San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-06-10
SPoNGES MADE TO ORDER
Dirty Bahama Sponges Changed Into the
Costly Mediterranean Article.

Dirty Bahama Sponges Changed Into the
Costly Mediterranean Article.
In dingy back room of William street
importing house there is a Turk engaged
in effecting an interesting metamorphosis.
He stands in circle of great tubs filled
with dark looking and foul smelling stuff.
There are faint odors of chlorine, of oXalic
and muriatic acids and of the salt sea air.
The little daylight that finds its way down
past the walls of the high surrounding
buildings and into the rooms of this gloomy
old Mohammedan sees him day after day,
year after year, dipping into his liquids,
murmuring strange lamentations over his
tubs, and turning, with a vigor not to be
expected in such place, the cogs of a
creaking instrument closely resembling a
kitchen clothes wringer.
There is a mystery and weirdness about
all this that suggests glimpse of an
ancient astrologer, or perhaps of Balzac's
hero i'm search of the Alkahest. Yet the
old man is neither astrologer nor alchem-
list. He is engaged in turning Florida
sponges into Mediterranean sponges; bring
ing Key West, as it were, in contact with
far off Syria.
The sponges which he handles are
brought to him from Key West in thirty
pound bales. They are the direct result OF
the occupation of a small army of fisher
men who ply in and out of that port in
small vessels, four men to a crew. When
they have load it is dumped on the wharf
and sold by auction to the highest bidder.
The captain gets half and the crew divide
the remainder of the proceeds among them
selves. This is cooperation 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 odor. When they
arrive they are stored in a 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
a third. Grass" is the poor quality that
breaks apart easily. After it is cleaned it
is usually cut into pieces about two inches
square, which are sold at the rate of cent
apiece, its largest purchasers being chill.
dren with states to clean and tidy house.
wives with grease spots to erase.
The Sleeps wool'' is a much finer va.
riety, and it shares better fate. 1t is first
dipped into one of line of eight big tubs
filled with heaven knows what. The Turk
was asked, but would not tell. He looked
wise and said it was a secret. This bath
does not alter the color of the sponge, but
it removes the mud, sand, shells and para.
site growths in a surprisingly short time
Ones respect for the sponge increases ten
fold when it energies from this bath, but
it is still very sorry looking specimen
not at all the sort of thing one would care
to squeeze in bath.
From this tub it passes through wringel
and thence into tub containing perman
| ganate of potash. This gives the sponge q
| curious bright, brown color. and causes il
| to swell with apparent pride, although il
reality it is the permanganate rather thar
the pride which causes the swelling.
This done, there is another wringing and
another tub, the latter containing oxali,
and muriatic acids. Here a singular chem
ical change takes place. The sponge sink,
a bright brown. In less time than it take:
towrite it itfloats pure white. This colo
is not desirable one, however, as the rea
| Mediterranean sponge, which this one is t.
be, is yellow So there are more wringer
and more tubs, the last one containing car
Donate of soda, which imparts to the sim
| ported article" rich, golden hue, such a.
only the most aristocratic member of tn,
Mediterranean sponge family could hop,
to attain. Then it is trimmed with a bis
pair of shears and hung up to dry. FINAL!
it is boxed, and on the covers and sides o
the box there appear prominently, 20 tenn
poral o mores!" the words Greece" o
Syria" or Cyprus. New York Times.
| WIN a uop,s nan WARS