Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-05-27
Salt and Its VaIue.

All our readers know the value of
that familiar and useful substance, salt,
which enters 30 largely into our daily
wants, and is so essential to our exist
ence. Formerly prisoners in Holland
were kept from the use of salt; but this
deprivation produced such terrible dis
eases that this practice WAS abolished.
The Mexicans, in old times, in cases of
rebellion, deprived entire provinces of
this Indispensable commodity, and thus
left innocent and guilty alike TO rot TO
death.
This mineral Is frequently mentioned
in the Bible. The sacrifices of the Jews
were all seasoned with salt, and we read
OF covenant of salt. Salt was procured
by the Hebrews from the hills OF salt
which lie about the southern extremity
OF tht Dead sea, which overflow the
banks yearly and leave deposit of salt
both abundant and good.
Among ancient nations salt was a
symbol Of friendship and fidelity, AS it is
at present among the Arabs and other
Oriental people. In some eastern coun.
tries, If n guest has tasted salt with his
host, he is safe from all enemies, even
although the person receiving the salt
may have committed an injury against
his entertainer himself.
Among the common people all over
Scotland, a new house, or one which n
new tenant was about TO enter, was al
ways sprinkled with salt, by way of in
ducing good luck" Another custom
OF n curious nature once prevailed in
England and other countries in reference
to salt. Men of rank formerly dined at
the same table with their dependents
and servants. The master of the house
and his relations sat Mt the upper end,
where the floor was "A little raised. The
person OF greatest consequence sat next.
and all along down the sides, toward
the bottom of the table; the servants
were placed according To their situa-
tions. At = certain Part of the table
was placed n large salt vat, which di-
vided the superior from the inferior
classes. Sitting above the salt was the
mark Of gentleman or man of good
connections, while to sit beneath il
showed humble station in society
Salt is found in greater or less quanti-
ties in almost every substance on earth,
but the waters OF the sea appear to have
been its first great magazine. II is found
there dissolved in certain proportions,
and two purposes are thus served,
namely, the preservation of that vast
body of waters, which otherwise, from
the innumerable objects of animal and
vegetable life within IL, would become
nm insupportable mass of corruption,
and the supplying of large proportion
OF the salt we require in our food, and
for other purposes. The quantity Of salt
contained in the sea (according TO the
best authorities) amounts to four hun
dred thousand billion cubic feet, which.
ifpiled up. would form a mass one hun
dred and forty miles long, as many
broad. and rs many high, or otherwise
disposed. would cover the whole Of
Europe, islands, seas and all, TO the
height OF the summit of Mount Blanc.
which is about sixteen thousand feet
In height.
Ii salt, however, were only TO be OBJ
tanned from the sea, the people who live
on immense continents would have
great difficulty in supplying themselves
with II. Nature has provided that the
sea, on leaving those continents. all of
which were once overspread with it,
should deposit vast quantities of salt.
sufficient TO provide for the necessities
of the inhabitants Of those parts. In
some>places the salt is exposed on the
surface OF the ground in a glittering
crust several inches thick; in others,
thicker layers have been covered over
with other substances. so that salt now
requires 10 be dug for like coal or any
other mineral. Salt is found in this
last shape in almost every part of the
world; though in the vast empire of
China it is so scarce that 1t is SNUG gled
into that country in large quan titles.