The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-24
sPoNGEs MADE TO ORDER.
-Ds Turk Who Does it and How it Is
Done.
From the Neu0 YORK Times


from the NeU YORK Tines
Ina dlngy back room Of William street
,-,,orting house there is Turk engaged In
setting an interesting mstamorphosis. He
.,.,is in a circle Of great tubs filed with
Jsrs.looking and foul-smelling stuff. There
=. faint odors Of chlorine, of oxalic and
-,rriatic acids, and Of the salt sea air. The
,i.,I, DAYLIGHT that finds its way down mast
~ wallis OF the high surrounding buildings
- into the rooms of this gloomy old
sIobsmmedan sees him day after day. wear
aftsr year, dipping into his liquids, muir
curing strange lamentations over his tubs.
~ turning, with a vigor not to be expected
n such place. the cogs Of a creening in
strunent closely resembling a kitchen
clothes wrlnger
There is a mystery and weirdness about
all this that suggests glimpse of an an-
Gent astrologer, or perhaps of Balzac's hero
IN search of the Alkahest. Yet the old man
IL neither astrologer nor alchemlst. he "a
edgaged in turning Florida sponges into
Mediterranean sponges, bringing Key West.
as it were, in connection with the far-off
Syria.
The sponges which he handles are brought
10 him from Key West In 30~pound bales.
They are the direct result of the occupation
Of a small army of fishermen who ply in
and Of that port In small vessels, four men
"a a crew. When they have a load it il
dumped on the wharf and sold at auction to
HE higest bidder. The captain gets half
and the crew divide the remainder of the
proceeds among themselves. This is CO.
operation in its primitive simplicity.
The sponges delivered at the William
street establishment are none of your light,
yellow and soft affairs. They are dark
almost black-full Of mud, sand and shells.
and of distinctly salty order. When they
arrive they are stored In deep cellar in
order that they may retain their dampness
until the magician is ready to transform
them.
Once In his hands, the change begins.
First the sponges are separated. The
grass goes into one bin, the "sheep's
wool" into another, and the "velvets' into
O third. "Grass" is the poor quality that
breaks apart easily. After it is cleaned it is
usually cut into pieces about 2 inches
square, which are sold at the rate of cent
apiece, its largest purchasers being children
with states to clean aud tidy housewives
with grease spots to erase.
The 'sheep's wool" is a much finer variety.
and it shares better fate. 1t is first dip
ped into one Of line of eight big tubs filed
with heaven knows what. The Turk was
asked. but would not tell He looked wise
and said it was a secret. The bath does no.
altar the color of the sponge, but it removes
the mud, sand, shells, and parasitic growths
IN a surprising short time. Ones respect
for the sponge increases tenfold when it
energies from this bath, but 1t is still very
sorry looking specimen, not at all the sort
Of thing one would care to squeeze in a
bath.
From this tub it passed through a wringer
aud thence into tub containing permanga-
nate OF potash. This gives the sponge q
curious bright, brown color, and causes it
to swell with apparent pride, although in
reality 1t Is the permanganate rather than
the pride which causes the swelling
This done, there Is another ringing and
another tub. the latter containing oxalic
and muriatic acids. Here a singular chemi-
cal change takes place. The sponge sinks a
bright brown. In less time than it takes to
write it it floats pure white. This color is
not a desirable one, however, as the real
Mediterranean sponge, which this one is to
be, is yellow. So there are more wringers
and more tubs, the last one containing car
Donate of soda, which imparts to the ''inn-
ported article" a rich. golden hue, such as
only the most aristocratic member of the
Mediterranean sponge family could hope to
attain. Then it is trimmed with a big pair
Of shears and hung up to dry. Finally it is
boxed, and on the covers and sides of the
box there appear prominently. 0 tempord!
mores' the words Greece. nor Syria >
or "Cyprusn