the close of
the revolution and the beginning of
the war of 1872 whalers had set forth
from Hudson, Poughkeepsie, New York
and the Lond Island towns in this
state. This was stopped by the new
conflict.
After the end of hostilities the whal-
ing industry revived with wonderful
vigor, and entered on what Mr.. Tower
calls its golden era" From 562 in
1914 the tonnage rose to 233,262 in
1876. 1t furnished employment to
scores of thousands, completeness to
thousands and riches to hundreds.
Then came the expansion of the min
eral oil production, causing sperm oil
to drop from s1.3G 1-2 a gallon in
1869 to 46 cents in 1905. The whales
ceased to be plentiful, the profits were
reduced, new and safe opportunities
for the investment of capital were
opened. Whaling ceased to be an in
dustry Of the first importance. In 1871
the Arctic fleet OF 81 vessels was de-
stroyed, insurance rates were in
creased and 1t became apparent that
whaling was on the decline. In 1906
the aggregate tonnage of vessels en-
gagged in it was 1878, and the demand
for whalebone alone maintains the in
eustry.-New York Sun.
oply 1t.