Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-06-29

DAY AT SALTVILLE.

Facts and Figures of the Place.
Notwithstanding a trip to Salt
vile from Bristol if made by raIl, re-
quires usually the spending of two
nights at Glade Spring, the Editor Of
the NcCS, hastily read the proof of
tibet last issue Of the paper, and taking
the SIS 2. NJ. train on last Tuesday,
was soon at the comfortable ThOmp-
son House. With a sort Of luck not I'M
common, We found there was to be
no train from Glade Spring to the
works until late III the afternoon
Our old friend Mr.. John g. Baylor
of TaZewell, was starting with his
buggy Oh Wednesday, for his home
and having a spare seat therein, the
writer was very pleasantly conveyed
in good time as far as the Buena
Vista Plaster Company's Mill, where
our friend VIM. Buchanan, was found
at his post selling goods and other
wise engaged i'm doing good for his
fellow men After an hour pleasantly
spent with him, we were soon at Salt
vile, and after superb dinner at the
Harris House, kept ~ Mr.. Harris,
who is certainly in every way en-
dowed with the capacity to make the
traveller or sojourner happy, we were
briefly shown by Superintendent +
B Hurt, a birds eye view Of the works
aud some OF the more interesting por-
tions in detail. Tie HOlstOn Salt and
Plaster Co, are now running 500 ket-
ties, which manufacture daily. 25O0
bushels of Salt. The management of
the property is now very nearly uni
fed, ard the result is, that the proper
/ ty is now yielding the handsomest re-
turns since its first development.
THE sALTWORKs PROPERTY
consisted originally of two, the Pres
ton and the King estates, the former
| In Smyth, and the latter in Washing
| ton county. These Estates were sep
ara;ed by the county line which runs
nearly North and South. Preston
originally found saltwater mile East
of the line, and King sank an expert
mental well az near the boundary of
the Preston Estate as practicable. The
result was, he found water so much
stronger than Preston's, that the lat
| ter abandoned his well and sank an
other one near that of his rival, and
met with equal success. Thus these
/ two salt monarchs, for they were both
Kings in that day, operated their rival
: works within a few feet of each other,
and down to this good hour, TO that
limited locality is confined the man.
ufacture Of Salt at Saltville.
From time to time as the water has
shown deterioration after long and
constant usage, new wells have been
sunk and the old ones have gone into
disuse. All of these wells have re-
vealed solid bed of Salt Rock, at a
depth of 2l2 feet. and on that forma-
ton the brine has generally been
reached. Attempts have been made
to reach the under side Of the Salt
Rock stratum, but without success
For years the question been has asked
HOW THE brine is FORMED.
Until recently, no satisfactory an
swer has come from the silurian
depths. 1t was known that after the
passage through fresh water. which to
some extent, defied all attempts to
smut il out, the BRINE was reached on
the salt Rock formation. and that
from a strength of Sc to 90 per cent OF
2 saturated solution, under long con-
tinued and constant pumping, it de-
Perforated In strength as much as so or
80 per cent.
Seine 80 or 40 years ago there was
SINK a shaft nine feet square 10 the
surface of the Salt Rock. This was
carefully cribbcd from bottom to top,