NOTICE
TO PATRONS.

Arrived in this city last winter, cold, with no skin, nerves or flesh on his bones, and no place where to lay his head, and his frame was obliged to shut up like a jack knife. This distinguished stranger, or his kindred, I was acquainted with fifty years ago. This ancient personage was much given to drink, or he might have been here a long time since. But he is here now, and proposes to take up rooms at the southwest corner of LaSalle and Monroe streets, where rooms are being made ready for his reception. Being poor, as above, he proposes to appeal to your sympathy, and make a public exhibition of himself, charging five cents for children from four years old to eight, ten cents from eight to twelve and twenty-five cents from twelve to ninety-nine years. He has given much light to the world. He is spoken of wonderfully in ancient history, and may assist the clergy in solving the sacred story of what they don't believe themselves; before the exhibition is over it may be some practical demonstration may take place. The public schools with their teachers will be admitted for ten cents each, without regard to age. There is but very little Barnum about the exhibition which is to supply the few waste pieces that have unavoidably been lost in so large a collection.

Furnished him with Rooms.

# A WHALE ON AN OYSTER BED.

## THE LARGEST FISH THAT WAS EVER KILLED IN RARITAN BAY.

*From the New York Sun, May 29.*

The fishing season has opened earlier than usual this year at South Amboy, and the piscatory inhabitants are congratulating themselves on so auspicious a commencement as the capture of an enormous whale. Last Friday morning John Spain saw, a short distance from the shore, what appeared to him a sloop bottom upwards. The water was not more than five feet deep, and the supposed boat had grounded on an oyster bed. While Spain was speculating on the probable fate of the crew, the object began to move perceptibly, and several jets of water were thrown into the air. The astonished observer had never seen a leviathan, but he had read about them in connection with Jonah, and seen pictures of them tosing large boats forty feet into the air with a

ash of their tails, and he believed the creature before him to be very like a whale.

Job rushed to the house of Capt. Roberts and surprised that mariner beyond measure by assuring him that there was a whale in the oyster bed. A single glance at the dark, glistering mass, rising four feet out of the water assured the experienced Captain that the creature indeed was a Leviathan of large dimensions, hard aground. Arming himself with a gun, a hatchet and considerable quantity of powder and ball, he jumped into a boat and started upon one of the most remarkable fishing excursions within the range of his experience. Arrived within a few yards of the monster he took a steady aim and planted a ball under his fin. The bullet sank beneath the skin and a jet of blood spurted out, but for all the effect produced upon the whale the enterprising Captain might as well have fired into the trunk of a tree. However, he tried a second shot, and a third and continued to practice upon the creature until its sides looked like a target after a German shooting festival. He thinks he would finally have slain it had his annihilation and daylight held out, but in the absence of any more lead he sized his trusty hatchet and prepared to renew the contest at close quarters.

Again and again that murderous blade sank deep into the sides of the monster, and every stroke was followed by a responsive spasm. It was warm work, and though the Captain had few equals with oyster-tongs, after he had cut a hole in the creatures side about fourteen inches long by eight wide and a foot deep he was glad to rest. The whale was apparently as fresh as ever, and showed no signs of going into his final flurry, though he evinced an overwhelming desire to get off the oyster bed.

Meanwhile Bloodgood having heard of the event had not been idle. He had gone to Samuel Ney, the village blacksmith, and made him blow up his fire and manufacture a stout iron, spar ten feet in length. With this formidable weapon, hot from the forge, he was now seen approaching the shore accompanied by Ney. Captain Roberts saw him coming and renewed his onset upon the whale, cutting the hole several inches, but failing to kill the creature. The blacksmith evinced an amount of cool discernment in the face of danger not unworthy of his French namesake of martial renown. He directed Bloodgood to spear the whale in the hole made by the Captain's hatchet. This shot was acted upon, and four feet of iron sank into the whale's blubber. The struggle was not long in doubt after that. With the skill of Arctic voyagers the three men kept out

of reach of the monster in his dying "flurry," and in ten minutes he was a dead whale. Not all the row boats in South Amboy could have towed him off the oyster bed, but a steam-tong fastened a hawser to him and dragged him ashore, where the united efforts of the inhabitants hauled him out of the water.

The whale was found to measure 48½ feet in length, 9 feet through the body, 30 feet in circumference. The head was 10 feet long, and the tail fourteen feet. The gills, from which the whalebone is produced, were 9½ feet long. On Saturday the crowds coming from far and near to see the carcass inspired the captors with the idea of making a paying speculation of the exhibition, and it was accordingly enclosed and a small price charged for admission. On Sunday the throng was so great that every boat procurable was pressed into the service at South Amboy and along the New Jersey coast. Numerous sloops were chartered for the occasion, and hundreds were unable to obtain boats. The total sum realized was $308, and double that amount would have been taken had all who desired to see the whale been able to do so. The whalebone was worth $100. The skeleton is to be presented the New Brunswick College. The whole that was realized from the animal was $500.

A RICHT WHALE.

The bones of the whale that John swallowed are now on exhibition at the corner of La Salle and Monroe Streets: 80 feet long, 9 feet from top of backbone to end of the ribs. When the flesh and blubber were on him, he measured 45 feet around and 15 feet in diameter, and for oil would make 200 barrels. The whalebone in his mouth would weigh about 3,000 pounds. This is the elastic bone used for umbrellas etc. The lower jaw bones weigh about 1,500 pounds each. The skull bone and other appendages weigh about

two tons. The backbone is over 50 feet long. The jaw bones are each 17 feet long. The flukes or tail measured 22 feet at the extremity in diameter. These are not preservable, but to give you an idea of their magnitude, I propose to show you a drawing on paper and attach, to assist the minds of children and youths as well as those of riper years.

ASA WHITE, Proprietor,
64 Twenty-ninth St.

WILL BE HANGED,

Wednesday, *and so on*, 12, 1874, by lynch law, a distinguished stranger, at the corner of La Salle and Monroe Streets, at 9 o'clock A. M., sharp, for no other fault but giving light to the world, and the crime of being caught.

# The Bones of a Whale!

## EIGHTY FEET LONG

Are now on exhibition at his rooms, on the corner of La Salle and Monroe Streets. When alive he measured 45 feet around and 15 feet in diameter. The lower jaw is 17 feet long, and each jaw weighed about 1500 lbs. The skull and other bones weigh about three tons. The black elastic whalebone weighed 3,000 lbs. (This is missing.) It is ingeniously hung up by wires. When the visitors behold it at a glance the monster with an Oh! of astonishment, they say, "I did not think he was half as large."

Every editor of a paper in the world please copy above, and for pay present yourself and wife at the ticket office with one paper containing the paragraph, and demand tickets to the exhibition, and it will be duly honored.

ASA WHITE, Proprietor.