East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-03-18
nd expor. trade, was unknown in Michi-

In the fall Of 1858, DIR. Lathrop, oi
East Saginaw, called meeting Of the
citizens OF that place, for the purpose OF
bringing the subject Of salt manufactures
before them. He procured a geologist
to lecture upon the subject, who awaken
ed much interest, which resulted in draw.
ing up petition to the Legislature to
pass an act TO encourage the manufac.
ture by allowing bounty of five cents
per bushel The Legislature, ia 1859,
had the subject under consideration, and
finally passed an act to allow bounty OF
ten cents per bushel, aud an exemption
from taxation on real and personal prop
ertyiuSed in the Misunderstanding bounty
to be paid when at least 5000 bushels
Of salt shall have been made by the par
ties applying for it. This gave an i'm.
pulse to the business, and operations
were commenced at Grand Rapids and
at East Saginaw in April of that year.
Little success has thus far attended the
experiments at Grand Rapids. But on
the Saginaw river numerous explorations
have been made, and basir OF brine has
been developed, which for extent, parity
and strength, is scarcely excelled in the
world. The law allowing bounty was
amended by the Legislature Of 1860,
greatly reducing tho amount-providing
that all companies which commenced
manufacturing previous to the lst of
August, 1861, should be allowed FIVE
cents per barrel, until they reached
81 900, and after that, all bounties ceased
but the property is exempted from
taxation for five years. All companies
formed since then receive no bounty.
The first Salt Company under this act,
was organized in April, 1859, and is
known as the east Saginaw Salt Manu-
featuring Company" and commenced the
in July, 1860, starting with
a block of so kettles Since then the
following companies have been organ
lied, (including the E. S. s. NJ. Co.. viz:
Leavitt & Co, of Cincinnati, Saginaw
City.
Saginaw City Salt Manufacturing Co.,
Saginaw City.
Rust g. Co., East Saginaw.
Hess s. Co., East Saginaw.
East Saginaw Salt Manufacturing Co.,
East Saginaw
Hill, Gilbert s. Co, East Saginaw.
Carrolton Mill Salt Manufacturing Co.,
Carrolton.
Curtis, Williams & Hyde, Carrolton.
Saginaw Valley Salt Co., do
Orange Co, do
Portsmouth Co., Portsmouth.
Bay City Salt Co., Bay City.
w. Gilmore, do
Hyde & CO., Portsmouth.
j. II. Hill s. Co., Zilwaukeo
There are now in operation in Saginaw
City, 3 blocks with 180 kettles; East
A blocks, 200 kettles Carroll
ton, 5 blocks, 800 kettles; Portsmouth, l
block, so kettles; Bay City, l block, so
kettles. 1t is believed that the new
companies which have been recently
formed, will have 13 new blocks in ope-
ration before the 1st of July, with 900
KETTLES. The supply of brine in the
whole valley is very abundant, and its
specific gravity is greater than that OF
Syracuse, N. Y, or Kanawha, Va. Pure,
saturated brine has specific gravity of
1,205; that of East Saginaw, 1,165;
Syracuse brine l,142; Kanawha lob
According to Professor Cook, of Rutgers
College, New Jersey, who is regarded as
excellent scientific authority, forty gal
Ions of brine will yield bushel (56
pounds) of salt. That prediction by the
Professor, founded upon an analysis Of
the water, is now practically realized in
the daily operations Of the different
works. The brine of Syracuse yields, on
evaporation, 1Ss per cent. of dry saline
matter; that Of Kanawha 9 2-10 per
cent, and the Saginaw 20 per cent.
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING
The East Saginaw works are about
one mile north of the centre OF the city,
and have two wells, one 669 feet, and the
other 500 feet in depth, and 81 inches in
diameter, two engines and boiler, four
blocks for boiling, of so kettles each. -
We will describe the process of manufac-
turing at the East Saginaw works, which
will answer for the others. The water
is pumped up and carried to on elevated
cistern where some Impurities are sepa.
rated from it, and thence conveyed TO the
settling cisterns of capacity of some
%, 900 gallons each. These cisterns are
SO elevated that tho water may be con-
veniently conducted through the pipes to
the kettles, as may be required A salt
block is structure of brick, or brick
aud stone, from IL to Is feet wide, from
two to five feet high, and forming two
parallel arches, extending the whole
length Of the block. Over and within
the top Of these arches are placed com
mon cast iron kettles, holding about so
to 20 gallons of brine, placed close to.
gether in two rows, the whole length OF
the arches. A fire built in the mouth OF
the arches, passes under each kettle into
chimney built generally from so to 100
feet high, averaging from 80 to 60 ket-
ties in each block. A single block, with
one row Of kettles, is about half Of this
width. The salt is produced more rap
idly from the front kettles than from the
back ones though that taken from the
latter is purer and finer. The average