The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-09-23

black heap Of mess covers up hts legs and
rises "a foot or mora above the sides OF
the boat. la deep spots a. ~ possible 60
work only a short time before and after
dead low water. but IN other places che
mosser ,an rake on three hours ebb and
three hours rise. Swing him six hours 20
q tide seAtts
After the moss has been gathered new
crop will grow In "A few weeks. 20 the mos
ser goes repeatedly over the same ground
and learns the bottom 30 thoroughly that
he can sometimes work on the night tides
when the water Is smooth. While a man
can gather S and even $40 worth of moss
on a fair day, there are many days when
be can gather none at ali. Stormy weather
means a set back not only IN gathering.
but also In curing the moss. and la any
weather there IL also danger from dis
ease like rust that gets into the moss ana
renders u unmarketable.
when the mosser comes I'm with his load
ed dory he leaves Il anoat while ne re-
freahes the inner man, or, in plain English,
eats q square meal. Then he works az
other things until the tide Is high. when
he can easily pitch the moss ashore and
spread Il out on the sand shove high water
mark. A doryioad spread out like hay
viii make a patch the sire Of a good sized
room, II looks almost black at first. but rs
u lies In the sun. raked over day after day.
n assumes green. brown ard reddish tin<s.
After washing. however. IL becomes un-
iformly yellow. with a sort OF translucent
appearance Under some conditions the
moss can be cured IN ten days. and at
other times the process may occupy three
or four weeks Each mosser has near MS
cottage or shanty a lot OF patches. whose
varying colors show the different stages
OF the process At some stages rain -
likely 10 seriously delay the curing pro-
cess, so that at night tho moss Is heaped
up like hayc0cks and covered with asii-
cloth
After 4 IL dried Il u thoroughly washed.
and then dried again. The washing IL done
IN great tubs made OF hogsheads. which
are bought for 81 spiece and sawed In two.
These tubs are lined along the beach nj
high water mark and filled with moss
from one side and water from the other.
the water being scooped Up Of high tide
BY means OF small barrels with handles
20 them. Just like clothes. the moss 10
souzled ana scrubbed and rinsed until u
glistens IN the sunlight. amber colored, ana
Is again spread upon tbs clear sand. Or
binary wooden hay rakea are used 20 turn
the curing moss. aud the work IL done BY
men. women and even children. whose
hare feet are tanned and wholesome look
ing During the many raksngs stones
shells bits OF ordinary seaweed or infect
81 moss are picked out. Then. when IL ID
cured the moss Is stored In large sheds
like hay barns.
Few years ago moss brought cents
mound ana proved a bonanza. but to-day
lis gathering n only profitable at hae
that price. II q r-aan pulls two barrels OF
two hundred pounds. In half day. thai
sounds like good business at 81. but tne
rnosx mast yet be cured and the stormy
DAYS accounted for. san. there n one
mana surfman In the winter-who has
the reputation OF making 80 week moss
ing In tho summer season. which last gem
orally during the three summer months
Al the end OF the season the buyers Tor
the brewerlea come around aud make
their bargains with the m0sEers. who must
then barrel their products and ship Il 70
Boston. The slowing OF one hundred
pounds OF dry. eprinsy carragrcen in an
ordinary -four barrel " about the hardest
work that the nosser has 10 do. In soma
cases the moss Is shipped IN bales. but
the buyers prefer 90 have h barrelied, and
allow Is cents hundred pounds for that
purpose.