12 THE ALUMNI JOURNAL 



"1 



SPONGE INDUSTRY OF YUCATAN. 



AN AMERICAN COMPANY PLANS TO CONDUCT THE WORK ON LARGER 



SCALE. 



\ice-Consul R. A. Williams, of Progreso, gives the following ac- 

 count of the sponge fisheries on the Yucatan coast and the plans of an 

 American company to enlarge them : 



The sponge bars lying along the coast and outlying islands off the 

 eastern side of the peninsula of Yucatan have never been extensively 

 exploited up to the present time, or very recently ; indeed, not at all, 

 except by a few native fishermen, known here as "skin divers." Ac- 

 cording to surveys recently made of the sponge beds, it is said that 

 there is an abundance of high-class sponges, particularly of the silk 

 and sheep wool varieties, to be obtained in these waters, but the product 

 of these native divers has never more than satisfied the local demand,, 

 and no attempt has, as far as can be learned, been made to develop 

 an export trade in this article. 



Recently, however, an American syndicate, made up of business 

 men of New Orleans, has begun operations on the east coast, working 

 under a concession granted to a resident of said city, and have brought 

 here for this purpose experienced Greek divers and all necessary para- 

 phernalia for going to a depth of 15 fathoms (90 feet) or more for 

 the sponges, and it is their intention that the exploitation shall be on 

 a large scale. 



The native divers are not in the habit of taking sponges from depths 

 exceeding 15 feet or thereabouts, and, considering that the better class 

 of sponges are taken in the greater depths, it is reasonable to presume 

 that, in the event of the enterprise being successfully carried through, 

 Yucatan will before long be furnishing a considerable amount of fine 

 sponges for the American markets. 



The port of Progreso afl:'ords abundant facilities for shipment direct 

 to the principal Atlantic and Gulf ports of the United States, as well 

 as to the chief ports of Europe. 



The laboring classes here look forward anxiously to the successful 

 inauguration of this business, which is expected to give many of them, 

 now idle, steady employment. Consular Report. 



SPECIAL TERMS ON CASTORIA. 



Castoria — "the kind vou have always handled" — is made by The 

 Centaur Co., 'j'j Murray Street, New York, of which Charles H. 

 Eletcher is president. Mr. Fletcher thinks that almost any druggist 

 ought to be able to sell a dozen bottles of his specialty a month, or one 

 gross a year, and to induce effort in that direction he authorizes jobbers 

 to allow a discount of 5 and 2^ per cent, on gross lots. 



Druggists are invited to send for counter wrappers, cartons and 

 other advertising matter. 



