THE SPONGE FISHERY. 829 



sales at Key West amounted to only about $180,000, while the average annual sales have been 

 about $200,000. 



APALACHICOLA. The crawls of the Apalaehicola spongers were, until 1880, mostly located 

 on Eock Island, a small island situated 17 miles southeast of Saint Mark's light-house and about 

 2 miles from the main-land. 



In 1880, trouble arising between the spongers of Apalachicola and those of Ocklockony, the 

 former built new crawls in the immediate vicinity of Saint Mark's light-house, but they still resort 

 to their old crawls to some extent. 



In 1879 there was but one dealer in sponges at Apalachicola, who sold entirely to New York 

 parties. After purchasing from the vessels, the sponges are strung on cords and hung in the sun- 

 shine until perfectly dry, after which they are transferred to the packing-room, cleaned of the 

 small fragments of coral-rock adhering to them, and then trimmed as at Key West. The sheeps- 

 wool sponges are graded according to size, into large, medium, and small, but all sizes of yellow 

 sponges are packed and shipped together. The method of weighing, pressing, and baling is the 

 same as that practiced at Key West. The dimensions of the bales are about 36 inches by 18 

 inches by 18 inches, and their weight from 80 to 125 pounds. The clippings are treated in the same 

 manner. 



The prices paid to the fishermen for sponges in 1879 was from $1 to $1.10 per pound for sheeps- 

 wool, and from 20 to 30 cents per pound for yellow. The total catch of the Apalachicola fleet for 

 1879, was estimated as follows : 18,000 pounds of sheepswool sponges, worth $18,000 ; 8,000 pounds 

 of yellow sponges, worth $2,000; total value, $20,000. 



The Apalachicola fishermen have carried on the sponge fishery to this extent for only about 

 four years. When this fishery was first started only a few small boats owned in Apalachicola 

 fn gaged in it, but the number of vessels and men increased from year to year until about four 

 years ago, when the fleet reached its present size. Although no record of the amount of sponges 

 taken during the past four or five years has been kept, the catch for 1879, which was somewhat 

 under that for the year or two previous, is supposed to have been an average one. 



CEDAR KEYS. Although situated close to valuable sponge-grounds, and favorably located 

 for engaging in the sponge fishery and trade, nothing of any importance has yet been attempted 

 in this line from Cedar Keys. The summer of 1879 was the first in which sponges were sold at 

 that place. A small schooner of 5 tons, with a crew of five men, made one or two trips that 

 season between Cedar Keys and Tampa Bay, and a few other lots were brought in, the entire 

 amount probably not exceeding 1,000 pounds. 



SATNT MARK'S. While this place is not directly interested in the sponge fishery it furnishes 

 a few men to the Apalachicola fleet. Sponges occur at the mouth of Saint Mark's Biver, and on 

 either side of it, at distances of not more than 15 to 20 miles from town, and could be easily 

 obtained. At the light-house there is a sponge-crawl, used, in 1880, by Apalachicola vessels. 

 Previously their sponges had been cleaned every year at Eock Island, but in 1880 trouble arose 

 between the men of the Apalachicola fleet and those of the Ocklockony, with respect to the watch- 

 men employed at that place, whose fees for service were paid at the rate of $2 for every dingy or $1 

 for every fisherman, the cook being exempt. The dispute resulted in the Apalachicola fleet resort- 

 ing to the mouth of Saint Mark's Eiver, where no other watch was needed than that volunteered by 

 the light-house keeper. After the sponges had been macerated and cleansed in the water, they were 

 spread out on the ground about the light-house, and left until thoroughly dry, when they were 

 stored in the holds of the vessels. No frames are used for drying the sponges, either at Saint 

 Mark's light-house or at Eock Island. 



