When P. T. Barnum Tried to Buy the Sperm Whale Jaw

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When P. T. Barnum Tried to Buy The Jaw of the Great Sperm Whale

ONE OF THE FEATURED attractions at the famous Nantucket Whaling Museum is the great sperm whale's jaw, which measures 18 feet in length and contains 44 teeth. It is not generally known that only a few years after it was brought to Nantucket aboard the whaleship Islander, under Captain William Cash, there was an offer for its purchase by the well known promoter Phineas T. Barnum, who wanted the extraordinary relic for his "Barnum's American Museum" in New York City. His letter, written in August, 1866, reads: Captain Cash, Dear Sir, When I was at Nantucket recently, I called to see your Whale's Jaw. It is a stunner, and I was sorry I could not see the man who captured it. I hope you will carefully read the enclosed circular. Perhaps you will then feel that if the Jaw was properly placed in my

Museum, and its history and your name legibly inscribed on it, more of your friends (as well as the great public) would see it, than they would on your own premises. Perhaps, also, these considerations would induce you to hand your name down to a grateful posterity by being identified as the Donor of this Jaw to the Free Museum in New York. However, if you don't see it in that light, will you please inform me whether you will sell it to be placed in my Museum and, if so, for what price. & oblige, Yours truly, P. T. Barnum

Fortunately, Captain Cash decided not to accept the offer. Perhaps it was because he knew the background of how the jaw happened to become his property. The late Nancy Grant Adams, for many years the Curator of the Nantucket Historical Association, and also serving as its President, learned from Miss Emeline Christian, of Nantucket, that the jaw was actually from a huge sperm whale taken by one of the boats of the whaleship Niger, commanded by Mrs. Adams' father Captain Charles Grant — a whale harpooned by Miss Christian's father, James Christian.

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1 1 K A i > G> i \ i r r I : I ; < < > K B A R N U M S A M E R I C A N M U S E U M ,

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P. T. BARNI™ rf^pnetoy a«it <mvxg(-r. a. a. nuttl), Manager.

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: Mr. Bum » will fee deejdy grateful fur nil

«mtrtf>utiuns of Curiosities J'ur hi* now Museum ; They may (»«• s«mt to lb' above addretw. Receipts . MgKttl by him will lx> forwarded, ami the mimes of donors »ill he 1-1 a. ..a

Hjwm osu'b art-trie, and published in tii«* Museum ('afaloguo. Ii i* desired that till artirW sent !»• plainly deaerilted, mid the Raau-s of donors legibly written. All ttrtieies should Is- forwarded to the above address, and . lOIUJieteul person* w ill l»e i ready to rare fi.r the

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This fact was later substantiated by Captain Harry Manter, who was a nephew of Miss Christian, and who, at this time, was the Port Captain of New York City. Captain Manter gave the facts in this way: The Niger had been cruising in the Pacific Ocean.

They had sighted a large sperm whale which had been harpooned and killed by James Christian. After the customary preparation of disposal of the whale carcass,

Mr. Christian asked Capt. Grant if he could have the jaw as it was the largest whale the Niger had taken that voyage. Capt. Grant gave his consent and the whale's jaw was slung over the side and being towed so that the fish, and the movement of the ship through the water, would remove the meat from the bone. The ship Islander, Capt. William Cash, hove in sight and spoke the Niger and while gamming, Capt. Grant was asked what he had over the side on the line, Capt.

Grant said: "Jim Christian, the boatsteerer, is cleaning up the whale jaw which he struck and killed and which is the biggest whale we have taken this voyage.

I have given him permission to do so and he contemplates putting it in his back yard as a souvenir of the voyage." Capt. Cash said: "Well, I am towing one as well, let me look it over." This was done and Capt. Cash seeing that Christian's jaw was larger, he became interested and asked Mr. Christian if he would agree to give it to him. Christian agreed and stated he was only taking it home for fun. Upon arrival at Nantucket in the Islander, Capt.

Cash presented the jaw to the Atheneum at which place a museum was housed. But no mention was ever made as to how Cash came by the jaw nor who killed the whale. This story I have heard told many times and know that it is authentic.