Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-06-24
TProm the southern!Planier and Farmer'l
SOME NOTES ON THE H0LsTEIN
VIRGINIA SALT AND GYPSUM,
BY w1NDHAM ROBERTSON.

but. |
HOW THE BRINE Is RAISED AND THE
SALT PREPARED FOR MARKET.
The Wells now used Mt Saltvllle arc
Artesian borlngs. There are several
of them, but all within radius of MY |
yards. Brim, is struck usually at q |
depth of somewhat under two Hundred |
faet-but Immediately rises to within |
about forty feet of the surface. 1t is |
raised by force pumps, driven by
steam, to an elevation of forty feet
whence 1t is conveyed by pipes to
settling cisterns, and from them by
similar conduits to the boilers. These
are hemispheres of cast iron, contain
Ing about one hundred and twenty
gallons of brine, and are set, in double
rows, over the flues of the furnaces, or
"bloclSsn of seventy or eighty to each
block, and averaging about five BUSH
ola of salt per day for each Kettle. The
salt is lifted at intervals of six hours,
drained in buckets over the kettles, and
then thrown into heaps to dry, and is
Sucked and ready for shipping In about
three months. These figures all vary,
somewhat with the weather. II may
be interesting to add, that an open
shaft (about eight feet square) sunk
some thirty years ago within forty 1eet
of one of the principal wells, reached,
Mt the depth Of about two hundred
feet, and penetrated some twenty feet
further a very fine fossil salt, which
was. bored into yet further distance
of sixty feet without going through IL.
1t Is usually struck also, of varying
thickncsses in the Artesian borings.
1t has not yet been deenmed important
TO mine it, but the increasing esteem
, In which salt is being daily held as
manure, may render IL worth while to
sec whether cheaper and inferior ar
ticle, to that now furnished, may not
be advantageously brought into mar
ket for agricultural uses.
1t may crafty the curiosity OF come
to trace the steps of this now impor-
tant manufacture. At the advent of
the whites, decisive evidences of the
prior presence of the Indians were fur
nishea by the debris of an Indian viii
lage, or encampment, Immediately
contiguous to that part of the valley
where the soil Is most sensibly impreg-
mated with salt. These consist of pieces
of broken pottery, arrOw-heads, and
other rude commodities of stone which
then abounded, and are yet, by no
means infrequently turned up by the
plough, not only there, but at the foot
of both gaps of Walkers mountain
opening into the Valley from the
South. But the presence at the Lick Of
numerous little pits, or basins, fash
Toned in the soil by the tongues of ami
mails, also everywhere then seen-be-
sides other reasons unnecessary to state
here-Yould indicate rather nomadic
than permanent settlements there of
the Aboriginals, allowing, In the in
term of uninterrupted access of wild
beasts. Manifestly the spot was to the
Indians an Invaluable preserver of
game. Innumerable proof of the
countless numbers which used to resort
to it, thicSly underlying the soil for
large distances roundabout-partly,
doubtless, the result of their conflict-
and partly. no doubt, of the we'll
known mortal effect of too free indul-
gence in the highly concentrated brine;
but we may be no less sure, these sons
of the forest also obtained their salt
there, Rough we do not know whether
1t was used concrete or in brine. The
pits would often, no doubt, be found to
contain little pools of brine, trickled
into them form the surrounding earth,
and in warm seasons, or where long
overlooked, crusted Mt the edges or at
the bottom with grained salt. To the
more instructed whites, these natural
processes pioneered the way to their
own first rude Saltworks-excavati
of few feet, into which the brine sat
urating the adjacent, gradually flowed
whence, transferred to some iron
household vessel, 1t wns boiled down
10 salt. AT length some more adven-
turous innovator enlarged and deep
ened the excavations, carried finally to
n depth of eight or ten feet las learn
from living eye witness), and OBJ
tanning larger kettles, commenced the
business of making and selling salt.
Tho sweep, now, instead OF the dippor,
was needed for these larger operations,
and, raising the brine, swung itaround
to monster twcnty-gallon kettles, as
they were then considered, at convent
ent distances. This was between 1850
and 1900.
Towards the close of the last centu-
ry, a stalwart fine looking man, q
Scotchman, with his pack on little
white pony, appeared on the scene, but
only quickly to nearly disappear again,
for his pony sunk suddenly nearly out
of sight in one of the treachcrous boys,
whereof that locality still po' s,sses
some rather dangerous sIecimens, and
In which he too became rather deeply
implicated. Helped out of his diff
Guilty by benevolent blacksmith hard
by, partly, perhaps, because of the sad
plight of his far spent pony, and part
ly (may it not have been) that some
struggling ray already had shot across
his ardent brain, revealing some great,
though us yetundelined venture lying
hid there so, at any rate, 1t was, that
he soughtand found employment with
the parties then engaged in salt making
and there set up his household gods
A piece of land lying adjacent, was
soon after offered for sale. His en-
ployer, the proprietor of the Saltworks,
refused TO buy IL, because 1t had been
already stripped of timber-which
alone gave ii value IN his eyes. Here
was the golden opportunity. For the
slight requital, as well authenticated
tradition assures us, an Indifferent
horse, and rifle, he became the pur-
chaser of n future principality. He set
up his little store-But Immediately
commenced, also, exploring for salt,
opening large well, which at the
depth OF two hundred feet, rewarded
his sagacity and enterprise by the dis
closure of the finest brine ever yet
discoNered-nnd In unlimited quanti-
~. This almost pennyless wayfarer
was William King, whose salt and
mercantile establishments were soon
Known TO fame far and wide through
Virginia, TonnesseN, and North Caro-
lima, speedily achieving for him i'm
mense wealth wealth which honestly
made, literally dispensed, AMI modestly
borne, mono ever envled his making or
possessing. The property of his for
mer employer, Gen. Il. Preston, extern
ded 10 the Immediate neighborhood of
Kings well. He, too, short distance
off, now dug for and found, finally, a
similar brine. Sometimes separately,
sometimes unltedly, these two wells
',ave been operated 20 the present time.
they are now worke by tho Holston
SAT- aud Plaster Joint stcCk Conn any,
VINO own ABOUT sevon-oights OF both
properties.