Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-06-08
The Salt Springs of Arkansas

Some forty. six thousand acres of land were given to the State as saline lands.- These lie contiguous to certain salt springs and are situated in Van Buren. Pope Franklin, Crawford, Clark, Hot Spring, Dallas, Saline, Hampstead and Sevier counties. The greater part of the seventy two sections thus granted have been sold Of the salt-springs two or three only have been worked and these without much ma chinery or facilities for making salt.
 In the report of the geological survey, Dr. Owen says that he thinks it highly probable that salt can be easily obtained in Washington county. He instances a place called Salt Lick on the property of Maj. John Billihgsley The salt springs in Franklin county have lately become the property of Messrs. Ward and Basham. Of these, Dr. Owen, after giving an ana lysis of the water, says:
 "This is weak brine, which might be- come much stronger by deep boring, as it occupies the same geological position in which the strongest primes are found in the western States'
 "There is another saline spring, report ed to be of about the same strength, situ- ated higher up on Mulberry river which did not have an opportunity to visit.''
 The springs in Sevier and Hampstead counties are said to be strongly saline.- The geological survey will develop the truth of this. From such information as has been received here, we are led to be- lieve these to be among the most valuable in the State.
 Of the salt springs in Clark county, we have fuller and more reliable information. They are situated one mile east of Arka- delphia and are only half mile distant from the Ouachita river. Being on a six teenth section, the land could not be sold until a certain number of the citizens of the township petitioned for its sale at public auction. The property, recently sold in accordance with the requirements of the law, was purchased by B. c. Harley, G. w. Taylor and F. H. Thomas, of Prince ton, who intend taking immediate steps to manufacture salt There is said to be an inexhaustible supply of strong brine, and the proprietors are confident of making "any amount" of salt And this seems more certain from the fact that some years ago, Major Easley, with only six or seven hands made salt at these springs, and what is more, made money. Having been found profitable when working with limited force and temporary fixtures, it is fair to presume that when the manufacture of salt IS conducted on a larger scale, with pumps, furnaces and boilers, the latter so construct ed as to avoid great expense in wood or coal, and the fact that the Ouachita river is navigable at that point for eight months in the year, that it will become highly re- munerative. We hope so.
 It would be very easy for Arkansas to manufacture all the salt used within her borders and have margin for exportation. As general rule at all salt works, the deeper the borings, the stronger the brine
 This being the case, those saline springs, where the surface brine is comparatively weak, may be found to increase in strength as pumps are sunk, and so become of great value. The resources of our State are be- ginning to be understood and appreciated, but the half has not yet been told.