Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, May 14, 1953, Page 14, Image 14

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    Thursday, May 14, 1953
THK CAPITAL JOURNAL, Salesa. Ortfe
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BEESWAX, NOT AMBERGRIS
.' 4,. .v
";- " W-'i
Miller's Beeswax May
Date to Wreck Long Ago
Bt ben maxwell ,
What Frank Miller of Rock
away bopta wu amcerou,
when ha recovered a IS pound
pacinian of was from tidal
wash on Sunday, may be beet-
wax from wreckage of a Man
ila galleon lost near Nehalem
river 348 years ago appears
likely to the Capital Journal
historian.
When Frank Miller of Rockaway picked up a 15-pound
' chunk of something on the Rockaway beach Sunday he
hoped he had discovered ambergris worth $50 an ounce.
- What he really found waa wax, probably beeswax such
as the 60-pound specimen held by Frank J. Kumm, cur
ator of the Tillamook museum. The inscription may be a
mark if made between consignor and consignee. Wreck
age from a Manila galleon, presumably 248 years ago,
deposited a large quantity of beeswax on Nehalem pen
insula. It has become widely scattered. Capital Journal's
historian identifies this galleon aa the San Francisco
Xavier.
Insanity Plea Wins
Verdict for Mouser
Condon, Ore., (ff Olen J,
Mouser, Bend, who pleaded In
sanity, was found Innocent
Wednesday of a charge of as
sault with intent to kill.
District Attorney William
Bennett said Mouser would be
committed to a state institution.
He was charged in clrc.'lt
court with shooting Bill Thom
pson on the main street here
last Nov. 15.
Snow often evaporates Into
the air without melting.
(ft
Ambergrlse, secreted by
whales, is used in the manutac
ture of perfumes and is said to
be valued at ISO an ounce. A
denoslt of beeswax on the Ne
halem peninsula In Tillamook
county has been known lor at
least 139 years and' was first
mentioned by Alexander Hen
ry, a Pacific Fur company trad
er at Astoria, who records in
Us diary for February 28. 1814
that Indians brought the sub
stance to his post for trade.
Years later the deposit was ex
cavated by commercial diggers
who unearthed seven tons of
the wax and sold it at a sub
stantial profit
For a time beeswax from the
Nehalem deposit was identified
as ozokerite, a paraffin, and
this presumption encouraged a
driller for oil who sank a deep
well and made nothing more
than a geological contribution
about earth structure. When a
dead bee was discovered in
lump of the Nehalem wax the
ozokerite theorists were eon'
founded and accepted the close
chemical analysis which denv
onstrated the wax was bees
wax.
Many pieces of the Nehalem
wax have been recovered bear
ing cabalistic markings that
may be, according to William
Lytic Scburz, an authority on
the subject and author of The
Manila Galleon" marks of trade
in the obscure commerce be
tween the Philippines and Mex
ico. This commerce, . a mo
nopoly of the Spanish crown.
started in 1505 and continued
until 1815, the year of Water
loo. It endured 250 years as
the most remote, most hazard
out and most continuous com
mercial transport in the history
of the world.
In 1087 the aalleon cleared
Manila and Dr. John Francis
Gemelli Carerl, an Italian ad
venturer, was a passenger. He
does not mention hia ship but
to image ox St. Rands Xav
ier was placed aboard and the
name of the galleon may be
thereby deduced aa the San
Francisco Xavier. Before the
galleon sailed crown officials
came aboard the overladen
ship and ordered ashore a
quantity of beeswax consigned
to Acapulco, the port of entry
in Mexico.
On January 30, 1698, after a
voyage of 204 days and five
hours (not of unusual dura
tion), the San Francisco Xavier
reached Acapulco. Gemelli
Carerl remarks in his narra
tive that only a man of steel
could endure a passage so long
and so full of peril. But those
avid for fullsome and lurid de
tails may read the narrative for
themselves. It is available in
Churchill's Voyages for the
year 1732.
Again, in 1705, the San
Francisco Xavier departed
from Manila. Now she was an
aged and tender galleon but
richly laden, with the wealth
of Cathay. That she never
reached Acapulco is a matter
of official record. What may
have happened to the ship is
only suggested by Schurz who
records that the Esplritu Santo
and the Juan Maria, disabled
by a series of great tempests
off Cape Mendicino in 1004,
were scarcely able to make
Acapulco with moribund
crews.
