The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-03-19
WHALING A THING OF THE PAST.

The New Bedford Mercury says "that
there are some facts in connection Win
the announcement that the Arctic
whaling fleet will not sail out OF san
Francisco this spring which have not
been told. The reason given, that the
catch Of the Dundee fleet has glutted
the market with bone, may be put
aside, for the truth is the Dundee Meet
had an unsuccessful season, and the
bone is not of a quality that completes
with that taken from the mammoth
bowheads which are the prizes OF the
Arctice fleet, 1t is true, however, there
is an ample stock Of Arctic bone On
hand, and inasmuch as there Is no prof.
it worth while at a price under 20
pound, and an increased supply would
tend to depress the price, the whaling
agents have no incentive to tit the
ships
The hazard Of life and fortune In
Arctic whaling is out of all proportion
to the wealth it has brought The fact
that the great feet OF half a hundred
or more whalers that once resorted 10
the Arctic has been reduced to six or
eight, the others have been grounds In
the remorseless ice fioaes, is impress
sive. The little remnant that has es-
capped the clutch of the ice daunts at
least the men who have hitherto looked
upon the hairbreadth escapes and dis
q Of hor Int q
days work.
Nevertheless, it is probable the
ships would have kept on through fog
to fog, by luck and log, sailing as Ber-
ing sailed, trusting to him who clears
the grounding bergs and steers the
grinding floe,' until the ice had claimed
the last ship, had it not been for the
attitude of the United States govern
ment. AS it is, there is very small
chance that any of the fleet Of steam
whalers will ever again sail to the
north. Until within few years 1t was
truly said: There's never a law OF
God or man runs north of Fifty-three,"
This is no longer the case The
revenue cutter service dispenses law in
the Arctic now, and the agents say
it is caprfcious and arbitrary authority
which adds the last risk and establishes
a prohibition upon the whaling indus
try there. When the revenue cutter Of
ficer overhauled steamer William Bay
lies a couple of seasons ago and placed
Captain Bodfish under arrest, ordering
him to report at Nome October l, the
voyage of the ship was broken, and
the owners and men lost thousands OF
dollars, as it was necessary for the
ship to leave in the height of the whal-
ing season From the nature OF the
Arctic business it often happens that
the crews comprise desperate and dan
gerous men. There is bound to be con-
tinual trouble, and II the revenue Off
GERS can take the captains out Of their
ships upon complaints Of such men and
thereby break voyages, the chance is
one no investor will take The agents
do not expect the masters Of their YES
sells shall escape the consequences of
misbehavior, but if their are accused
they say there can be no harm in wait
ing for the return Of the vessels before
making an arrest. Capt. Bodfish, it
may be added, was acquitted Of the
charges brought against him.
"The whaling agents say the shore
traders conspire against them, and
have used the missionaries, who are
themselves traders in many cases, to
make representations to the President,
as a result of which the revenue SER
vice has been unduly exacting Many
of the whalers have engaged in trading,
and have incensed the shore traders by
getting, in some cases, a monopoly OF
the business. The methods OF the
traders have not been different from
those of the shore traders, but ship
can be held to an accounting where a
detached trader cannot. In some ships
trading is forbidden, the owner taking
the ground that the time wasted with
the natives can be more profitably en-
ployed in whaling; but some of the
men Of the ship may carry on private
enterprise and the owners suffer vi
carious punishment in greater degree
than the actual offender.
"At best, the whaling ventures in the
Arctic are not as profitable as is gener-
ally assumed. 1t costs about $4,000 to
fit vessel for voyage. Assuming
the ship escapes the countless perils
and takes three whales, which Is fair
average catch, or better, this means
a revenue Of $4,000. 1t requires $4,000
to settle the voyage, and if the vessel
is to be sent to sea again the $4,000 is
required for refitting. The whales are
retreating to the north and east, and
it is only under the most favorable cir