In 1900, an average American worker made $400 a year. At the same time, whale oil sold for $15 a barrel, and baleen at $6 a pound.

A single bowhead whale, providing up to 100 barrels of oil and 2,000 pounds of baleen, would be worth up to $2,000. A good season could net $400,000 for a single whaling ship.

However, the average seaman collected only a tiny portion of the season's profits.

After paying for his hiring agent's fee, stores and clothing, he often ended up in debt after a three-year voyage and was paid off with one dollar.