The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-02-23
How Salt is Made at Syracuse.

The water is pumped from the wells
and stored in large reservoirs; from
which it is drawn off and conveyed to
the several blocks where 1t passes
through a duct made of elm logs. Upon
each side of this duct are cast iron hem
spherical kettles, thirty-siX inches in
diameter. These vessels extend the
whole length of the building and are
filled with the brine. The huge fur
haces are then started up and the Wo k
of evaporation goes on. The heat is
driven under the kettles by means of
powerful blowers. The evaporation of
kettle of water takes from five to thirty
hours, according to its proximity to the
fire. The salt is dipped out OF the ket-
ties in oval shovels and placed in bas-
kets where it is allowed to drip for a
few hours. 1t is then thrown into a
huge bin to be removed to another
building. The refuse from the evap0-
ration is called ''b;ttern," and is of a
chalky, pasty substance. 1t is dis
charged into a waste drain. The salt
is carried into large four-story build
ing, where it first passes through a so
luton of acids for the purpose of decom
posing the chlorides. This is called the
washing process. About $500 bushels
are washed per day. The salt is then
sifted to drain off the pickle and falls
into the cellar where it remains for
some time. Ii is shoFele1 into q large
bin, from which it is carried in cups on
a belt to boiler twenty-siX feet long.
The interior OF this boiler contains sew
eral spiral partitions running length.
i Ia
way until it is deposited in bin at the
other end. 1t becomes thoroughly dry
by this process. Cups again take /!
and carry it to an upper floor in the
building, where it goes through a sift-
ening and grinding process. The salt
intended for dairy purposes is grount
upon granite rollers, while that
for table use passes through an ordi
nary Touring mill The article is now
ready for use, and all that remains Is
to properly prepare it for shipping. II
the front of the building is railroad
track, while in the rear is the Erie
Canal. The article is put up in bags
boxes and barrels. An even barrel con
tains $50 pounds. The bags contain
from one to 1886 pounds. In the pack
ing room large number of girls ar,
employed. In putting up the salt, the,
usually work in pairs. One girl fills
bag and then passes it to her compan
} ion, who, with few quick stitches
} closes the end. They are paid iron
J eight to twenty cents per hundred bags
according to the size, and smart gin
, can earn on an average about $l.25
, day at this work. The article is the
{ ready to be sent to all parts of the cour
try 1t must first be inspected and
penny duty collected for every busht
7 manufactured.
} The salt springs are all worked b
l private individuals who lease the proI
l erty for te m of ninety-nine years.
7 present about 5000 men are employe
| on the reservation. The business is M
9 so prosperous in Syracuse as it was
l few years ago. Blocks which woul
4 have sold some time ago for 800, 900 ca
Y now be purchased for $4,000, so gre;
has been the depreciation in the Walt
S of this property. That the business hi
been profitable to the State is not to
i: questioned Before the taxes were +
, duced to the present rate the wei
}; yielded over SO, 100000 to the State. m
SluC6 ludG lllno hdNO IclHluuisCi IL II
S all expenses, and up to within a fe
years have paid $4,000 annually in
- the treasury, beside $780, yearly
: canal tolls, Those who delight
It figures will take interest in the folio,
ing list of articles that are used at the
manufactures every year: $500, 900 tol
of coal, 2S,000,000 barrel slaves, II
1 C0O,O)O barrel heads, 100000 barr
u hoops, 100000 yards of cloth, al
is 3.O0O,00O feet of lumber. BROOKE
Eagle.
e Hammered brass is new rag