Ron the Yarn Spinner

 

Whale of a Tale

 

“Got a whale of a tale to tell ya, lads.

A whale of a tale or two

'Bout the flappin' fish and the girls I've loved.

On nights like this with the moon above

A whale of a tale and it's all true

I swear by my tattoo.” *

 

*Ned Land, a.k.a. Kirk Douglas

 

Ned Land is a sailor and master harpooner and one of the main characters in Disney 's 1954 hit film, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.” He is also notable for singing "A Whale of a Tale", the only song in the film. There is no record of Rowland’s ability to belt out a tune, but in other ways he could have easily surpassed Land’s character in Disney's 1954 adaptation of Jules Verne’s novel. Ned Land is portrayed as a rugged and charismatic harpooner-  strong, adventurous, and somewhat rebellious..

 

Rowland  was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts. At age 15, he started working on  whaling ships. During the early 19th century whale hunting was  very demanding and extremely perilous .The methods used were quite different from modern whaling practices

 

“The sperm whale’s great size and the prodigious power of his tail make him a most formidable antagonist. When the whale is attacked, he may turn on his assailant with fierce and furious rage.”

"Moby-Dick" by Herman Melville (1851)

 

Whaling logs often recount the high mortality rate among whalemen. Fatal accidents and diseases  often claimed the lives of several crew members per voyage. Becoming a whaler required a combination of bravery, physical ability, practical skills, and  a willingness to face tremendous risks.

 

In August 1867, Rowland was aboard the whaler Emily Morgan when it sunk in a storm. He and his surviving shipmates swam to Manihiki,  one of the Cook Islands, where there  instances of cannibalism had been reported. Rowland and the other crew members remained on island for serval weeks before being rescued, ever thankful to the friendly natives for the help they provided. In any event, this time away gave Rowland a chance to think seriously about getting into another line of work.

The skills and experiences he gained during his sea voyages gave him a keen sense for business. He learned about international trade, the importance of logistics, and the complexities  of global trade. The exposure to different markets and consumer behaviors influenced his understanding of retail trade. He decided to go into business. Rowland   opened a dry goods store – there were several  - all in San Franciso  and they all failed . Next stop was the California Gold Rush in 1849. There may have been gold in “them thar hills,” but it never made it to Rowland’s pockets, but neither did he give up. He went to New York where he opened yet another dry good store at 14^th Street and 6^th Avenue.

On its first day, the store he made a “whopping” $11.06 in sales, but this was just the start. Sales improved, reaching gross returns of around $85,000 in the first year. Over time, Rowland expanded his store to occupy 11 adjacent buildings and began selling many different categories of merchandise, effectively creating the first American department store. You know it  today as Macy’s. Rowland’s full name was Rowland Hussey Macy

The original trademark symbol for his store  was a rooster, but Rowland later changed it to the now-iconic red star, which he based on a tattoo he got on his forearm during his whaling days to stand for the star that guided him while at sea. Yes he could easily say it’s:

“A whale of a tale and it's all true

I swear by my tattoo.”