The Iola register., 1889-02-22

| Pottevatomie County, and At Wellington. IL
| Sumner County: and at the second and lasl
there are indications that rock salt was pierced,
and strong brine is obtained from all OF them
The two wells in Pottawatomie County are re-
markaole in that they give an artesian flow of
strong brine IN position favorable to the man
ufacture near the railway.
Before noting the means taken to develop the
recently discovered Kansas salt, it is proper to
say that Kansas has for many years been In the
list OF salt-producing States. Brine is obtained
| from wells near the mouth OF the Solomon river
in Saline County, at depth Of 10 feet which
has been manufactured into an excellent quail
| ity Of salt since 1867. The works have capacity
| OF fifty thousand bushels of salt per annum.
but it does not appear that more than eighteen
| thousand bushels GS pounds each) have been
produced In one year. The brine strength by
the salometer Is a degrees, but a deeper well
| is now being drilled to obtain stronger brine.
The process is solar evaporation which is con-
tinued about eight or nine months in the year,
| in pans having total evaporating surface OF
s10,oDl square feet. The salt produced is OF
| good quality, and is said to be much desired by
| farmers for the homecoming of meat.
This year Kansas takes her place among the
large producers of salt. And it is rock salt that
is the man source OF supply, though other
sources are TO be utilized soon. The rock salt
| was struck first at Ellsworth at depth of i3)
/ feet in August, 1887; at Hutchinson. south Of
the river, little later. at depth of 40 feet at
kingman, at a depth of 655 feRt; on December
., at Lyons, at depth of 7S5 feet; little later
at Anthony, at a depth OF 925 feet, and in 1893,
| at Nickerson, Great Bend and Sterling. The
| thickness of salt besides the saline shalcs ap-
pears 10 be at Ellsworth, 140 feet; Lyons, $50
| feet; Hutchinson, go feet: kingman, 200 feet;
I An.n,nv =, feet; Great Bend I25 feet Ster-
| ling, Ie3 feet.
The thicknesses at other places are not as
certainly known, but it would appear to be con-
siderable. At Wellington the town water Is
| put down the well and comes up almost COM
pletely saturated solution. 90 TO 100 degrees by
| the salon teri This is how the salt is treated
| at Hutchinson, with like result At King
| man. besides two evaporating companies nearly
| ready for work, shaft is being sun which Is
| expected to begin mining the salt in March.
| All the towns named are either making salt,
| or are in the earlier stages of erecting salt
| Blocks" the name used for the entire buildings
| and plant,) or organizing companies for the salt
| manufacture.
At Hutchinson most progress nas been made
| There the salt industry is an established fact
| The Hutchinson salt is slightly less compact
| that that from Michigan. SO that the barrels
have TO be about an inch larger in height and
| diameter to hold the orthodox five bushels oi
| tifty-six pounds each. OF these barrels, the
| table shows US that single firm has shipped
| seven hundred carloads s-reckoning one hun
dred barrels per car. II is. therefore, indicated
that the railway traffic in this article from the
| salt towns will be something great, and work
| will be giveL to additional railway employees
| 1t has become already necessary for the railway
companies to agree on salt freight tariff.
| The energy with which the salt industry is
| being developed suggests the question whether
| the underground supply will hold "ut or not. Ol
| this there can be no doubt, ii is making low
| estimate to say that there are several hundred
| square miles of salt of from one hundred tc
| three hundred feet thick. in Kansas.
| Statistics show that the present enormous
| consumption Of salt in the United States could
| be supplied for III years from one square mile
of rock salt one hundred feet thick. Here ther
| are two factors assured: The supply OF salt
| slowed up by nature is simply ineNhaustlble
| even in Kansas, and there ne immense sup
| plies elsewhere. There is immense energy and
| business talent at work to make the supply
| available for the use of man. 1t is quite possi
bic that here in Kansas and in other places the
available supply will greatly exceed the de
| mand.
Kansas will probably supply in few years
| all the salt used for ordinary purposes west o.
the Mississippi river. But other uses Of salt
| tended The farmers OF Western, Northwestern
| and Central States will have something to do ir
developing the salt industry of Kansas as vel
! as of the older salt centers. Farmers will USE
| salt as "a fertilizer.