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Show H SKELETON MARKET. 1 I UNCLE SAM IS THE CHAMPiON EONjs I COLLECTOR OF THE WORLD. I fpechncns From the Lowest Fishes to the I Daman Species Found In the ICatson&l JlDseum-Bones Used as Fertilizers- -Mar I ket Value of Skelet ons. I I Funk island tha is, a part of it I Has been ' reproduced for exhibition at I the National museum at Yashington. 1 It was on that lonely rock, 32 miles off I the coast of Newfoundland, that the I cow extinct great auk had its principal l roost Fifty years ago the last individual jf " ff the species perished. It is represented t . Jow by a skeleton, worth $G00, stand u ing by a heap of bird remains such a I Chiefly compose the surface soil of Funk island, while alongside is an egg of the i fowl, valued at $1,500, together wit'i 1 the inner skin of another egg. The Ni tional museum possesses nearly all o i I the great auk bones in existence. They f ire the most costly bones in the world The finest collection of skeletons in I the world is also stored at tho National museum. They run upward from the B lowest fishes, through the reptiles and ; birds, to man. Human bones are much i cheaper than those of many other an i- 4 mals. One can buy a nicely articulated ; skeleton of a man for $40 or of a woman i for $30 sex makes some difference in the price whereas the skeleton of gorilla costs $300, of a whale $150, of an elephant $400, of a lion $75, of a horse $70, of a tiat $12 and of a python 75. The bones of a human being are nearly near-ly one-quarter water during the life of the individual. They are chiefly composed com-posed of phosphate of lime, but contain cnalof animal matter and other jT lnSjgjotonof a man are 1 nearly four pounds ofthotic ciuin, which is many times more vaiH"h-i ible than gold, being worth $300 an ounce. Thus in the osseous f ramcwork of the average tramp may be found material ma-terial with a market value of about 18,000, if it could be separated. It is only in boneB that phosphate of lime is found in anything like a pure etate. Everybody knows the value of that material as a fertilizer, but it is only recently that human skeletons have been imported into this country to Yow crops with. Not long ago a shipment ship-ment was made from Mexico to the United States of 10 carloads of humas bones, said to have been obtained from undent mounds in southern Mexico, but more probably gathered from various vari-ous old and abandoned cemeteries. As these remains were fragments of unassorted unas-sorted skeletons, it was estimated that 60,000 individuals were represented in Ahe lot. This would not be considered a novel ry in Europe. Years ago English farm crs used human bones to some extent to fertilize their laud. The battlefield of Waterloo was for a time the base of sup-pi sup-pi ies, and this was supplemented by cargoes of mummies from Egypt ground to a fine powder. In ancient Egyptian tcmbs are founfi .great numbers of copper boxes, opening - t one end by a 6lide, which contain mummies of cats, hawks, ibises and now and then snakes and small crocodiles. croco-diles. Mummies are a reoognized com jnercial article in that country today. For a long time locomotives were run between Cairo and Suez with no other r fueL Corpses of royal personages 3, 00C years old and -upward fetch high prices. A year ago tho Austrian bark Vila was deserted by her crew. Later she was picked up aa a derelict off Capo flatteras. Her cargo was found to consist con-sist in large part of bones, and of these one-fourth were human. The rest was composed mainly of the bones of horse and cattle, fn one corner of her nolo was a great heap of human skulls. Nobody No-body knows to this day why the crew deserted the vessel In midocean. She -whs worth $40,000, including r.er freight Tho bones had been collected fcn deserts tod cemeteries of Egypt. The "preparation of human skeletons for nar-Tkefc nar-Tkefc is quite an industry. The chief sen ter for this branch of commercial Acti .ityis Paris, where three concerns aio engaged in the business on a considerable ecale. They obtain the requisite supplier of raw material in the shape of bodies from public institutions, most of them being those of paupers and criminals Un the United States the existing lawe would not permit tho establishment of .a factory for bleaching and preparing human skeletons. The only Bort of skeleton produced here is of the family type, which is kept in the closet To supply the demand in this country about 1,500 skeletons are imported annually. an-nually. This reckoning docs not include tninor parts, 6uch as skulls and thigh bones. These are in great request by secret se-cret societies, being absolutely indispensable indis-pensable for initiatory ceremonies. One may purchase a cranium and crossbonea for only $10. But if you want some thing really fancy in the way of a skuli tou must pay $40. It is worth the r-" - tntraey, however, being beautifully dis articulated, so that each particular bone may be studied separately, including even the little bones of the ear. You can buy a very good skeleton complete for $40. A plain skull costs only $6. By students of obstetrics I there is a ppecial demand for the pelvis, which cor-jc-s at $7. Clubs organized to ck-fy superstitious beliefs affect the nse cf sknll8 for drinking cups, and young men who arb studying for the medics profession indulge a ghastly humor by employing similar receptacles to hold tobacco. The demand for human bones always exceeds the supply. New YorV World. |