The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-06-13
ABOUT FLORIDA spoNeEs.
A Rich Mine Beneath the Green Waters
of the Gulf
J. ]. o. Donnel in the Florida Times Union Trad
Edilinn.

Edition.
One degree from the northern tropic,
Key West, an elbow-shaped island, is the
only one of a numerous group surrounding
it and the long chain of islands known as
the Florida Keys, extending from Cape
Florida for distance of 200 miles (Key
Largo and few others excepted that is
inhabited. Its area is 1000 acres, 45O OF
which may be estimated as the area occu-
pied by the city, which has population of
10000. The number of houses, including
factories, stores and residences, of which
there are many handsome ones, is about
5000 The unoccupied part is covered over
with shrubbery and under-brusb, useless
except for firewood Its geological formation
is oolite, which is quarried in small quanti-
ties in blocks of three by two feet These
are used as foundation stones for wooden
buildings, though the Catholic convent is
built wholly of this stone.
The first settlement in this archipelago
of the gulf was made on Key Vaca about
the year 1918 by fishermen from Mystic,
Conn In their fishing excursions they
found that Key West, from its deep, spa
cious harbor and easy access, afforded them
better situation. So they abandoned
their primitive settlement and roughly con-
structed homes and betook themselves to
Key West, so miles farther southwest (the
most southerly point of Uncle Sans
dominions, where they erected new homes
and piled their vOcations under a tropical
sun on the verge of the Gulf Stream.
EARLY OCCUPATION.
About the year 1926 immigration set in
from the Bahama Islands, viz: New Provi-
dence or Nassau and other smaller islands.
The two classes soon assimilated, as their
polemics and vocations were alike. Fish
ing was the only industry, except when
some ocean-tOssed mariner got wrecked on
one of the many reefs or shoals that abound
along the western edge of the Gulf Stream
between Key West and the Tortugas, 30
miles to the westward, and also northeast
to Cape Florida. These wrecks were
numerous, sometimes amounting to as
many as two and three week-40 a year
as shown by the admiralty records in the
United States District Court. In Novem
ber, 1859, there were no less than two
wrecks on one day, the principal one o
which was the Heidelberg, laden with 5000
bales of cotton, $50 600 in bullion anC
$4,000 in specie. Between the year
1916 (the year of the great cyclone whicl
razed every house on the island and seat
tered to the tempestuous waves Sand Key
lighthouse and its occupants) and 1861
.l,sne ,f
money Even now many an amusing
anecdote is related by the first immigrants
and as thrilling as ever warrior told, 70
sailors, like soldiers, love excitement an
adventure, and all the boys and men wer
at that time sailors hence little attention
was paid to the mine of wealth that la
, within sight of their doors, the sponges, til
gathering of which has now grown to b
one of the principal sources of revenue {
the place.
PRIMITIVE sPONGING.
, The value Of the sponge was at thf
time well known, for the immigrants frol
> the Bahamas used to 90 nearly as far sout
/ as Cuba sponging and turtling, SO that til
-. sponge could not be said to have been di
: covered here. The Bahamians were, how
\ ever, the first to operate the business, an
D then only when, as they would say, busine.
: was dull which meant that there was nj
much wrecking. They used to go OF
p among the keys two and four miles in sma
. boats, and in few hours pick up sever;
hundred pounds of the finest sheep ps-wo
sponges in from Is to "a inches of waite
D and sell them for 10 and II cents pounC
, Even then the business was profitable, ;
/ there was little trouble and less expens
owing to the abundance and close prox
, nifty of the sponges, though many of tf
, finest used to be lost for want of KNOWN
| how to properly cure them.
1t was not until 1853 that it could !
rated as an industry. In the spring of tn;
year Mr.. VIM. Lowe, now well preserve
octogenarian, went as far as Anclote Ke,
near Tampa, in his schooner, the Chestnu
q and returned in week with full bo;
: load, which he sold for ID cents pount
I Thenceforward, and until 1861, there WEI
, from a half dozen to a dozen vessels engage
e in the business, the prices ranging from l 3
80 cents per pound. In the latter year, an
e during the civil war, sponging did not pr'
gress any, and what little was done W;
carried on among the adjacent island
Since that time it has progressed rapid,
e until now there are 200 vessels, rangin
2 from / to 80 tons burden, engaged
sponging, giving employment to 800 me
in Key West alone, and bringing in
revenue of nearly half million dollar
annually.
The only other places in Florida whel
: sponges are sold are Apalachicola,
Franklin county, with population
/ 1000 There are from 20 to 30 vesse
n and 300 men employed in this busine
+ there, though the sponges do not bring
r high price as those sold in Key Yves
S which is due chiefly to the great compel
+ tion among the buyers in the latter plac
a 1t is also an important industry in ii
e infant but rapidly growing town of S
Marks, in Wakulla county, at the head
e Apalachee Bay, which is connected /
' rail with Tallahassee.
4 A VALUABLE EXPORT.
g Mr.. A. J. Arapian is the largest pu
J, chaser in the State, as he buys fully tw
e thirds of all the spongss sold in the marke
5 and during the year 1888 shipped from h
g spacious and well.equipped warehou
$ S277 900 worth of sponges, one-third
n which was exported directly to Englan
r Germany and France. New York, hoy
ever, is the great distributing point, as ov
d three-fourths of the sponge caught is co
h signed to merchants and brokers ther
). Thence they are shipped to all parts of ii
v world; though they are mostly used in ii
# domestic trade. Within the last 10 yea
o the prices have advanced from so to 75 p
h cent, which is owing to the great demar
/, for Florida sponge, and the supply being
/ limited, though there is no appreciable d
J. ference in the catch for the past ten year