The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-24

to bring up his sponges
| When the small boat has arrived ovel
| the spot selected one of the two mer
takes the oars to steady and guide it. The
| other takes the water glass and pole. Peer
| ing over the side through the water glass
nc finds the location of the sponge he
| wishes to capture, and, si>iilfully ma
nipulating the long prong-ended pole.
| tears its quarry from its CORAL bed, and
| brings IT to the surface. The operation
| is delicate one, and requires certain
| knach, for a sponge is difficult thing to
| keep on the hook. Many are lost, and
| secome what are called rollers, that is to
say, being without anything to hold
| them, roll over the bottom of the ocean,
| with the current and become rounded and
( smooth. The sponge, COY cred with it's
| Shiny skin, is loaded upcr the deck of
| the schooner and allowed to remain there
under the hot sun until it dies Decay
sets in, and, as can really be imagined
living on a sponge boat, o. within nose
shot of the sponge feet is by no means
pleasant.
The boats make about FIVE or sly trips
year to the sponge fields. occupying
about two months to trip. The work
Is not attended with much danger, as the
land IS usually within sight ana ports
of safety within reach in case of a gale.
The hurricane trip, in September and
October. is considered the most perilous
as the highest gales are to be expected
at that time I he loss of life. however
Is by no means as great as that ON the
Newfoundland Banks.
The two months work at the sponge
grounds is usually sufficient to make
quite a heavy load for the small schoon-
ers, and they sail for home quite low in
the water. The decay which has taken
places in the sponges while on the ship
deck. and in the ship hold, is not suffi-
Client The entire animal matter must
be rotted out. To accomplish this the
sponges are put in large enclosures called
kralls, or crawls, located at the edge of
the water. where high tide will fill and
low tide drain them. These crawls are
made of brush. set up in the sand to form
a stockade allowing the water to run in
and out, but keeping the sponges impris-
oned. The constant wetting and drying,
which the sponges undergo, quickly loos-
ems the animal matter from the skeleton,
and the flowing water washes II away.
After week the sponge is ready for the
market. and it is loaded into boat and
taken to Key West. or Anclote, which
and Northern fields. respectively. At
these places the buyers congregate, ard
auctions are held every day. The sponge
fisherman piles his catch upon the wharf,
and the buyers look it over, making Sc
cret bids, which are often remarkable in
their variation, ranging sometimes from
so cents to S. on the same pile.
The buyers, who are not very numer-
Gus, probably not more than a dozen at
each market, represent firms from all
over the world. They have their ware
houses at the market, and store away |
thousands of dollars worth of sponges |
each year.
Before being stored away the sponges |
have to undergo a thorough cleaning |
They put into water and beaten, and |
Washed, and scrubbed until the last YES |
.ige of animal matter has disappeared |
The parts containing any coral material |
n dirt is cut away, and the whole sponge |
$ clipped until 1t takes a regular smooth |
shape. when the market demands the
ponges are shipped north to the whole
natural color, which is a dirty dark
'rown. 1t is in the hands of the drug
lists that they obtain the delicate yellow,
through bleaching process to which
hey are submitted.
The virtues of a sponge are softness
nd durability. As compared with the
ponSes found in the Indian Ocean, or
he Mediterranean. the Florida product is
omewhat inferior in both these charac-
erlstics. II is. however. a fine CONNER
ial sponge, and hardly to be told. ex-
ept by an expert, from its competitors
rom the Orient.
VARIETIES OF THE ARTICLE.
Sponges are divided into numerous
lasses, according to their shape and
exture. OF these, the majority fall I'M
er the following heads: Sleeps wool
ponges, yellow sponges. grass sponges,
nj glove sponges. The remaining kinds
re chiefly ornamental and of no use in
OF all sponges found. the Sleeps wool
l
I'd. 1t is closely knit, soft and untear-
Die almost, and of a wonderful durabili-
:. Its apertures are small, and the text
re is very fine. Its appearance is best Z
escribed by the name it bears. for it
oks like neo-" - less round ball COW
ed with Sleeps wool. 1t grows to i'm
ense sizes sometimes.
There Is specimen in possession of the
ish Commission reaching two feet and
lfS-h - n. 4
lie auctions, about S2.I5 per pound dry. r
The sponge next in quality is the vel
W." which in size and formation. and
xture is much like the Sleeps wool, on =
in every way inferior. 1t brings about I
.25 pound in the market
The grass sponge is why and harsh, |
it'll a roundness and toughness similar
the Sleeps wool, for which reason it
sometimes called the bastard-sheep's |
DOL. The glove sponge has long projec-
Ons, making il resemble a glove. 1t is | ..
sily torn, and therefore not of much
use. Another sponge, of some | =,
value is the velvet sponge, SO
lied because 1t has all over its surface | =
tie VeiVety projections like the bottoms | ,
a cats paw. For toilet purposes ii is
luable. and often brings $l05 pound.
Of course, the greatest use for spongeS
found in the homes. and the domestic d
8de is by far the largest. Yet the de-
and for them In the arts has increased y
eatly and now there is hardly a bust N
IS in which some sponges are not used. d.
cry ilFtTN stable mas many, paper man | n
acturers use them in glazing paper, | =,
inters use them. they are used by the | ~
anufacturers of bottled backing. boot =.
acks use them, and they are used in r,
e armies and navies of the world for | u
Tabs to clean guns and cannon. They |
e used by furniture polishers, and by a a.
ousand other works in a thousand other y,
AIDES. 81
rhe total product of the Florida sponge y"
heries in 1900 was 36i $50 pounds, valued | 81
1851, SIS. There were 2,245 men employ
/, l,239 Of whom We're on vessels, S14 of
lom nshed from boats near the shore, | a.
d 1872 of whom were employed on the | .
larves. The property concerned in the y
oductton of the sponges was valued al | W
4,59S. on the Key grounds the catch | oi
IS 1850 pounds, value at sos, l5S The | -,
tch on the Bay grounds was 1864 .
unds, valued at S5S53l. There has been | pl
constant increase in the number of men
lployed and in the value of the produc-
n. There Is some fear, however, that | L
2 grounds may soon be fished out The -
)nge crop grows very rapidly, however is
fishermen who have completely clean | In
a place one year say they have return 10
In a years time and found a crop of -
,nges amply large enough for CONNER =
/ use. An experiment in sponge culti- OIL
don is being carried on by Dr. II. r. | is
ore. of the Fish Commission. who has II
N planting cuttings of sponges in va m
us parts OF the fisheries. These cut Ill
gs are attached to frames TO keep la
I'M from floating away, and it has been va
md that they increase In size very rap tn
Y. Over 10000 cuttings have been | be
nted and tne experiment seems to ga
We proved itself a success. vi
the sponge cultivation redeeras its | tn
mises, and II the investigation now be sic
made by the Fish Hawk proves the ga
stence OF good sponges at a greater ry
It'll than that now fished In. the Fiori- co
fisheries may be able to supply the de vo
nds of the United States. In the year ev
, however, the United States Import | vo
sponges to the extent of 400 23I pounds | an
orting, In special varieties u6I tr;
nds. The Fish Hawk is making n Gu
s,ft,=t aT 1t,