The Osceola times., 1881-10-15

A good many persons have an idea that
the coral animal goes to work as man
would bnild house. The truth is, the
coral is deposited in just the same way
as our bones are. You see, the animal
is mere sack containing stomach, the
upper surface decked out with tentacles,
and the body separated by number OF
partitions that extend from the stomach
10 the outer skin. Now right in between
these walls of flesh the carbonate of lime
is deposited, giving il the radiate charac-
| ter, and this is so with all true corals
In this ttmgia you see them two inches
high and three long, and the big furrow
down the centre was the opening for the
mouth and stomach.
I'VE don't always have TO 90 to Florida
for our coral. Here is piece" handing
ont rough specimen formed of a num-
Der of hectagonal cells, that came from
reef at Catskill, n. Y. You would
think that a coral reef could not be found
in New York State, but this is fossil
one, and ] have followed it along for
miles. This piece is called Farosites, and
in demand for all sorts of work-paper
weights, etc. 1t takes fine polish. The
'Nh1 sit OiNth Diitd Will uudftL illdl
gives it rich appearance. Here is a
paper weight made up of more than fif-
teen different kinds Of fossil corals, all
polished and laid in after the style of
mosaic. I've sold number of them,
You see, they are useful and ornamental.
and are in nice compact for for study.
They are imported, although we find the
same in New York State; but it costs too
much to make them up here. This is a
piece of coral called the Halysites or
chain coral. The cells are arranged in a
perfect chain, and so delicate is it that it
has been copied in jewelry. A per-
feet specimen Of this is valuable. and on
ly recently has the real nature of the
animal that once lived in it been determ-
ined. Here are two heads that look
very much alike"
They were about a foot through, and
side by side would pass for nearly the
same by the ordinary observer.
This" continued the dealer, sis a
msdndrina cerebrit0rniis, and worth about
a dollar and half Lin it."
The reporter raised it from the table,
and estimated its weight at about eight
pounds.
"Now try the other" the dealer said
On doing so it was found that it weigh
ed hardly quarter of pound.
That IS genuine curiosity, and is
what We call floating coral, or scientif-
cally medadrind spongiosd. When the
animals are removed it floats on the
water like cork. 1t is extremely por-
Gus and full Of air. I've seen persons
pick up one and throw it in the water at
something, and wonder at it's not sink
ing. Here is a piece of what is called
black coral, also pieces yellow and pur.
pie; but they are really gorgonias They
secrete a black horny base more like
horn than anything else, and are some
times used in commerce.: but the red
coral (cordiiium rubrunil. related to them,
is the most valuable. This is Il piece in
the natural state, Just as ii comes iron,
the water. II would be when cleaned
dark red and comes from the Barbary
coast. The yellow or salmon color comes
from Sandman waters and the rose red,
the most valuable, from the coast of
Italy. Nearly million dollars a year is
made from the coral in the rough, and
how many millions more after i. passes
through the hands Of the different classes
VI ltNtllfIN IL W'ulAl bt W ltll. lflt
best grades in this country bring big
prices. Sets range from $40 to $50, and
up to 800. while immense quantities of
broken pieces are sold to traders. who
work them off on the 1ndisus. Ifyou
examine polished piece Of this with a
microscope you will see that it is crys-
talline, and formed of solidly united cal
careous pieces called spicules The
polyps are on the outer surface, which,
of course, is ground off, and what we get
might be called the pith of the coral.
Persons who wear this have little or no
idea of the vast amount of work it re-
quires before ready for sale"
"Then it's not so easily obtained as
our native corals2"
"No, indeed. While most of our coral
comes from shoal water, this is obtained
from a rocky bottom in twenty or thirty
feet of water, and it's a common thing TO
hear in Italy, if man is vagabond,
'Tle is good for nothing but coral fish
err They 60 to the fishing grounds in
lateen boats, of about sixteen tons. They
reverse things there, the captain or mas
ter living in the bow, while the stern is
given up to the men and the capstain.
intN u't NHhi intN Cdli all engine, Il
cross of wood made Of boltsd bars, and
from each end depends rough bag, or
sack, with coarse meshes, the whole held
down by rs big rock as they can man.
age. A rope is fastened 10 the center
and lowered over; then all sail is crammed
on the vessel and all hands lay on to the
capstan, and with the combined help of
wind and men the mass of nets is hauled
along over the bottom catching the rocks,
now coming to a standstill with jerk
the men praying TO their patron saint
and swearing by turns, and finally al
attempt is made to haul the mass aboard,
a work that would make our labors faint
to read of, as the immense rocks that are
broken off have 10 come too. But it's
only matter Of time, and the haul of
four or five hours is alongside, and the
little pieces of coral are picked out and
cleaned, and the engine dropped over
again, And so this goes on night and
day for the season, or until enough is
taken to pay them for the trip. Twenty
Gently day and found is the laboreT's
share, and he's lucky if he gets that.
People wouldn't grumble about high
prices if they had to exercise on the en-
CINE"