The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-09-23
PETIT ANSE ISLAND,
IN. o. TimeS-Democrat.1

mo. Times-Democrat
One of the original settlers on the
island, Mr.. Hayes, as early as 1870
knew of the existence of salt springs or
licks there, and during the war of 1872
with Great Britain, Mr.. Marsh, who
was the grandfather of the present pro-
prietors, made salt from the waters
taken from the wells or springs and
supplied the early settlers Whereabouts.
The return of peace, however, per-
mitted again the importation Of salt at
rates which the rude appliances here
could not compete with, and so the
manufacture of salt was entirely dropp-
ed and became almost a mere tradition
until the breaking out of the late civil
war. Blockades, etc., once more cut
off the supply of this necessary article
of life, and the late Judge Avery again
revived the work of his father-in-laW.
Furnaces were erected with batteries of
sugar kettles and such plant as could
be gotten together in the surrounding
country, and the boiling of the brine
of the wells prosecuted to the extent of
the means on hand. Early in 1862 the
work was going on under the superin-
tendency of Mr.. Join NJ. Avery, one
of the present proprietors. He soon
found it necessary to secure a more
abundant supply of brine, and for that
purpose commenced sinking Il new
we'll. At depth of about 1G feet his
worklnen told him they had struck a
log or something of the sort. He in
structed them to clear away the dirt
and see what it was, which they did
and announced the obstruction to be a
big stone. Mr.. Avery then went down
into the pit himself, and with Il chisel
chipped out a piece of the supposed
rock, and to his establishment found it
to be solid salt. a further examina-
ton was at once made, and on becom-
ing satisfied that the salt existed in
considerable quantities a report of the
facts was made to the Confederate au-
thorities at Richmond. a military
on the island, a causeway built across
the marsh to the mainland, and the
work of getting out the salt prosecuted
in earnest. At the point where salt
was first discovered it was but few
feet from the surtace-only II at some
points-and no regular shaft was sunk;
but pits were dug indiscriminately,t the
surface removed, and the salt quarried
out. Very large quantities were taken
out in this way, but no authentic record
can be found Of even an approximate
amount. The salt, however, was dis
tributed over almost the entire South,
and estimates have been made that
from 100000 to 3O,OOO,OOO pounds
were thus distributed. The quarrics
were run for about a year, and then
destroyed in 1868 by Federal eSpedi-
ton sent out for that purpose. At the
close of the war negotiations were en-
tered into with capitalists to develop
so|, IN I,n
formation of company by Charles p.
Choteau, Esq, of st. Louis, Mo-, and
others. By this company shaft was
sunk, hosting and grinding nlachin-
cry erected, and headings driven some
$50 feet. The work did not prove a
success pecuniarily and so was aban-
doned by the parties, to be again taken
up by company organized in Calves
ton in 1879. This company did some
work on it, and then they abandoned
the enterprise. 1t was then taken
hold OF by New York capitalists, who
formed company. They quickly re-
cognized the fact that large eNpendi-
lures of money We're necessary to de-
velop the great industry that was in
their hands, and have, accordingly,
gone into the matter in earnest, spend
ing large sums in the purchase and
erection OF the most improved mining
machinery, securing transportation,
etc.
The extent of the deposit as yet is
unknown, yet exploration has shown
that it covers depth and space enough
to furnish salt enough to supply the
United States more than a century. AS
far as can be seen, the salt is one solid
mass without the slightest flaw, and is
made up of the cube crystal, varying
from one-fourth to onccigth of an inch
in diameter.
The deposit, so far as is now known,
of gangways and galleries; so it may
be said that the body of salt is as yet
practically untouc.icd-but little over
one three-hundredths ofthe single love
being now taken out. The galleries
look like tunnels bored in rock.
There are about 20 men at work il
the mine, - Of them drilling. In Tho
forenoon these II men had drilled ,:
holes; in each hole was inserted 6
charge of dynamite, and little before
dinner time these charges were iirct
off, six at time. The firing off is al
ways done just before quitting at nool
and night. Before the men go to worl
again the foul air occasioned by th
blasting has all been pumped out