The representative., 1901-06-13
HUNT the sPoNeEs

NUM- JU6 OIVUU6O
Dragged From the Depths of the
OceaM-Done By Two Men I'm .
Boat
For q number Of years Key West, the
most southerly portion of the United States
until Porto Rico was annexed, has enjoyed
q virtual monopoly of the sponge business
In the United States. A considerable part
of the population Of the island Is composed
of "conchs," 1. e., natives OF the saNa-'a
Islands, or their descendants, ana thsy
form about four -ffths OF the ses.e. c-e"
About three-fourths of them are negroes
In 1900 the sponge feet Of Florida consisted
Of 165 vessels of over Ave tons and 22S
small sloops, ranging from two to i've tons,
giving employment to 2,245 persons. The
total value of investment In the business
amounted to $594,5 while the value to
the spongers of the sponges secured in
the same year amounted to $5e7,6s5 Four
ffths of the men vessels, boats and catch
t belonged to Key West.
Some of the trips OF these sponge vessels
have proven very profitable. Probably the
best trip ever made was that of the schooner
Competitor of Key West, carrying about 18
men, during the winter of 1S79-'8O, when
she made a trip of eight weeks and stocked
$4,000.
Each sponging vessel carries an odd num-
ber of men, from three to 13, the odd man,
who is usually the cook. being left on board
to work the vessel while the others are
sponging. AS soon as the vessel reaches
the sponge grounds, the small boats are
run overheard and two men take their
places in each boat. One, who is called the
"hookery' Is in charge of the boat and is
supposed to discover and hook the sponges,
while the other man, who Is called the
"sculled," maneuvers the boat according to
the directions OF the hooker" These boats
are made as light as possible, 50 that
they may be easily and quickly launched
from the vessel and hauled in again.
The apparatus in use by the spongers is
very simple, consisting of water glass
and a pole with a three-toothed hook at
one end. The water glass Is merely an
ordinary water bucket. the wooden bottom
Of which has been replaced with glass.
Previous to its discovery the spongers ex-
perienced considerable difaculty when
breeze rippled the surface of the water.
Each boat carried bottle Of oil. and when
1t reached what the hooker considered
good ground he would shake few drops
OF the oil on a small stone and throw this
a short distance from the boat. The oil
would spread out on the surface, making a
smooth spot several feet In diameter. The
boat would be skulled to this, and the
hooker enabled to distinguish the good
sponges from the poor ones. One day Mr..
Samuel Baker, of Anclote, after reaching
the sponge grounds, discovered that he had
forgotten his oil. While he was debating
within himself what to do, he happened to
pick up his pinnacle cover, a square box
with wooden sides and glass top, which is
placed over the compass to protect 1t from
harm. 1t accidentally slipped from his
hand and fell overheard with the glass top
down. AS he reached down to get 1t he was
surprised to notice that he could clearly see
the bottom through the glass. 1t did not
require much thought for him to determine
what to do, and ON his return home he
bought an ordinary water bucket, replaced
the wooden bottom with a glass one,
which he had cut to At, and secured it with
beeswax. The device proved such sue
cess that 1t very soon came into universal
use. AS Mr.. Baker did not appreciate the
money value Of his discovery, he failed to
secure a patent upon It, and as a result
never received one penny for It.
The ordinary depths in which sponging
When ready for work the hooker ties the
water glass to a hook on the side of the
boat. Then, leaning over the side of the
boat and placing the glass on the surface,
he inserts his head in It, and, IL the water
Is clear, he can Sc the bottom very dis
tinctly for a considerable distance on all
sides. When good sponge appears in sight
quick command Is given and the sculler
sends the boat In the desired direction.
The hooker, meanwhile, has plunged his
hook into the water, and as soon as he is
within reach he skillfully inserts the hook
under the sponge, detaches it with a quick
turn of the wrist, and brings it to the sur
face, where 1t is placed in the boat and
the search resumed. He must be careful
not to let the sponge get loose from the
hook, as 1t would be almost impossible to
recover 1t. Sponges which have escaped
from the hook after being pulled loose be-
come wanderers and have received the name
OF rollers. or rolling Johns. from their habit
of rolling on the bottom. The hooker must
be man Of considerable experience, as he
is compelled to distinguish between the diff
ferent varieties of sponges at whatever
depth he may be fishing. This is especially
dfficult, because Of the many sponges grow
ing on the grounds which are absolutely
worthless, although to an inexperienced eye
they would appear to be superior to the
ones the hooker brings up. This work is
very fatiguing, owing to the cramped posi-
tion the hooker is. compelled to assume.
The sponges, brought back to the vessel
and deposited on the deck, are placed in
their natural, upright position, SO as to
allow the animals to die, and the curry, or
Shiny matter with which the sponges are
coated, to run off, Very few people would
recognize the clean, bright sponge OF COM
merce in the black, Shiny object lying upon
the deck. The sponges are allowed to lie
on the deck for several days. during which
time the surrounding air is highly favored
with decaying animal matter. It Is an un-
written law of the pleasure boats in Florida
always to pass to windward of vessel with
sponges on her deck.
At various places along the coast the
spongers have built in the sheltered water
of the keys kraals about ten feet SQUARE
and made of wattled stakes The spongers
usually return to these kraals on Friday
evening or Saturday morning, when the
weeks catch is placed IN the vessels kraal
. The previous weeks catch has been soak
ed in the kraal In the meantime On Sat-
urday the latter are taken out and beaten,
while vat WITH n abort vroolan suaA61a -