THE COMMERCIAL SPONGES AND THE SPONGE FISHERIES, 457 
The difficulties in dealing statistically with this period have been consider- 
able, as persons, and especially vessels, have been engaged, in many cases, part 
of the year in hooking and part in diving. In each such case, however, effort 
has been made to accredit the vessel to that method in which its activities pre- 
dominated during each year. 
The tables are interesting as showing not only the changes in the methods 
of the fishery, but also as exhibiting the shifting of the location of investment 
incident upon these changes. Until the inauguration of diving the investments 
at Key West (Monroe County) were paramount, but in 1906 Tarpon Springs 
(Hillsboro County) passed Key West as a center of investment, as it had done 
some years previously as the principal sponge market. In 1908 the capital 
employed in the fishery at Tarpon Springs exceeded that at Key West by about 
85 per cent. 
In the tables of the product for the years 1903 to 1908, inclusive, the weight 
is based upon the number of bunches purchased. In previous years it was 
determined from the pack, a method highly defective on account of the practice 
of ‘‘loading.”’ 
PERSONS EMPLOYED IN THE SPONGE FISHERY OF FLORIDA IN 1903-1908, BY COUNTIES. 
Monroe. Hillsboro. Pasco. Levy. Franklin. Total. 
1903 
Wiesseltae see Ae on aa t ees Pe oe eee I, 033 84 13 16 52 1,198 
$3 (2h) Se eS eae See eee eee ae 700 MGA | aot ee Neo oom ee 23 887 
tees} Bone, Segoe es enna es Reo See ee t735 248 13 16 75 2,085 
1904. 
Mess@l 52 om ea ane eS ee ee 885 Gal Ree 16 50 1,015 
Veh ie eS OA SS ee ee a ere eee 630 P02) ee ene Eanes 20 | 762 
(Wotale 2252-552 sa Ssanteescascae Ta Ss 7G i els 53 16 70 | 1,777 
1905. | 
MWesseles = S20 <2 sno Soe es sao e eee, 816 = Ur fy a (eee 2r 32 1,046 
1 Co} a 721 Lari iil ears Se ee 25 863 
Mota. Se eso a SP os ae 1,537 roy ly | See ee 2 7 1,909 
1906 | 
Wessell (520 o20 ooo. oo ot oss sasaeasee 681 613 iB 30 48 | 1,385 
igtih Sea ees Soe EEE eee 595 Ph eens weal as See H 13 829 
PGtAN = a ose cue ceo See ee 1,276 834 13 30 6r | 2,214 
1907. | 
WES 5 S25 ee a re 495 S70 oe aoe ae | 27 34 | 1,126 
EIS tee ee ee aw eenead 490 Py (Soe ees ee eee re | 10 | 962 
“TCE: UE See ie a ee eee aes 985 Toss: [eee a 27 44 2,088 
1908. 
WDSS a) LS ee eee 583 OES: ||P e  e Re 20 L5as 
IGG SS SO ES Se ee ee eee ee ye 392 cy al See Bama eae 18 | 807 
Botalee es aa apts eee 975 1 Ae fot, fa Le ees eee oe ee 38 2,320 
