The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-11-25

PothSS'S'
The Salt Discoveries of Michigan.
In consequence Of the supply of sail
from Southern salt fields being cut off by
the rebellion, and the increased duties
on the imported article, the price has
reached figure never known before.
The range of prices must, to great ex-
tent, be controlled by the quantity manu-
featured at Saginaw. These works have
been in operation only about two years,
yet the productions Of these regions have
been widely felt and must materially
affect the market. But for the timely
discovery of these vast salt fields, the de-
ficiency of this indispensable article
would be as keenly felt in the North as
it is at the South. The growers and
packers of pork at the North would ex-
perence serious results from scarcity
Of this article, were it not for the exten-
sive salt manufactures Of Saginaw
This fact has rendered Saginaw place
of considerable importance, and people
are turning their attention to the manu-
facture Of this important article Of com
merce. The extent of these fields is al
most unlimited, and the supply mex,
haustble. They are between forty and
fifty miles IN length, stretching from the
bay westward to where the Chippewa
river pours into the Tittebewassss, and
even ten miles beyond, and in breadth
extending for more than thirty miles,
the whole country thus bounded forming
an enormous basin that is full and con.
stantly filling with 85@92 per cent.
brine. Bore anywhere in this immense
field to depth of 800 feet, and this brine
is found in inexhaustible supply. There
is no longer, either, any question as 10
the quality of the brine it contains i'm
purities, but it is believed no more and
none different from those found in
Kanawha or Onondaga brines.
With this vast extent Of territory con
tinuing to yield such immense quantities
of brine, there can be little doubt that
the North will eventually be boun tifully
supplied from that region alone. In
consequence of the Importance Of this
comparatively new country, as a great
lumber and salt manufacturing region,
it is being rapidly opened up by the en-
terprise of capitalists. Saginaw, which
in 1884 had not white inhabitant, has
now a population of 5000. and is a
thriving commercial town. Salt docks
now alternate with lumber yards for
twenty-five miles on tho river banks.
For the manufacture of fine salt, there
are nineteen blocks that boil day and
night-Sundays not excepted-an aver
age of sixty kettles each. About twenty
more blocks are nearly complete. which
will soon be at work-all will be run to
their utmost capacity through the winter.
At present. the best blocks turn out an
average of forty barrels per day. Dur
ing tho year. Saginaw has produced
about six hundred thousand barrels.
The Importance and extent of the sal,
interest in Michigan has occasionsd i'm
provemsnts in the art of manufacturing
it, and the old kettles and furnaces are
gradually giving way to the new pro-
cess OF evaporating by steam in large
vats, which produces better quality oi
salt, and at reduced cost. The increase
demand for this indispensable article OF
commerce, and the limited supply at
present 10 meet il. must naturally rem
der the Sag inaw Valley of great import
ance in commercial point of view, and
il is but reasonable to suppose that the
facilities for its manufacture will be cor.
respondingly increased Detroit Free
Press.