People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 February 1897 — The Whaling Industry, [ARTICLE]

The Whaling Industry,

The trials and tribulations of the whaling industry defy the meager justice which the resources of a single pargraph affords. A volume might cover (ho subject. The difficulty about whaling is the uncertainty of whales. These mammals decline to be regulated by any signal service reporter and refuse in their migrations to respect precedent or the ambitious of the arctic oil works. The conseqtmnco is a skipper may cruise the nor the A latitudes, trying conclusions with iqibgrgs and polar hears, endangering life and limb in a mangy old tub, encountering the perils of ‘storm, wave and Eskimo, and all without sighting a spout or capturing a yard of whalebone. I listened recently to the mournful reminiscences of Captain Green, a hardy mariner of much experience, who after many years of laboring at the oil industry retired to a raisin ranch at Fresno. Owing to the decline of raisins, however, ho took to tho ocean again, ouipped a vessel and sailed into the latitudes of winter. There ho found an antique steam whaler, the Reindeer, and for two long and weary years they have kept each other company in the close knit sisterhood of misfortune. Once during the second year they sighted n Whale, and Captain Green encompassed its capture. A bowlioad it was, und no great prize. Tiring of cold, salt and ill luck, tho twain decided at lust to go south for rest add provisions. They started together, when soinolhfng broke ] on the Reindeer, and she was condemn- I ctl to delay until tho damage might be i repaired. How tho gallant skipper ; cursed the misfortune v, hic.h detained j him among the icebergs! llow ho railed at fate I Two days later a school of whales hove in sight. Tho captain and crew dashed upon them and in four hours had killed a dozen giants, which meant at ruling prices at least,soo,ooo worth of whalebones. However, it often happens in the arctic, as in tho world, that tho darkest moment of misfortune is the dusk that preceded the adveut of prosperity.—San Francisco Wuve.