The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-05-10
l}Orax.

There is one article of merchandise
enumerated IN the new tariff bill on which
an import has been laid for tho purpose
Of discouraging it's importation and ell.
couraglng its home production, which is
largely California product. This is
borax, of which large quantities are
gathered in that state and in Nevada.
Few people, except those engaged dil-
cctly in its production and sale, are like
ly to taks much Interest in the tariff on
borax, aud yet 1t is all article of almost
universal use. Prior to tho discovery OF
tho California and Nevada fields lar g
quantities of the mineral were imported
from Turkey. and Italy. Its value then
was about thirty-five cents pousnl. al
present the production of American Dor,
ax has depressed the price to ten cents
a pound. and it would have gone still
lower and caused the cessation of mining
operations in California. if mining it can
be called, if Congress had not impos ed
customs duty upon the foreign pro-
duct. This duty is five cents pound,
and is to be levied after July 1st The
local producers look forMard with much
satisfaction to that period.
The production OF borax in tho United
States ut present is not sufficient to sup
ply the demand. But it is thought that
when the price shall have risen few
cents under the fostering influences Of
the duty first imposed the production
will increase sufficiently to supply tho
entire market. At now ruling prices,
borax making i'll the Pacific states is not
a business which yields n great profit.
There are; it is true, immense fields of
the IMMORAL, but they arc in distant dis
tricts, not easy Of access, and while the
cost of condensation is. not great, tho
cost Of freighting is so heavy that there
remains but worry small margin. A
number Of incorporated companies, who,
III the enthusiasm engendered by the
first discovery undertook tho business,
have gone the way Of all flesh, Somo
years ago there was one company which
operated quite successfully in Lake
county. There was in the employ of
this company n young engineer who
sometimes struck M idea, The borax
in that PAL ticular locality was conduct
ed from the waters of little lake, which
was very strongly lmpregnated with tho
mineral. Tho engineer, therefore, con-
celved the idea that if tho water on top
contained so much borax, that under
-.
He therefore induced the company to
bore at the banks of the lake. The au-
ger went down and struck, not borax,
but good, strong stream of fresh wat
er, which began to flow into tho lake,
and thinned it 80 much that it did no
longer pay to condense it's wators for the
sake of the mineral.
The borax folds which havo boon
wofPod SO far have been generally small
III extent. Only those in the neighbor-
hood Of good roads have been operated
upon. These nre easily exhausted, and
the operators have to hunt for new bor-
ax-fields. This is the cause and origin
OF the numerous borax mining compan-
les which are incorporated each year,
Several Of those lately formed are to
operate IN Inyo county, whore the borax
fields arc very extensive The water
OF Lower Ovens lake contains very
large percentage of borax. In early
days prospectors loved to wash theirIgray
or black WOODEN blankets in this water,
because it removed not only dirt, but
also color. They also liked to bathe in
it, behause the poorest swimmer would
float in it's saline fluid. But tho water
was not good for drinking or cooking
purposes. and very small quantity is
sufficient to produce sea-sjckness. Tho
use of borax has materially increased of
late years. It is now used for great
many manufacturing purposes, such as
making agate household ware, pigments,
sc. The trades, also, use it in liberal
quantities, and 30 do the soap-makers
and housewives, who hate grease.spots
and coukroaches. The industry promls-
es to become important in California.