The Opelousas courier., 1885-03-21

duo GOAiC AAOAt hoAiSs AS6N
varied products of the State. Sugar
cane and the sugar made therefrom,
cotton and Spanish moss were expected
by everybody, but many features of
the exhibit are totally unexpected and
have called forth expressions of
surprise from many visitors. Of these
features perhaps the most striking is
the
MINERAL EXHIBIT
The many people from other States
who have looked upon Louisiana as
being mainly an immense bank of
black earth covered with the vegeta-
ton OF tropical countries will be sur.
prised to learn that in that State are
found coal, iron, petroleum, gypsum,
sulphur and salt. Of these the latter
il the most important and is produced
in the largest quantities.
SALT
North of Red river, in Bienville and
Bossier parishes, there are immense
auantities of saline waters and salife-
rous deposits, the latter being especial
ly found in the beds of ancient lakes.
In the low fat beds of these basins,
which lie below the ordinary level of
the country, the wells are sunk to a
depth of from twelve to twenty feet,
where the salt water %pereolates through
the soil and furnishes an abundant
daily supply. This is boiled in kettles,
and each well furnishes from twenty
to twenty five bushels Of salt per day.
Ina line beginning about twenty
miles west of the mouth of the Atcha-
falaya, on the coast of Belle Isle, and
running nearly due east, are ranged
five islands, Belle Isle. Cote Blanche,
Weeks Island, Petit Anse and Miller's
Island.
The islands rise from the low marsh
and prairies by which they are sur
rounded, and form mounds of various
sizes. The chief of them is Petite Anse
(A3ery's Island), which is ls5 feet
above the sea tide level, and contains
an immense deposit of common salt,
Petite Anse is situated in Bayou Petite
Anse, six miles from the north shore of
Vermilion Bay, which is an arm of the
Gulf. It is fifteen miles to the mouth
Of that bay, where there is a fine land
locked harbor of eight feet depth.
The following are the general results
of the chemical analysis of Louisiana
rock salt Louisiana rock salt pre-
sents the form, appearance and opti-
cal properties of pure chloride of SO
dunn. The large crystalline masses are
80 perfectly transparent. free from all
extraneous matter, and uniform in
their structure and density, that they
would be suitable in all respects for
the most delicate philosophical expert
ments upon the transmission of light
through different media.
The sample of Louisiana salt sub
mitted to analysis, as well as the lar
gest masses, weighing several tons, are
of remarkable purity. This very valu-
liable natural product of Louisiana
is represented at the Exposition by
large quantities of the native product
as it comes from the mines also cut
and carved into various forms and ST.
yes, and ground into table salt and
packed in bags.
The iron of the State is found scat
tered in immense quantities Q an
extensive section of Louisiana. North
of the Red river iron ore is found from
Ouaehita to Badian river, and from
the Arkansas line it extends nearly to
the Red river; south of this it appears
in Desoto, N~atehitoches. Rapides and
Sabine. Bienylle parish is ~singularly
rich in iron ore, and great forests of
pine and oak, necessary for furnishing
charcoal, accompany the metallic de-
post. Bienville parish sends to the
mineral exhibit of the State a large
block or iron ore (limonitel weighing
about two tons, together with various
other mineral specimens. From Bos-
sier parish comes a large block of he
Matte, the analysis of which shows it
to contain Ass per cent of metallic
iron. Claiborne parish shows limonite
containing 52.40 per cent of metallic
iron. Webster parish sends iron ore
in various forms containing 1875 per
cent pure metal. In the cases of hand
specimens are shown several more
specimens of iron ore from different
parishes of the State. indicating that
the range of the iron deposit is very
wide.
COAL.
Like the deposits of iron, the coal
seams of the State are almost entirely
.undeveloped. Yet sufficiently large
quantities have been discovered to in
dictate that the productive coal fields
of the State are far greater 10 area than
has hitherto been supposed q fact Of
&.HN . 49,