The Opelousas courier., 1904-11-05
FLORIDA SPONGE.
Is Becoming a Great Industry in That
State.

Sc -
State.
Few persons not directly connected
with the sponge industry are apt to
realize the growing Importance which
this product has assumed at Tarpon
Springs, but 1t Is a fact, nevertheless,
that from insignificant proportions ten
years ago the business here has leaped
forward, until now it is the leading
centre Of the sponge business in the
United States and the Western Heml'
sphere.
The sponging grounds, other than
those OF Key West, extend from An
clote Keys, a few miles from Tarpon
Springs, to Apalachee Bay, and the
best sponges are secured from ten to
thirty miles off shore, in from thirty
to forty feet Of water. The sponge IN"
dustry of Tarpon Springs dates back
about twelve years, when the Anclote
and Rock Island Company sent out two
small vessels to the sponge grounds.
The business grew rapidly; other indiV-
iduals secured boats and crews to man
them. until today more than $50 YES
0SIS d1O OASdSCO AC1Oy SAfAA6
ment to probably 1000 men, who, Tor
six or eight months in the year, prac-
tieally live on their vessels; at other
times residing at Anclote, at the
sponge kraals near Anclote and at Tar
pom Springs. Few Of the boats are
owned by the people who handle them.
The owners Of the vessels employ the
crews, supply the rations and take as
their pay one-half the product.
Some owners possess a number OF YES
sells, the business at times proving
quite profitable. There are two prln-
ciple S for sponging, the spring
or summer trip, commencing in March
and winding up In June, the fall or
winter trip dates from October to De-
cember. During the sponging trip the
vessels are at Gea six days out OF the
seven, usually returning Saturday to
unload and secure more rations. The
life at best is o hard one, with very
few pleasures.
The actual sponging is done from
rowboats o. very small vessels, the
hooker, using a three pronged rake
thirty or forty feet long, and with the
aid of q water pail-an ordinary water
bucket with a glass bottom-readily
detects and detaches sponges from the
bottom-so clear are the Gulf waters
and so expert do the men become. The
| sponges when first obtained are far
from what we are accustomed to see at
stores. They are full of animal matter,
and this must be allowed to die and
| then be dried and hammered out and
finally detached-a process that re-
quires weeks.
Sponges are auctioned OFF to the
dealers during the season at Tarpon
| Springs who represent northern houses.
and from there they are distributed
all we the country and even in Great
| Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and
France.
At the present time Tarpon Springs
produces three-quarters of the total
product of Florida sponges, other than
those secured around Key West, and
probably more than half Of the whole
Florida yield. The balance of the
sponges produced are sold ali Key
West.
In 1868 Key West perhaps sold 80
percent of all the sponges produced
in this country, the total Florida pro-
due being 366, 900 pounds, with a val
uation Of $4S3, 900. In 1895 the pro-
duct was 236, 600 pounds, valued at
$273, 900. In 1899 the product was 9S7,-
900 pounds, in 1900, SGT 900 pounds.
Since then the yield has decreased, but
the average total value has remained
the same. The number of pounds OF
sponges produced any year is not a fair
criterion of the value Of the sponges
that year as compared with many other
years, for some sponges are worth
many times what others are worth,
and some years are prolific of cheaper
class Of sponges; but on the whole.
sponges have steadily increased in
value. Thus, sleeps wool (he highest
class OF sponges). prices for the past
few years were as follows:
In 1895, price per pound, $1.57; 1896,
$1.67; 1899, $2.16; 1900, $2.67; 1901,
$1.67; 1902, $2.85; and at the present
time they are worth nearly 81 per
pound.-Tarpon Springs (Fla.). News.