Such, indeed, was likely the
fate of the San Francisco Xav
ier. Helpless off Caps Mendi
cino ocean currents would
have bourne her northward
against the Oregon shore in
less than ten days time.
Grounded upon the Nehalem
beach tide and time would soon
disintegrate the hulk and bees
wax, because it was deck car
go undamaged by exposure,
would be first washed ashore.
Wreck Of that lost eallenn
the San Francisco Xavier. th
Capital Journal hUtm-Un
lieves, may wen be the source
of the mysterious beeswax de
posit and the wax that Frank
auiier oi Kockaway believed to
be precious ambergris.
There are several hundred
active (laden in the United
States.
CALL
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FUEL OIL
Mats Asm sMrsitgj mm m tent
rHONK Z-74S1
Seasons lowest Price!
outfit the entire family
,
with Sears RAocs
SJ TAJ tV( I 1 1 1
Men's ond boy' Sear
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7-1 1. 264
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at a new low price!
" women's
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Sears Mocs for all the outdor fun ahead! And riant when
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uiiuiuiiiy ww pucvi Dee meir siuray
leathers, heavy composition
soles and easy comfortl
Rugged Sears mocs for
children coma in all
deep brown or in bright
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& fMt- 2.44
Use Seers Easy
Peyment Plan
Purchases Totaling $20 a More
GO'THE:PRIC
at Guvumrz
We Have Been Forced Out and the Deadline Comes
Closer and Closer So Prices Must Be Slashed Furth
er to Insure Quick Disposal of Our Stock. Today We
Sold a Table Lamp For Only 9 Cents!
A DECORATOR'S DREAM
DA VENO & CHAIR
Double Dresser, Bookcase Bad, 2 Stands, Mirror
5-PC. BEDROOM SET
CROSLEY DELUXE AUTOMATIC
ELECTRIC RANGE
DEEPFREEZE DELUXE 11.5 CU. FT. V
REFRIGERATOR
LAUNDRY QUEEN DELUXE WITH PUMP
WRINGER WASHER
IEWIU
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299.95
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IE6UIU
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Nationally Advertised 10-Yr. Guarantee
INNERSPR1NG BOA
IBULU
119.00
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269.00
UGuUI
279.50
IKUUUt
99.95
K6UIAI
14.75
M6UUI
19.95
RE6UIAR
32.95
UGUUI
48.95-
RE6UUR
239.95
lrSUUR
99.95
RE6UUR
59.50
RtfttUR
223.50
RKUUR
239.50
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79.95
REGULAR
10.95
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28.75
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46.50
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6.95
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74.95
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MATTRESS & SPRING
GCNUINE BILTWELL FRIEZf COVER
DAVENPORT & CHAIR
ANOTHER BILTWELL MODERN FRIEZE
2-PC. SECTIONAL
NATIONALLY FAMOUS HOWELL 5-Pc.
CHROME DINETTE
PRICE GOING DOWN EVERY DAY
FLOORLAMPS
HERE'S ANOTHER BEING REDUCED DAILY
TABLE LAMPS
STILL MORE "SILENT AUCTION" PRICES
END TABLES
THIS ONE WONT LAST ANOTHER DAY
coffee tables
ZENITH 17" TABLE MODEL
TELEVISION SET
FAMOUS DUO-THERM UPRIGHT
CIRCULATING HEATER
A TOP QUALITY BILTWELL
PLATFORM ROCKER
NATIONALLY ADVERTISED THOR
SPINNER WASHER
SPECTACULAR O-MY-A-BEO
SECTIONAL DAVENO
FAMOUS NATIONAL BRAND
9x12 RUGS
ALL WOOL PILE CHOICE OF PATTERNS
27x54 THROW RUGS
PRICE GOING DOWN DAILY 30x40
FRAMED MIRROR
Spleepright Including Spring-Filled Mattress
ROLLAWAY BED
CHOICE OF COLORS 4.IMITED STOCK
SAMSON CARD TABLES
FAMOUS OLYMPIC BRAND TRASH BURNER
KITCHEN HEATER
Open Monday and Friday 'Til 9 p.m.
Your Credit Is GOOD at Gevurtz!
No Refunds No Returns No Exchanges
All Sales Final! Free Delivery!
big bill'
52)95
2SD95
31152)95
H2)2)
52)95
3550
495
52)50
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511
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LBS
FURNITURE CO.
275 N. LIBERTY
jm,' 550 II. Capitol - Salem