Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 177, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1912 — Queer Wax of Oregon. [ARTICLE]

Queer Wax of Oregon.

Nehalem wax Is the name given a somewhat mysterious product found on the beach near the mouth of the Nehalem river in Oregon. It was observed by the early—explorers of that coast. Later considerable deposits were found In the sand of the beach, in 1846 several tons of this queer, waxlike substance were shipped to Hawaii, and since then many tons of It have been sent to Northwestern markets. Opinion Is divided concerning the nature and origin of this substance. Some hold that it is beeswax and others contend that it is a mineral substance called ozocerite. It Is usually found in large rectangular blocks. It has a honey-llke aroma when freshly cut. Examination made In the laboratory of a western university shows that the substance closely approaches beeswax tn composition and does not accord with th* properties of ozocerite. The conclusion, oddly enough, favors an Indian legend of the wreck ot a ship at the mouth of the Nehalem before the coming of th* whit* men. A Spanish ship with supplies for the Catholic mission* tn the north sailed from Lower California in 1769 and was never afterward heard from, —Harper’s Weekly.