Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1888-09-06
PETITE ANsE ISLE.
a oa-er Island In southern Louisiana ans
Hts Nsrx~Ioux salt Mine.

n ou-er Island In Southern Louisiana Aaa
Its Marv~Ioas salt Mine
p Apparently without cause there rises
out OF the marsh lands bordering tbs
Gulf Of Mexico. west % the Mississippi
river. cluster % hills. forming what
i known as Petite Auss Is'e. l. Is tho
only high land 90 BE- found ia the
southern part - Louisiana. and il viii
ALWAYS remain "a wonder that such an
elevation should appear Ga -o uuex-
petts'i place. To realize that 10 l.
an Island l. hard until one tries to APP
proach o.. and then. especially n the
wind l. Ia the right direction, 20 food
the marshes with gulf water. you will
think If the isiauIe-t island sou ever
cav There l. but one way ~ reach
ing IL. and that j. by q Gj-.ocatel
plank road. some parts % which
ars buried ip mud hile in
place p.anS- lingcr patiently a.oat
fluctuatiug with the tide II T. IN ex-
ceediugiy pleasant sensation which ONE.
experience when tbs nigh horse an
but disappears Ia some uufor-eeu alli-
gator ''wal.ow." especially a- th- road
i narrow and a deep caaal fluking
either side waits 90 receive those uu-
nbIo To keep the straight and narrow
Hay.
2 Not content with tho ob-urIity Of its
location. Petite Au-e l. wonderful in
it, composition. Dig down anywhere
twcuty-scven or thirty feet and you
will strike white salt uinety-uiuc and o
half per cent pure. the purest
found on the face % the globe
Dig down two hundred feet and you
will still find salt. and when you have
dug thus far you sill know A. much
about the extent 81 this biz salt rock
a. any one Possibly IL extends two
hundred feet deeper. bat no one knows.
Twenty-Five years ago Delceu Keller.
IA honest nm old darky a. ever
served a master faithfully. wa sent
down into an old well 10 clean IL
ont, and Ia so doing struck hi- -pade
against q rock. which proved 10 b,
salt To-day tho Avery brothers.
owners Of the Petite Ans Island. re-
cyivc "a royalty Of from $50 to $500 a
day from the New Iberia salt Mine
Company, and Deacon Keller 4, AT
70 sgE-sices. sab T-c po' ole man.
bgs I'm trabbliuS dc road ter Zion
mighty Iihely.~
1. The main shaft 20 the mine T., 100
feet deep, radiating from which arr
several immense caverus varying In
height from ten 70 sixty feet. rrofto,--
with solid salt roof and walls Do not
expect the walls 10 sparkle The
miners lamps have. smoked until "A
scurf has formed which shuts i'm the
glittcring salt. Only where blast has
been made rerently dos it look pure
IL l. n mine that can Dr., visited in a
very short time satisfactorily. there
bein- little variety to the salt. and
nothing 20 watch bat the min
ers working with drill and pick
by the light Of the little lamps they
wear in their caps or tlle lights
which twinkle in ths distance. or 20
Hitting by in "a spectral manner. A.
though the guide assures vou that the
roof Is sufficiently thick % prevent it,
cavine. and that. even should it fail.
You would b. we'll preserved. ID seems
good % b. shot up the shaft in the
elevator to the pure air. \ couglora-
Grafton Of buildings Of well-a-s1rtsd
sizes aud shapes. most 81 them filed
with an endless variety OF wheels and
chains and bolts and pulleys. con-ti-
tute tho mills Th,. salt is first hoiste,i
u the top Of "A high tower from whence
II gOes down through series 81
ertI-hers and sifters. finally 10 De
baggcd M on the main hoor aud
loaded into the ears Buildings and
workmeu are we'll seasoned clouds Of
hHe salt filling the air aud giving
every thing hoary appearance and
even outside the mill clouds 81 salt al
the air killing or stuutinz vegetation
IN the Immediate ne5ghborhaod Tor.
Springfield fhtg-) Rpa5'iauA