The Arvada enterprise., 1920-03-25
kIMBRoUcH PULLS A WHALES
TOOTH ON CALIFORNIA TRIP

Mr.. and Mrs. George Kimbrough
arrived home Friday from their pro-
longed visit to California, in their big
touring car, Thursday of last week.
and report a most enjoyable trip, no.
even marred by auto trouble Of any
kind, with the exception of a pune
ture or two.
They left Long Beach, Sunday,
March 7th, and drove to Riverside.
The next day they drove to Blythe,
a distance of 1877 miles, across 90
miles of desert and then to Buckeye,
Arizona, next day. They found about
100 miles of mud en- route to Flor
ence, Arizona. They then found the
roads fine the rest of the way, but
did not attempt to make fast time.
Mr.. Kimbrough was very observ-
ing visitor in California, and Mrs.
Kimbrough as well, and they seemed
to play in great luck in getting to
see things at the interesting moment.
Mr.. Kimbrough never had met up
with real whale in his life and hear
ing that there was whaling station
at Moss Landing, recently establish
ed by some men from Alaska, he de.
cided TO go over and shake hands, If
opportunity offered, with a whale.
When about twelve miles away h.
was told they had just landed bis
one an hour ago, and he set out al
high speed to reach the station N
time to see them cut the monster up.
They had just hauled a Acton whale
up onto the operating table" as Mr..
and Mrs. Kimbrough arrived. This
was done With a big So Horse power
motor winding up a heavy chain
which was wrapped around the tan
of the whale. Mr.. Kimbrough show
ed so much interest that they gave
him great deal of attention and ex-
planned to him how the gigantic task
Of catching whale is accomplished.
The harpoon is an instrument about
100 pounds in weight. and. il shot
out Of gun on the vessel At the
whale when sighted and the proper
range is found. In some manner the
harpoon is accompanied by a hose
which shoots air into the whales
body. BY this process, the whale stays
afloat, otherwise he would sink. A
flag Is then attached to q buoy, and
the harpoon line ID disconnected and
the vessel proceeds in quest Of other
quarry. Returning the dead whale
is towed to port. and brought up in
proper position to be hauled up q
chute, which extends out into the
water and guarantees = safe conduct
of the huge fish, which in some cases
equals in weight a small seagoins
vessel, 90 tons being about the max
lnum weight. The men told Mr.. Kim
prough that they are unable to tell
the age Of whale. The belly of the
whale when first pulled in Is a. pli-
able as a kid glove. However, the
skin on the body Of the whaIx 4 'said
TO- be Of no value 20 leathern. a. n I.
thick and Of n gummy substance.
The whales stomach is grooved the
full length, much the same as a piece
gatedof corrugated iron,
Mr.. Kimbrough took a look in the
whales mouth, and was surprised to
find 1t divided into vast number OF
sections or partitions. He at cnce
wanted to bring one Of these Sec
tipns home with him, and one Of the
men told him TO pull it out and take
1t along. This however, was out OF
the question, and after giving Mr..
Kimbrough the laugh, they told him
to 20 to another part of the station
and get seasoned one. These sec
tions are called straincv, and tn.
one now on exhibition in The Enter.
prise window, is shaped like the bow
Of q boat, except that It is flat, anu
is "a inches long from tip to tip. is
. inches al the hase and about a.
thick as the average comb. In fact
tits where the whalebone comes from,
The surroundings of the whaling
station were not very inviting, and
the smell much less pleasing. The
whale is cut up In great chunks ard
put into watts where the oil is secured
and tho tail Is = bi-product which Is
shipped to China for food.
= Mr. Kimbrppgh Was surprised to
Ind that ncne of the many people
he talked to in barbershops and gar
sgss afterwards. even In ths close
proximity Of the whaling station, had
.vsu ssso - w,k nls and al ,s,ara vary