Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-03-07
THE SALT OF THE EARTH.

VOAO " V1c y
THE SALT OF THE EARTH.
Facts About Kansas Salt Beds.-An In
dustry Bound to Make the State
Worldwide Reputation.
The following article from the Ster-
ling Bulletin will be good reading matter
to those anxious for development of
the salt industry of Barton county:
Among the interesting chapters in
the biennial report of the State Board
of Agriculture, is one on salt ''its dis
covery and manufacture in Kansas,
with suggestions for its use in agricul
ture,'' by Prof. Robert Hay. Accord
ing to Prof. Hay,
THE SALT OF KANSAS
belongs to various geological periods,
and is found under great part of the
surface of the state. Many deep wells
lave their waters strongly saline from
the deposits of the carboniferous per-
iOd. In northern middle Kansas there
are extensive marshes that yield the
saline inflorescence in large quantity,
and springs that yield strong brine. On
the Indian border of Commanche coun-
ty the plains of the Cimmaron become
covered with a thick, white cake of
Mitchell county, is a natural artesian
flow of salt water, with other mineral
ingredients. : Within the last year the
prospectors dri1l, seeking coal and gas,
has found rock salt in beds from 10 to
100 feet in thickness in the counties of
Ellsworth, Barton, Rice, Kingman and
Harper. The southwest extension of
the salt marshes of 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 considerable widening west
in the southern part, I. e., south Of the
Arkansas river.
KANSAS MANUFACTURES.
Kansas has for many years been in
the list of salt producing states. Brine
is obtained from wells near the mouth
the Solomon river in Saline county. at
a depth of 100 feet which has been
manufactured into an excellent quality
of salt since 1867. The works have a
capacity of $4,000 barrels of salt per
annum, but it does not appear that
more than $4,000 bushels (56 pounds
each) have been produced in a
year. The brine strength in the salO-
meter is 45 degrees, but deeper well
is now being drilled to obtain stronger
brine. The process, rs indicated by
the name Of the company, is solar evap-
Grafton. which is continued abont eight
or nine months of the year, in pans
having total evaporating surface of
37O,O 900 square feet. The salt produced
is of good quality, and is said to be
much demanded by farmers for the
home curing of meat.
Kansas stands in the list of states
with a salt product of $4,000 bushels
in 1880. This year Kansas takes a
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 depth of 73O feet
in August 1887, at Hutchinson, south
of the river. little later at q depth of
45O feet; at Kingman at depth of 100
feet; on December 2, at Lyons, at a
depth of 7S5 feet; little later at An
thony, at a depth of 925 feet, and in
1888, at Sterling, Great Bend, and
Nickerson. The thickness of salt, be-
sides the saline shales appears to be at
Ellsworth, 40 feet; Lyons, $50 feet;
Hutchinson, $50 feet; Kingman, 200
feet; Anthony, IS feet; Great Bend 155
feet; Sterling, 19S feet.
The thickness at other places are
not as certainly known, but it would
appear to be considerable At Well
ingtOn the town water is put down the
wells and coma up almost Il completely
saturated solution, 80 degrees to 1OO
degrees (by the salometer.) This is how
the salt is treated at Hutchinson, with
Il like result. At Kingman, besides
two evaporating companies nearly
ready for work, shaft is being sunk
which is expected to begin mining the
salt in March.
AL the towns named are either max
ling salt, or are in the earlier stages OF
erecting ''salt blOckS.'' 1.-THE name use(