The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-03-17

sight of all his crews, which may num-
ber from two to nine, and respond
promptly 10 their signals of "boat full !;
take US aboard"
About 12 o'clock the chief sails his
craft as close as he can to the center of
the widely scattered boat crews and blows
long, loud and mellow blast on pune.
tured couch shell to announce that dinner
is ready. This melodious call is answer.
ed by an immediate cessation Of work
and within fifteen minutes every boats
crew is aboard. After washing them
selves carefully they sit down to an appe.
tizing meal, for the storeroom of the YES
sci is we'll stocked with a variety of food,
which is often increased by some deli
cious fresh fish, green turtle or oysters
procured by the men themselves while at
work.
The assortment of provisions on q
"sponger" is even better than that Of the
New England "mackerelman," and is
said to be superior to that Of the officers
mess aboard q German or Italian man Of
war.
The sponge gatherers usually spend an
hour at their meal and, at signal from
the captain, jump into their boats and
row or sail for the working grounds as
enthusiastically as 80 many school boys,
especially if the marine treasures they
seek are plentiful. The labor of the af-
ternoon is similar to that of the morning,
and is comprised in sculling, Hooking" :"
or in vain efforts to find marketable
sponges.
The "sculler" only usss one hand at q
time and can rest that at intervals, but
the "hooker" can have no change except
| to transform one form of arduous labor
from his chest to his arm, and as that is
done by the same set of muscles he is of.
ten so weary at the close of the day that
he can neither sleep, eat nor think calm.
ly about any matter. The constant lean.
ing with his chest on the grpwale of the
boat while searching for sponges through
the water-glass produces blood 'boils,"
which often burst while he is tugging at
refractory bunch, and the steady use of
his right arm in handling heavy pole
causes the veins on his biceps and neck
to swell and become 80 sore that he can
not bear to be touched. I have heard of
men who became partially insane from
pain after days work, and whose neck,
arms and chest had to be rubbed with
healing oilments before they could even
sit down. The torture keeps them awake
all night and prevents them from eating,
30 that they soon succumb unless they
have extraordinary powers of endurance
and the health and youth to enable them
to rally promptly from the first effects of
the business.
Some become 80 injured to the labor
after while that it does not cause them
any great inconvenience for few years,
but the majority have to finally
relinquish it for something less ardu.
ous.
Even the "scullers," whose lot is sup
posed to be an easy one, are not as hap
py as one would imagine, for their con-
slant standing in the hot sun, and the us.
ing of their arms, give them severe head.
aches and necks' and faces that resemble
boiled Holsters in hue.
The spongers work as long as it is light
enough to enable them to sea the growths
on the bottom, then return to the vessel,
and, after cleaning themselves, sit down
to an excellent meal, we'll prepared. If
the vessels anchor on the sponge grounds
for the night the men devote the evening
to card playing, singing or story
telling, seldom turning in" before
ten or eleven o'clock. Yet they are out
of bed the next morning before the ear
liest sea bird.
Their life may be arduous, bus it has
many compensations, not the least of
which a:e good food, comfortable quarters
and the prospects Of high pay if the sea.
son is at all favorable. TIE vessels en-
gagged in sponge gathering in Florida
work over three separate long stretches
close to the western and southwestern
coasts of the State. The most northern
grounds extend from Cedar Key to Apa-
lachee Bay; the second from Cedar Key
to Anclote, and the third from Biscayne
Bay to Key West.
The best grounds range from FIVE to ff-
teen miles from the mainland, and have
depth of water varying from two to
seven fathoms. This proximity of the
grounds to harbors of refuge make spong.
ing comparatively safe, even in the stor-
miest weather, for I have never yet heard
of q sponge vessel being lost while on the
sponge grounds.
Only six grades Of sponges are known
in Florida, but the Bahaman product is
divided into fifteen, although it is the
same as that of the Land of Flowers,
which is now the best known.
Individual DiSlikes.