Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-01-21
SALTVELLE.
An hour among the Furnaces
The great saline depOsit--The
Gypsum HInes--AcIcntbhe-
Farlfaing.

On mOnuaN iaSl, dt tuc NV iIaIiOh
of General Malone, it was our pleas
ure to accompany limited number of
excursionists to Saltville. Upon the
special train were few English cap
italists who in their explorations in
S. w. Va. were not unwilling to visit
the basin, which is so rich in its geo.
logical and neurological formations.
Gliding over the new track of the A.
NJ e. o. II. r., We we're soon on the
ground so much coveted by so many
men, and which had recently a grea-
ter number of proprictors, than the
Tichborn estate hath claimants. TIE
valley, in which are situated the Salt
Works. contains about 800 acres of
surprisingly fertile land, and, save
where drenched in waste salt water,
is covered with magnificent sward
of grass. On the North and East of
the basin, is a Gordon of peculiar hill
locks, which to the eye of a fanciful
dreamer, are so artificial in appear
ance as to suggest that when the
Mas;odon and Mamoth had their
lordly lair in that Valley, they had
been thrown up by eOntemporaneous
giants, Ito potato hills. Here and
there mcOmely piles of brick and
stone, and rows of old broken kettles
clad in their venerable garb of red
rust. attest the destruction by stones
man IN December 1864. But every
where are evidences of the peace and
development which succeeded it.
A beautiful. new, and tastey HO-
tel recently finished by the company,
Invited us from the cars, and furnish
ed, through its lessee, MIR. Charley
Harris. superb dinner. At Glade
Spring, we had been joined by. Mr..
FLOYD b. Hurt, the efficient President
Of the Holston Salt and Plaster Co.
By him we were conducted to the
Salt Furnaces and Plaster Mine.
Some of these furnaces have been
newly erected by Mr.. Hurt, and their
supeiOr convenience, and careful cons
structiOn, as well as their location,
are decidedly creditable to his man
agement. There are now in opera
ton. six Of these furnaces with ca
pacity of 1872 kettles, from which are
annually made and sold two thirds of
a million bushels of Salt. This sack
ed INTO three bushel sacks of 80 lbs.
and furnished a: the works at soc
Per bushel, The production could
be extended indefinitely, the demand
suggesting the only limit. The water
is drawn f. ON two wells, of which
there are really six. The two in &C
tive use, are some l25 feet apart,
but are worked by one engine, The
connecting rod being supported be-
tween by swinging arms. The hand
some xhjte cottages and residences
owned by the Company, are located
picturesquely about the margin of
the meadow, and we should not for
get to mention very tasty and COM
modious new church, erected by Mr..
Palmer, one of the Company, at a
cost to him personally Of So 500, and
built upon a plan furnished him for
$50, by an architect of Syracuse n. |
Y. 1t was being ceiled with building
paper, and will be heated by furnace |
from the basement. The stock OF
yypsuin for the season has been al
ready mined, and was being weighed,
md stacked into carloads ready for
There appeared to
De some six hundred car loads await
NO orders, of which there should be
IN increased number as no fertilizers
s so fruitful of returns to. the
arr~er as Gypsum.
On the slope of one of the hills Mr.
Hurt has had this gypsum sprinkled
20 as to spell the word PLASTER in
ettcrs at least thirty feet in length
ind the happy effect would be visible
f the observer could view it at dis
ance of twenty furlongs. Mr.. Palm
II, who is President of the Lynchburg
Agricultural Society, took our cOmpa-
" in his carriages to his barns to in
pect his fine short horn cattle OF
which he has all told about tour num-
lred. These he keeps stabbed every
tight and feeds them regularly upon
God steamed and prepared in a most
.areGul manner. Each bullock seems
O know his own stall and marches to
t. inserting his head between the
,ars where it is promptly secured I'M
il they are allowed to return TO the
ield. In one of these stables we're
4 cattle which would average 1880
pounds gross. and a cash value of
90.
These cattle are of the finest inn
,orted stock and Mr.. Palmer's profits
must be very satisfactory.