East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1861-12-03
salt Manufacture on the Saginaw
River.

OF TIE Scleutlnc tnon OF Tue capltaliSt.-
At different times since 1886, explora-
tons had been made in various districts
by private capital, as at Grand Rapids OF
by the action of the State, as in Midland
county, and, although some encouraging
results had been attained, they had failed
10 establish the fact that profitable salt
manufacture could be conducted within
our own State. The indications of brine
were found to extend ovor large dis
trict, including Kent, Gratiot, Midland,
Clinton, WASN'T nav and Macomb counties.
But actual manufacture had only been
entered upon in Kent county, where it
was prosecuted to q moderate extent in
1888 and 1889.
The Legislature Of 1859 passed what
has been known as the Salt Bounty Act,
for the purpose of encouraging further
investigation. II offered TO parties who
should engage in the manufacture Of salt
from water obtained by boring in the
State, exemption from taxation on real
CT pesSSna. properly used for the manu-
facture, and bounty Of ten cents per
bushel of salt 1t was provided that no
bounty should be paid until at least five
Thousand bushels of salt should have been
made by the parties applying for it,
Under the stimulus Of this act, operations
were commenced at Grand Rapids, and at
East Saginaw, in April of the same year.
AT the former place number Of wells
were bored at about the same time, and
brine was found, varying in strength aud
purity. Some salt has been made, but
up to this date the degree eff snccess has
been very limited. Operations are yet
in progress which may develop more ia
vorable resulta. 2 ti ii nr-Yi
On the Saginaw River tho explosa-
tons have opened basin of brine Of
such extent, purity and strength as TO
promise extraordinary growth aud devel-
opment to that section Of the State. The
East Saginaw Salt Manufacturing Com
pany is entitled to the credit Of develop
ing the existence Of this basin. Their
operations, commencing in April, 1859,
were steadily prosecuted in the face Of
many adverse circumstances, till, in March,
1860, they announced the discovery Of
supply of brine, at the depth Of go feet,
of the unusual strength of 90 degrees by
the salometer. The success was so mex
pected that il found the company unpre-
pared to avail themselves of the treasure,
and it was not till July that they were
furnished with machinery for raising the
brine and structures for converting it
into salt. In the meantime, they had
procured several chemical analyses Of the
brine, which were so far satisfactory as to
Justify extensive preparations for manu-
faetnre. Their operations that season
established the fact that pure antiseptic
salt could be economically made from
their brine, and the further experience Of
this season, with the successful opening
of wells at Bay City, Portsmouth, Zil-
waukie, Carrolton aud Saginaw City,
gives authority for the assertion that the
value of this discovery to the State of
Michigan IL incalculable. Not even the
mineral wealth of the Upper Peninsula
can be allowed to outrank in Importance
a production that is necessity for all
animate creation. If it shall be proven,
as the State Geologist has stated to be his
own conclusion, that the saliferous basin
extends from Grand Rapids TO Sanilsc
the north, a complete revolution will be
effected in the northern portion of Mich
igan within the next ten years. Even
with the present well established limits
of the basin on the Saginaw alone, cover
ing an area of two by eighteen miles,
within which brine, of maximum strength,
is constantly flowing, in quantity only
limited by the capacity of the pumps
employed, we have the elements of vast
wealth. The past six months have
already foreshadowed the magnitude of
the interest in the investment Of over
100000, and preparations are being
made for extensive additions during the
coming year.
There are now eight wells in operation
in the Valley. After passing through
about one hundred feet of soil Of various
kinds, they penetrate brown sandstone,
aud with alterations Of strata Of clay
shales, limestone aud sandstone, with oc-
casional thin seams of coal, they enter
the salt bearing sandstone at depths rang
ing from 4S0 feet at Bay City, near Sag.
inaw Bay, to ia feet, at Saginaw City,
eighteen miles distant, indicating dip Of
the rock to the southwark. The first
appearance Of brine is found at from 10
to 80 feet, in brackish taste of the wa
ter, and this increases to 10 degrees by
the .salometer at 2l1 feet, IL degrees at
294 feet, 26 degle ees at 4S7 feet, 40 de-
grees at SIG feet, Al degrees at 531 feet,
so degrees at $50 feet, GO degrees at SCI
feet, 64 degrees at 500 feet, &C degrees
at COG feet, and 90 degrees at 632 feet.
These figures are from the memoranda of
the East Saginaw Works, where the salt
rock was struck at 632 feet, and the
changes in strength are noted at the pre-
else depths where they occurred. The
temperature Of brine from the salt rock
is 81 degrees Fahrenheit.
An analysis of the brine by Prof.
George ii. Cook, of Rutgers College,
New Jersey, high authority in chem
istry, shows as follows:
| Specific gravity l,l65
Chloride Of sodium common salty .l6 81
Chloride OF calcium. ..,........ ............ 2l5
Chloride OF magnesium. ..............-.... .S9
Sulphato OF lime (gypsum) ...'......... IA
protoxide OF iron. ............ .Ol
| Bromine and iodine, each trace. .......