Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-08-27
English Salt.

Cheshire has long been noted for it's
salt-springs, but these are of mild qual-
ity compared to the brine.springs that
rise in the rock.salt localities. This
natural brine supplies the best salt. 1t
is pumped up from it's springs by
powerful engine, and conveyed into q
huge cistern. and from thence into the
pans prepared for it. Under these
pans, when full, fires are kept burning
day and night, and constantly attended
by the tiremen, whose sole business it
is to pile on the fuel. rake off" when
the heat becomes too great, and gener-
ally keep the furnace at its proper
working heat. As soon as the brine be-
comes heated, the process of evapora-
ton begins. All around US stood rows
of long black sheds, from which at
every crevice issued steam in soft
white clouds. Inside these sheds it
was very much like being in briny
Turkish bath; the heat of the steam
was 30 intense that We could only bear
it long enough TO take a hurried look
at the vast pan in front of us filed
with boiling brine, on the top Of which
the suit lay in u thick scum, remaining
for AN Instant on the surface, and then
sinking slowly to the bottom.
Staining on raised ledge beside
the pan was a shaggy. foreign looking
man, stripped 10 the waist, aud persir-
ing ut every pore. who held u long-han
died rake, with wich he drew to the edge
of the pan the salt which lay in masses
over the bottom Having raked tog-th
er considerably Quantity of salt, he
took another tool not unlike u giant
spade, perforated with holes, with
which he lifted tho salt from the pan
The quality of the salt varies according
to the time at which it is "drawn" or
lifted from the pan. The finest. or
what is called, "butter SALT" is drawn
when the brine is ut boiling point, the
pans being drawn two or three times u
day. The coarser salt is left much
longer at lower temperature, being
drawn, in some Cases, two or three
times - week, and in the case of fish"
or preserving salt DULY ouce or twice III
Il fortnight. A morsei OF soap or glue
Is aided to tue heated brIue TO assist
III the purify ing of the salt.
Inc coarsei varieties are never packed
IN tubs. but loaded straight FROM the
shed Oh to the barge, or tiiiei iuto spe-
claliy prepared sacks. The Ii TER salt i,
carried into the drying room, winch ie
sept constantly alta temperature try
ing to ordinary human Nature. aud here
1t Is formed iuto heat blocks, and packed
Tor tx Yurtation. Tuis beius clean work
much Of the packing of tue salt 10
done by neat tidy women aud girls
Tue coarser salt Is carried loose to tue
uarSes on The river This IL very
ueavy work, anu this particular
work Was done almost exclusively DA
Wild rough looking Germaus ana Poles,
Who worked without any clutuIug bu,
u pair vi short trousers; aud MS they
Wheel down their heavy burrows of sal
the Precipitation streams down tEeli
naked shoulders; their bare feet aI.
uard ami coarse from constantly travers-
ing the sailed path, and they absorb
~ much Ut the DrIuo Into their pores
that 1t frequently creates Intense tuIrst,
and makes tue ale house thelr only Idea
OF recreation. Tue work, however, IL
remuI.erative, and those Who have been
trained to 1t acquire liking Tor II,
aud prefer it to II III labor.