The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-03-08
THE SOUTHWEST.

yIRGINIA's GREAT MISUNDERSTANDING The
CoyPEDERaCY GOT ITS SALT HISTORY AND
PROCESS OF MANUFAcrURg-DURING THE
wAR-ATTEMprs TO CAPTURE BURBRIoGE's
FAILURE AND sToNEMAy's sUccEss-RUIN
AND Observation-Disclosures, &C.
icorrespopdence OF the Richmond Dspatcb.J
MARCH 6, 1880.
There are few more favored regions In
any land than that splendid section OF the
State known az Southwestern virginia.
Astounding in almost everything that makes
n country rich, IL Is q small empire WITHIN
itself, and has all the elements OF wealth.
Dlenty, and contentmeDt. Its grazing,
farming. mining, and manufacturing re-
sources are vast, and are only beginning to
be understood and developed as they
should be.
TODAY | will give the readers Of the Dis
match some definite information in regard
to one Of its great enterprises, OF wbich
only vague and indefinite ideas are bad eX-
cept by those who have visited the place.
| aIIude to the Salt-Works OF Washington
and Smyrh counties, for they are partly In
both counties. In magnitude OF operations
there are few enterprises in the State which
equal them. and the readers of this letter
will probably be As much surprised as tney
will be gratIfed before they get through.
| The work, are situated in the centre OF
| beautiful, fertile valley, faDked on einer
side by curious. cODical hills, and IS scene
OF rare rural loveiness. But 1t Is, too,
busy place. The hum OF machinery, Tue
clouds of steam and smoke rising rom the
furnaces, tue loading and UNLOCKING OF raii-
road trains, the large traffic going on III the
company's stores, combine to mpart 10 me
place an air OF activity and busy industry
animating to benOld.
These salt-miues, or waters rather, were
discovered nearly a century ago by William
King. an Irish travelling merchant. The
formation of salt-crust OH the surface OF the
ground convinced him that there must be
salt water below. Acting on the heller, he
bought the land, sunk well, ard at the
depth OF 100 feet 1.-The bottom fell out"
and the briny fluid came rushing to the
TOP. Mr.. King knew then that his for
time was made, and so it proved, as well
as that OF many that have come after
him. He at once erected furnaces and
commenced the manufacture OF salt,
and never In all these many years
has there !een the least GIminution in the
flow Of the bIiny fluid, which yield 80 per
cent. of as pure, white salt as is made
anywhere in the world. Only twenty gal
Ions of water are required 10 yield bushel
OF salt. while from forty to seventy are re-
CURED at other wells. Another well was
subsequently sunk BY General Preston, and
both are still operated. The product OF
salt now is from two to three thousand
s snonHs per p Wh5e 'as
was ten thousand. The estimated value Of
the property Is from one to two million
dollars, but its real valne can scarcely be
| told Its owners have become millonaires.
There are now in operation four furnaces
| Of $40 kettles, which are kept going night
and dav, and yield about five or six bushels
each per day. The total product per annum
| l. something like half million bushels; 10
| produce which it takes 40 cords OF wood a
| day, or II, 900 cords year. Fuel is now
becoming a serious question, and expert
ments are being made with the furnaces for
introducing the Altoona coal. The water
| Is pumped from the wells by steam and
conducted by long pipes to the furnaces.
| The manufacture is q very simple process.
| The kettles, which hold about 10 GALLONS
each, are arranged in double rows over the
lODg fiues. Huge fires are built in toe
mouths OF the flues. the draft OF the tall
cbimneys drawing the heat wit such force
as to produce boiling temperature ut every
point Of the flues. The salt Is formed in
crystals on the surface OF the boiling
water, ana gradually settles at the bottom.
1t is then scooped out with long shovels
and emp,ied into deep, ronnd baskets which
rest on two poles across the tops OF the ket-
ties, where it is left 10 drain for several
hours. 1t is then dumped over in bulk into
the great salt-rooms, from which ID Is bag
ged and loaded on the cars for shipment.
Thus the process goes on day after day,
month after month, year after year, DAY and
night, and millions on millions OF bushels
have been made and sent out to meet the
wants OF trade and consumption.
Another large and growing interest at
Saltvllle is that Of plaster. The mines are
worked BY two CONFERENCE.-The HalSt0n aud
the Buena Vista. Ex-Governor Wyndham
Robertson is The head OF the latter, and Mr..
John Palmer OF the former. TIE concerns
together raise and ship about 5000. tons
year. The quality is very fine, quite equal
10 the Nova Scotia, and ought 10 supplant
it in Virginia. Plaster is one Of the fer
tlizers that pay, because its effects last for
years.
A thriving town has sprung up at the
works, the ornament VI which is a beautiful
church built by Mr.. Palmer at his own ex-
pense. TELEPHONE.