The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1914-02-07

From the lower jaw of the porpoise
is extracted an oil which is peculiarly
fitted to serve as lubricant for
watches, clocks and chronometers,
and strange to say, from no other
source can an oil of the requisite
qualities be obtained. Therefore the
porpoise is hunted as systematically
as the whale used to be.
A few years ago nearly quarter
OF million clocks just out OF their
makers hands went wrong. 1t was
not merely that they lost time but
they actually came to a full stop and
would not work at all. There was no
question about their skilful fabrication
and assembling. The whole trouble
was due to an imperfect lubricant, and
goodly sum of money and much
time were spent before these clocks
were in running order and fit for dis
tribution. From this may be appre-
which the porpoise makes to the daily
life of mankind.
For years the porpoise was taken
principally as a side issue In other
fishing. The increase in the demand
for the oil led to the creation Of a
business having for its sole end the
capture Of porpoises in large numbers
and under circumstances that could be
controlled to meet commercial de-
mands.
happening had previously been
the method of taking them, but this
had many drawbacks. An oil refiner
in New Bedford learned that the
Turks on the Black Sea used dragnets
to land the native porpoise when
swimming near shore in quest Of GER
tain small fish upon which they feed.
This was practice unknown here and
conditions were not identical. but that
clever Yankee believed that the facil
ities could be adapted to suit the re-
Quirements. From New Jersey to
Florida are now scattered fishing sta
tons organized by that refiner Of the
old whaling city, and from November
to April they are busy seining por-
poises as they pass up and down the
Atlantic storeline. Porpoises can be
caught at other seasons but in winter
they are latest and furnish the best
and most profitable yield.
To the uninitiated the fat Of the
body and the fat of the lower jaw
appear much of kind. but the oils
produced from them are radically dr.
ferent in their characteristics The |
oil from the body fat is worth in the |
raw state about 40 cents a gallon. |
while like quantity of the yield of |
the jaw pans and the marrow of the |
jawbone brings $40. The blubber. or
body fat, of a large porpoise furnishes |
from five to six gallons of oil. and |
the lower jaws Of fish of the same |
size give probably about two quarts |
on an average, and this quantity is |
greatly reduced before the various |
stages Of refining have made the oil |
At for the market. When ready for
sale to watch and clock makers the |
oil is worth nearly double its value
in the raw or unrefned condition.
The equipment at each fishing sta
ton consists principally Of the boats
and the special nets designed for !
the work. A working unit is COM
posed of four boats and a mile OF
seine. The seines are heavy and
exceptionally stout, and 1t Is some
thing Of task to handle them prop
erly. The boats are cross between a
skin and the fishing dory of New
foundland and our own down East
coast.
1t IL not possible to put out after
the porpoises from sheltered points;
the boats have to be launched right
into the surf and carried safely be-
yond the danger line of the tumbling