The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-12-05
tCorrespondence,of the Herad.1
OK THE RoAp HoNE, Nov. 20, 1913
Miscellaneous Statistics of Os,cego and Rochester
The Salt Works near Syracuse, Sc.


DEAR SIR:-
Before / attempt to write out any OF, what deem,
the valuable notes made upon the various tribes of
North Western Indians, let me clear my note book
of some very useful statistics, collected during my
tour.
In late letter gave some statistics of the com
merce of Oswego; this town is the most beautifully
located one on Lake Ontario it has water
power that can be made as useful and effective
as that Of Rochester; and if railroad was con-
structed from Oswego to Utica, Rome, to con-
meet with the Albany and Buffalo road, Oswego
would be one of the most fourishing towns in the
State. 1t has seven very fine Touring Mills con
tanning from to- of stone each and they jointly
can turn out $500 barrels of -four daily; whilst Ro
chester with her % mills only count on 5000 barrels
day. There also two very large cotton mills
here, only one of which is in operations the other
is entirely new and has all its machinery ready for
work There also three large saw mills employ |
ed in saving cedar for railroad TIMBER, and various
mechanical purposes; and two large ioundrles IN
the place At one OF the latter, the iron works are
being made for new iron steam Revenue Cutter, |
on Hunters plan; | saw the keel laid few days
ago, when the boat was chrlstened "John Tyler"
The fort on the east side Of the rver,at the harbors
mouth, is all admirable structure and the sight OF
| it is worth a journey from New York 500 men can
defend il against 10000 for week two. The
can exceed the arrangements for the comfort and
cleanliness of the soldiers. II is commanded by
Capt Barnum, (son of the fine old veteran of Balt-
more) who informed me that the cost Of it did not
exceed $780, 900. IL Is constructed chiefly OF kyanz
| ed wood No traveller should pass Oswego with
out examining this fort, and learning the skill and
improvements displayed by American engineers
| At Rochester, collected few facts worthy of
notice. Thriving and prosperous as Buffalo is, and
wonderful is the increase Of business and travel
| there, yet the recent improvements and advance
ment OF Rochester far Outstrlp the other city. In
the census Of 1910, Rochester had population of
20 100; it now numbers over % 0OO Buffalo having
at this time about 220OO. independently of the
enormous amount of private capital employed here,
the real estatero the assessors books up to Sept
| 1913, (Which cOped) Is set down at 1885,, 765;
and the independent personal property, anlenable
to the city taXation at s765 1885, making total of
81, 1873 $50 The number of new houses erected
within the last year, over 300; and these
permanent improvements, such as blocks, stores,
dwellings, &c. and during the last year the bust
ness of the place has improved 200 per cent 1910
and 1s4l. There are eight mills on Browns race
| Gold Matthew Browns land); five on the Race
near the aqueduct and bridge ION the west sde),
five, on the Water street race; one at the First
| Falls, east side; two at the Second Falls, and
on the aqueduct, making y mills, with total of
90 or 100run of stones, that can turn out 5000 bar
rels of -four daily. Another interesting fact is, that
no city in the State of New York has paid so much
money in the same space OF time for supporting
| schools; there are less than seventeen district
schools in Rochester, and the inhabitants have
|
school houses; some of these buildings are very
beautiful, and have cost over $1,000 each. IL Is
| great drawback to the lake commerce of this port,
| that vessels and steamboats, cannot reach within
two miles OF it; but the city Is constructing fine
| MacAdamlzed road from State street down TO below
the Lower Falls; there will be 1000 feet of road,
and il will cost $1,000 There ar. eight excellent
fire engines, and two hook and ladder companies;
the men | saw at fire, work uncommonly well,
but are much in want of an efficient head, such
the present excellent chief Of the New York Fire
handsome churches Ill Rochester--two Irish Ca
tholIc one German Catholic, two Methodist, four
Presbyterian two Episcopal, and three German
Lutherans. The splendid canal aqueduct cost over
half million of dollars and is one of the finest
| structures of modern times. The Erie Canal Col
lector has kindly promised to make out the Stats
tics OF the canal for this year, and forward the IN TO
you early as possible. have only to add that
| there is one wing, democrat, and one Tyler
paper here; the hrsthas the largest circulation, and
the last the least. The city has been locofoco for
| two years, with 400 majority on Mayor; there Is
one wing Alderman and wing Recorder, whose
time is nearly out and who will not be reappolnted.
| Stopping at Syracuse, Salina nc, infinitely eX-
amned the important salt works, &c of the neigh
boihood. A great Improvement has taken place
this year, in these valuable works, owing TO the ju
dicious law passed by the Legislature Of the State
| of New York IN the session of 1913 This was, TO
allow bounty lin the shape Of drawback on
tolls) of 80 cents barrel, 6-OO cents bushel,
on all salt arriving at tide water, at the junction
of the Erie and Champlain canal Previous TO this
force salt to these points at loss; II IT went
al ALL it always at loss and it had disappear
ed for three, years from the Hudson; the salt
works had languished, the property deprecated,
and the buildings were fast falling into ruin The
effect OF the law to open market on the Hud-
son for the Saina salt instantly; and In ten weeks
| from the opening of navigation this year, 4O0, 600
bushels OF the salt reached tide water. Some Of it
! went as far as Richmond, Va, and Charleston, =
1 c. One house in Richmond alone took 1000 BUSH
els at one shipments; much OF 1t has gone to Bos-
Il IL has f,rl aed with The salt
made at New Bedford but it comes more directly
in competition with the foreign article.
In 1872 there were 2, 29O 900 bushels of salt made
at these works this was sold at 6s. to Is. I'd and
7s: barrel This was a losing business the mere
salt fetching only about five cents bu.hel, whilst
the manufacturer paid SIX cents bushel to the
about half the capital invested in these salt works
!. was SUM But in the first three months after
! the works were started this year, there were
800 600 bushels of salt made; and up to this time,
there cannot have been less than total of 900
bushels made this year, or an increase OF one halt
over last year Several agents were staying at Sy-
racusc during the summer, buying up salt and sup
precedened. The price averaged all the early part
u of the season 9s. and only went down to 81 be-
biIiy Of these works is unbounded they can sup
ply the whole of North and South America. With
the present buildings they can make 10000 bushels
of salt a day and frequently this summer they
made 30 900 bushels daily from the four stations of
Salina Syracuse, Liverpool, and Geddes at these
four points the water Is collected In reservoirs and
thence distrbutedto the various boiling houses.
There are at present $50 salt blocks in the town
of Salna, which includes the four villages of Ged-
des, Liverpool, Sallna, and Syracuse /; Is to 70
men are employed at each block; Two men to each
set of kettles; these work night and day. including
Sundays; although they generally cool down and
peck out the settings from the coppers once a
week. There are two watts to every block of boil
ing works; these hold from 1900 to $1,000 gal
Ions each there is one that holds 10000 gallons.
The brine is pumped up from wells in the earth,
around Onondaga Lake into large reservoirs
thence run into the above-namcd watts "a quart of
quick lime is thrown into the vat for every 10000
| gallons of brine; this carries down the coorng
matter, the iron, &c. to the bottom of the
vat ; the brine must lie forty-elght hours