Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-02-21

PottsE atomic County, and at Wellington. II
| SKINNER County; and at the second and last
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-
nnarkable 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 il 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 1866. The works have a capacity
OF fifty thousand bushels of salt per annum-
but IL does not appear that more than eighteen
! thousand bushels GO pounds each) have been
produced in one year. The brine strength by
the salometer is a degrees, but deeper we'll
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 cooperating surface OF
$1,000 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 main source OF supply. though other
sources are TO be utilized soon. The rock salt
was struck first At Ellsworth at a depth OF 73)
feet in August 1887; at Hutchinson, south OF
the river little later. at depth Of 40 feet; at
Kingman, at a depth Of G55 feet; on December
2, at Lyons, at depth OF 80 feet; little later
at Anthony al depth OF 9Ij feet, and in 1888
at Nickerson Great Bend and Sterling The
thickness Of salt besides the saline shales APP
pears 10 be at Ellsworth 40 feet; Lyons, 80
feet; Hutchinson, 80 feet; Kingman, 200 feet;
An hvny, = feet; Great Bend, l25 feet, Ste--
ling, 195 feet.
The thicknesses at other places are not as
certainly known. bat 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, 80 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 ras 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 OF
hftysix pounds each. OF these barrels, the
table shows US that a single firm has shipped
seven hundred carloads -reckoning one hun
dred barrels per car. 1t is. therefore, indicated
that the railway traffic in this article from the
salt towns Will be something great and work
will be given to additional railway employees.
1t has become already necessary for the railway
companies 10 agree on a 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. OF
this there can be no doubt, as it is making low
estimate to say that there are several hundred
square miles of salt of from one hundred to
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 then
are two factors assured: The supply OF salt
slowed up by nature is simply ineX haustible
even in Kansas, and there are 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 posi-
BILE that here IN Kansas and in other places the
available supply will greatly exceed the de-
mand.
Kansas will probably supply in q few years
all the salt used for ordinary purposes west Of
the Mississippi river. But other uses OF salt
will be discovered, and old ones greatly ex-
tended. The farmers OF Western, Northwestern
and Central States will have something to do in
developing the salt industry of Kansas as well
as OF the older salt centers. Farmers will use
salt as fertilizer.