Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-02-27
"SALTIS GOODn


If there are those who fear that the
salt industry will be overdone in Kan
sas, they have but to study an article in
the sixth biennial report of agriculture,
10y Prot. Robert Hay, on salt, tits dis
covery and manufacture In Kansas,
with suggestions for It's use in agricul-
ture."
According to Prof. Hay, salt is to be
found under a great part of the surface
of the state, and thereare great many
salt marshes in existence, the plains on
the Cimarron, south of Comanche coun-
ty, being notable one.
Within the last year the prospector's
drill, seeking coal and gas, has found
rock salt in beds of from 10 to 100 feet
thick in the counties of Ellsworth, Rice,
Reno, Kingman and Harper. The
southwest extension of the salt marshes
or northern Kansas is due north of
Ellsworth; so that there is salt belt
straight across the state, with some
easterly extension at the north and a
considerable widening west in the
southern part, i. e., south of the Ar
kansas river.
Kansas has produced salt for many
years, salt from brine obtained in wells
near the mouth of the Solomon river,
in Saline county, being manufactured
into salt since 1867. The works have a
capacity of $4,000 bushels per annum.
In 1880 the state produced $4,000 bush
els.
This year, 1889, Kansas will take its
place among the greatest producers.
The rock salt was struck first at depth
of $50 feet, III August, 1887, at Hutchin-
son. south of the river, a little later at
depth of $50 feet; at Kingman at a
depth of Cos feet; on December I'd, at
Lyons, at depth of 7S5 feet; little
later at Anthony, at depth of 925 feet,
and in 1888, at Nickerson, Great Bend
and Sterling. The thickness of salt be-
sides the saline shales appears to
be at Ellsworth, 140 feet; Lyons, $50
feet; Hutchinson, $50 feet; Klngman,
200 feet; Anthony, IS feet; Great Bend,
l55 feet; Sterling, 1913 feet.
The thinknesses at other places are
not as certainly known, but it would ap-
pear to be considerable. AT Wellington
the town water is put down the well and
comes up almost 2 completely saturated
solution 40 degrees to 100 degrees by
the salOmeter.) This is how the salt is
treated at Hutchinson, with a like re-
suit. At Kingman, besides two evapo-
rating companies nearly ready for work,
shaft is being sunk which is expected
to begin mining the salt in March.
All the towns named are either max
ing salt, or are in the earlier stages of
erecting ''salt blocks" 1.-THE name used
for the entire buildings and plant or
organizing companies for the salt man
ufacture. At Hutchinson most progress
has been made,
The energy with which the salt indus
try is being developed, continues Prof.
Hay, suggests the question whether the
underground supply will hold out 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 hun
dred feet thick, in Kansas. A consid-
Grafton Of the following figures will
show the immense significance of these
facts;
Rounds.
average SPECIFIC gravity of SALT. 2.25
Weight of one cubic foot of salt0ust
half barrel). ................'... l40,6g5
Barrels.
An acre OF salt one foot thick gives. 2I,7S0
An acre of salt ten feet thick gives 2l7sOO
An acre OF salt 100 feet thick gives. 2,17S,0O0
square mile of salt 100 feet thick
gives, -. l. 400, 10000
Present consumption of salt for all
purposes in the L nited States per
annum. .::..........:.....:. 100000
michigan salt wells produced in 1860 4,0O0
Michigan salt wells produced in 1887 100000
1891. :........,,..,......ft ........e... 300
New York state produced In 1851 100000
1t is here seen that the present enor-
nous consumption of salt in the United
States could be supplied for III years
from one square mile of rock salt one
hundred feet thick.
Continuing the professor asks: what
is to be the end of thiss Are New
York and Michigan, West Virginia and
Ohio to cease manufacturing salt be-
cause Kansas has so much ? trow not.
Kansas will probably supply in few
years all the salt used for ordinary pur-
poses west of the Mississippi river. But
other uses of salt will be discovered and
old ones greatly extended. The farmers
OF western and northwestern and CEN
trail states will have something to do in
developing the salt industry in Kansas
as we'll as OF the older salt centers.
Farmers will use salt as a fertilizer.
Professor Shelton shows its value in
this respect on wheat A dressing of
500 pounds of salt per acre on two plots
gave an average increase of close to
8 per cent. of cleaned grain as compared
with plots not 80 dressed. as well as in
crease of straw. This would be equal
to making a yield of eleven bushels to
the acre into twelve bushels which in
three years would pay for the salt with
wheat at 60 cents. The same proper
ton on larger yield would show a
profit on the transaction. There is
abundant evidence of the same sort
from all parts. and it becomes the en-
terprising farmers of the west Kansas