Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-07-25

n distance of about eight miles. The island
| is body of very productive land in every
part. of undulating surface, growing rich
| crops of sugar cane, corn, forest trees, shrub
! berry. &c, and rises to height of about one
! hundred and seventy feet, in the midst of n
wide spreading sea swamp, and is abont two
and half miles long from north TO south,
and about one and half miles wide, con-
! tanning about two thousand two hundred
and forty arpcnts, or about two thousand
one hundred acres of land.
APPEARANCE OF THE ISLAND.
"This watery sea swamp completely sur
rounds the island, and extends from six to
twenty miles to the southwest and west, and
which is covered with Il tall, coarse grass
and short shrubbery. TO the north, about
two miles. it is covered with bushes and
stu1ted trees and on the eastcrly and south
casterly sides are located extensive, heavy
cypress forest trees of many miles extent
! The soil of the island ia umber'colored loan
composed mostly of sillicious sand, and so
compact as to permit the making OF 1t into
7 brick.
There is a most luXuriant growth of
| forest vegetation covering good portion of
the island, and consisting of almost every
variety of tree. shrub, plant and vine known
to our country, growing Immediately over
the salt deposit as we'll as elsewhere through
out the island.
About two-thirtls Of the land, including
the salt deposit, belongs to Judge Avery,
and the other onc-third (mainly in the cen
ter of the island) belongs to an old man,
John HAYES who is now and hus been a
resident on the island about sevcnty-thrcc
years. The deposit is found near the south
westerly border of the island, under dry
forest ground, which ground is only about
fifteen feet about the level of the tide water
in the bayou. The salt quarry consists of a
whitish or cream -colOred sOliG smooth rock,
undertaking the earth, within a space, so far
rs vet asccrtaincd. of about forty-fvc acres,
and on an average ofninetcen and Il halftcct
below the surface of the earth, and about
four and a half feet below the surface Of the
bayou or tidc-watcr.
There is no water or brine moisture with
in the salt deposit. The rock is hard COM
pact and perfectly dry. The only moisture
attending it is contained in the earthly soil
above the rock.
The salt was discovered as follows: Mr..
John Hayes, now living upon the island,
where he has resided since 1890, was hunt
ing for deer, lust over the salt bed, in 1871,
and to qucnch his thirst drank the water OF
J II
found the water so salt that he afterwards
took some of it to his own home in bottle
and boiled from it II teaspoontul of salt
Soon after Jesse McCaul bought about nine
teen acres of the land. including the salt
spring. and began boiling salt. lie after
wards dug several small wells for better
supply of brine, without much success; but
while digging. found an Indian carthcr
spoon about two feet below the surface
found also Il buck horn about nine feet be
low, and also found the almost pericc,
, skeleton of a supposed mammoth about ter
feet below the surface. These springs were
afterwards almost wholly neglected, untl
the wear 1912, when John G. Marsh, on ac
count of the enhanced price OF salt consc
uucnt upon our war with Great Bntan com
mcnccd and continued boiling until Tho
peace of 1918. Judge Daniel ID. Avery, the
present owner, became possessed OF thest
salt lands. and commenced boiling the brine
in September. 1861, and continued boiling
till May, 1862, when he concluded to I'M
prove one of the springs, and, if possible, tC
find better supply OF brine by dlSSins
much lower into the earth; and when on!
about thirteen feet below the surface, th'
pick-aXc man at the bottom struck upon, rs
hc thought, cake Of ice, but tins, upoI
being broken of, closely examined, handed
all round, broken to pieces, tired IN ilrc
tasted Of, etc, etc, to the wohdcr OF aii
proved to be pure rock salt.
This Island, from its salt deposit as
radius, is distant about ten and half mile
in Il south-southwcstcrly direction from th'
village of Now Iberia. \ double track o
railroad could be built from the salt bee
over the undulating surface OF the lslah'
about two miles, and thence over deaC
level plain eight miles to the Bayou Iech
at New Iberia, where there is always abou
feet of steamboat navigation, for the sum
say $50, 900, with all the necessary rolling
stock complete.
THE other more favorable approach t.
the salt bed is by the way OF the Gun o
Mexico, through Vermillon Bay, distan
from the Gulf about twenty-five miles, VIII
a dfaught of water through the bay OF ahou
nine feet up to the Bayou of Petite Ansc
thence through the bayou, with four and
half feet druught of water, distance o
about four and half miles, 10 within on
and half miles of the salt dcposir, theme
by railway through the sea swamp to Ill
salt works.
This one and Il half miles of raiIroat
would probably cost seventeen thousah'
dollars. The cost of erecting buildings AM
necessary machinery Mt the works woul,
amount to about one hundred thousand dol
, lars. This amount of outlay, together wat
proper transhipment facilities to the Varlou
, markets of our seabOard, would enable
, working company to compete successful
, with the cheap sack or bulk salt from Eng
land or elsewhoIc.'