The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-06-13
A spoNeER IN COMMISSION.

small DOatS Two men 90 IN each boat =
one sculls and the other stands in the bow
with a sponge-hook, which is three
pronged, sickle-shaped instrument, but
more curved and measuring from the point
to the base 9 inches; the prongs are about
one-half of an inch in diameter from the
base to the curve, and gradually tapering to
blunt point, the haft is round and about
inches long and driven into narrow pole
one and one-half inches in diameter, and
measuring from to 80 feet in length
The hooks and handles are manufactured
here. These contrivances, with an ordi-
nary wooden pail having a glass bottom
and designated as a water glass, are the
paraphernalia required to catch the sponge.
The pail is used only when the weather is
cloudy or the water murky or ripples on
the surface 1t is half submerged in the
water, and by looking into it the sponge
can be readily seen at depth of 60 feet.
The boat is sculled slowly, and stopped only
when sponges are seen. There has been
no improvement on the methods first
adopted, as above described for catching
the sponge, though Mr.. A. j. Arapian, in
SS3, tried the diving system, and brought
over for that purpose four Mediterranean
divers, and, after large expenditure had to
abandon the scheme for the following rea-
sons:
First - The heavy iron shoes of the
divers trampled the young sponges so much
that they would not grow.
Second-The whole sponge was taken
up, so that none would again grow there;
while, if taken up with the hook, there was
oltvavS anOuUh laft IN cyrouv acrain
Third-It was impracticable on account
of the rocky bottom.
A PROTECTIVE ACT.
There was at that time Turkish law
prohibiting any diving for sponge what
ever, and last year the Florida Legislature
passed the following law, viz: can act to
protect the sponge fisheries on the coast of
t Florida, and to punish the gathering or
3 catching of sponges by diving, either with
or without diving suits or armor. Chapter
1913, Laws of Florida. Approved May
e s, 1899" When it is considered that
: hundreds of fishermen are day after day
employed throughout the whole year, and
f that the number is constantly increasing,
D as well as the fact that the same ground
4 has been fshed over thousands of times
= and millions of dollars worth of sponges
h have been taken out, the conclusion is that
/ the supply is still inexLaustible Though
V along the keys between Key West and
Cape Florida there are but lew Of the fine
. sleeps wool sponges which used to be
o. found in abundance when the industry was
: in its infancy, still, some of the sponges
n taken in the neighborhood of Rock Island
d measure six feet in circumference and ID
re- inches high Such sponges are, however,
N rarely found, and sell for prices ranging
v from 800 to $3.50 for exhibition purposes,
Re as they are practically useless for anything
40 else.
If After the sponge is taken ont of the
water it is cast on the deck of the vessel or
upon the beach, exposed to The sun for q
or rs hours, until it dies, its life depending
= - on the state of the weather-as when it is
n T. cold, frosty or blowing a norther the sponge
- !, lives for four or five days, eyenin the trop-
= ! zeal climate of Key West. 1t is next cast
:, into the water. ''Crawls," as the recep-
u tacles are called, are stakes driven into the
- =. water to prevent the sponges from being
- carried away by the action of the waves
~ Here they remain for two or three days,
IL IL after which they are taken out and pounded
u u with Il wooden club and again cast into the
~ ~ crawls. This process of washing out and
- =. beating is kept up until all the animal
- matter is completely removed They are
aa next strung up in bunches usually of eight
= or twelve, according to size, so as TO equal
= ize the weight of each bunch, and allowed
:, to dry.
A NOVEL MARKET METHOD.
In this condition they are brought to
be Market where they are sold privately but
at in open market, as follows Each bidder
ID puts his price on tablet with his initials
v and hands it to the owner, who usually
l. retains the highest and returns the Others.
at Should he, however, refuse to sell to the
i highest bidder, and the crew demand their
re money, he pays them accordingly. If sold
ID the money is divided up as follows: One
to half the proceeds goes to the owner of the
ID vessel, first, as the vessels share; the re-
n mainder is divided in shares among the
as captain and crew, the captain getting a
Is small percentage more than the Others
v The spOnges are then taken to the pur-
10 chaser $ warehouse, where they are trimmed
in by men clipping off with an ordinary pair
vi SlcdlS lllt IOotS anu OttleT lOUSt
a They are now ready for bleaching, and for
RS this purpose they are dipped in a solution
of lime and water, usually about one quart
re of lime AMI eight gallons of water, and ex-
in posed to the sun for several days, until
Of they are perfectly dry, when they are ready
as for the merchant.
.ss The bleaching here of late years is nearly
rs altogether dispensed with, and the sponges
It are now mostly shipped unbleached in bales
r. of any size from ten to five hundred pounds.
% The bale presses consist of four posts and a
he floor in which holes are bored in order to
II regulate the size of the bales In making
of a small bale, posts are stuck in the holes
,v and boards stretched inside, making a
square box A canvas is laid on the floor
Of the box, and the sponges thrown into it.
- Overhead and fixed to the ceiling is a hy-
= draulic jack, by means of which thesponges
:. are pressed and firmly packed. When the
=, bale is of the required size the posts and
- boards are removed, and the canvas is
20 placed around the sponges and tightly
a rOped, while the jack still presses the bale.
= When the bale is thus roped the jack
" is loosened, and all pressure is taken off.
= = The bale is taken from the press properly
= = tied and prepared for shipment.
be NO RECORDS KEPT.
he The spongers make four trips annually,
lrs returning with their catches in March,
er June, September and December, the last
nd month being generally the largest catches.
so Neither the vessel owners nor the buyers
if keep any account of the catch or the money
rs. realized thereby on the different seasons or