Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-07-01
GULF FULL or WHALES.
And Whaling Stations on Texas Coast
May Be Established.

May Be Established.
II what dwellers around Galveston
say Is correct. the revival of the trad,
in the gulf instead Of the north At
lantic would seem to be assured. II
The Tangent, monthly magazin,
published by the interurban railway
operating between Galveston an,
Houston, there Is a long article deal
ing with gulf whales In which 1t q
stated that some day there is goini
to be on the Texas coast great re-
fining plant, wherein the oil and othel
marketable products of whales ant
other big sea things will be extracted
and placed on the market.
THAT whales exist In the gulf,
says the Tangent "is undisputed, fol
there is on record the substantial
words Of no fewer that half dozeI
ship captains and masters Of fishing
schooners who regularly ply the trad'
routes between Galveston and ports o
Cuba and Mexico. Schools of whales
with as many as seventy-five or {
hundred In sight at one time have beer
reported at various intervals, and 81
close have these whales come to ships
at times that 1t would have beer
possible to use harpoons with deadly
effect"
The story then goes on to tell how
Capt. Jim Nelson, skipper of the fish
ing schooner Dorothy, recently sight
ed one of the sea monsters 80 feet long
His report of the last trip Of the
Dorothy" says the Tangent which
ended with the delivery Of fish to hi,
company at Galveston, was that wher
he was on the way home and about
10 miles south Of this port, there
was seen one Of the monsters which
according to his estimate and the
judgement Of the crew, measured no
less than 80 feet in length.
The whale according to Captain
Nelson, was what is known as 6
'hunlpback' whale; that is, 1t had OF
Its broad back two big humps similal
to those seen on q camel. It wa.
black IN collar, with q blunt, fiat nose
A heavy bore rifle was on board an(
a member Of the crew took a shot a.
the whale, which had the effect o.
making 1t leap In the air, then sound
ing and going down out Of sight. It dit
not come to the surface again for abou
five minutes, and when 1t did appear
1t was on the opposite side Of tht
Dorothy at a distance Of nearly hal
q mile, where 1t came up, spouted ant
remained for time as If sizing up th'
boat. It made no offer Of violence
however, but turned in wide circle
bore away to the southeastward
leaving behind 1t a wake Of water lik'
that which would be made by the pas
sing Of small tug.
Captain Nelson says that the Gull
Is full of whales that could be cap
tured easily, were q boat properly
equipped to go and eek them. Fish
Ing for whales, he adds, Is like fish.
ing for anything else. It Is spe'
cial business and 1t requires skill and
knowledge Of the habits Of the mon
sters.
ION one trip that he made severa
months ago he saw, early one morn
ing, near where he saw this one,
school that he numbered at between
seventy five and a hundred, and they
were so tame that they paid little Il
any attention to the approach Of the
Dorothy, the ship coming so close tha
whale hunting weapons could have
been used with deadly effect. No
having been hunted in the Gulf Of
Mexico, they are bold and are moi
easily frightened.
THAT a whale station on the Texas
coast and fleet Of vessels to supply Il
will be a paying venture is the opinion
not only of Captain Nelson, but Of
many others.-Galveston dispatch.