The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-07-25
A FOUNTAIN OF SALT
Barred in the Earth a, Avery. Island.
New. Orleans Tinaes.l /,


In the year 1862, during Confederate
times, when the Southern country was
cut OF from communication with the
outside world by blockades, resort
was had to certain salt wells In the
parish of Iberia, near the head of Yer
million Bay, and eight miles south of
the town of New Iberia, for the manu-
facture of salt. The wells were situated
on lands belonging to the Averys, q
well-known family In that section. In
the. year mentioned the Averys en-
gagged In boiling the waters Of these
wells and thus obtained an excellent
quality Of salt The place was then
called Petit Anse, but 1t Is now gene
rally known as Avery's Island.
As the water supply declined these
wells were opened deeper, and this
process was kept up until at last hard
bottom was found, which at first was
supposed to be solid rock, and the
water supply wholly failed. The ope-
rators, however, wero not long In as
certaining that the hard bottom was
not simply rock, but rock salt, Of ex-
traortlinary purity, which only re-
quired to BIO mined and ground to suit
the wants of consumers. Various at
tempts have been made since then to
utilize these mines and bring theis
REOAuVO 1OSV AA0A A0Ss ALL AO"0VcGS
failed in practical results until last
December, when a strong company
with plenty Of means at it's command,
was organized to purchase these mines
and work them. That company, duly
chartered, was called the sAmerlcan
Rock Salt Mining Company" lin
February following this company sue
ceet1ed In making q satisfactory ar
rangement with the Averys, obtaining
an exclusive right to work the mtpes
for twenty years. Operations were
commenced Immediately to obtain a
navignble outlet to market. Dredge
boats were purchased and set to work
la Petit Ar,se Bayou and on the bar in
has already been made, and by the first
of September next an 8-fOot channel
will be obtained through tho bayou
and over the bar mentioned, which
will give to tho products of the mine
easy transportation to market.
Pending this work, tho company has
lost no time in recOnstructing the OLD |
salt works, cDiarging and otherwise
them, and is now steadily
working the mines and preparing the
salt ore for market. Thus far no bot
tom has been found to the deposit. A
shaft ninety feet doep has been sunk
GAAouEu saOsAu a<AAG "a lAt1lClA1S6S purify
and unvarying quality. It appears to
be- q buried mountain Of solid rock salt
~ inexhaustiblc - and of the finest
quality in the world. An analysis of
the salt shows that it is 99i per cent
pure. We have no knowledge of any
other mines Of equal purity.
The mining process Is simple. The
salt ore Is taken out In bouldcrs, when |
it is crushed and then ground in mile |
more Or less fino to suit the demands |
of commerce, and packed in seamless |
bags.
Since the present company came into |
possession of these mines there have |
been fair and steady shipments of salt
TO Texas, both in sacks and In bulk,
and the company expects to supply !
the entire trade of that State; and in
time, when all the facilities for trans
portation are rendered available, 1t
will be possible for this mine to meet
any demand that can possibly bc made
upon it.