Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-19
OUR SALT INDUSTRY.
PittSburg q Leading Source Of Supply
for the Whole Continent.
"REMINISCENCES OF THE OLD DAYS
When the Pioneers Supplies Came From
Beyond the Ocean.
A GREAT AND GROWING INDUSTRY
OFFICE OF PITTsBURe DISPATCH,
SATURDAY NAV II 1900

OFFICE OF PITTSBURG DISPATCH,
SATURDAY. May II. 1890
It Is within the memory of few old
timers when Pittsburg was entirely depend
ent for its salt supplies upon Philadelphia,
which in its turn imported largely from
Liverpool. The. soldiers at Fort Pitt and
the first settlers in the Monongahela Valley
we'll on to the close Of the second decade of
the present century were provided with salt
from the Atlantic coast. There is tradi-
ton handed down from the pioneers of this
region that the cost went up to $50 per bar
rel. The writer remembers one of the old
pioneers whose business in the last decade OF
the eighteenth century was to run line Of
pack horses from Carlisle to Pittsburg and
who, among other articles Of merchandise,
packed large quantities Of salt on horses to this
section. which in that day was the far West.
1t Is now close to three-Quarters OF century
since the first salt well was opened on the saw
Mill run, in that part of the city now known as
the West End or Temperanccville. The
pioneers in this industry were gentlemen py the
names of Magnus and Ross. The latter was
known far and wide through this section as
Salty Ross in the days of our grandfathers.
The salt wells developed on Saw Mill run three
quarters of century ago still continue to be
main sources Of supply for the salt wherewith
all this section Is salted.
Sources OF supply.
There are at this date IA salt wells within the
limits Of Pittsburg and Allegheny City, under
control of the following firms: W. C..
& ]. M. Taylor, Haller & Beck, West End;
Haller, Beck & Co., Graham Courtney. ALE.
gheny; Allegheny Salt Company, Limited, Et-
naborough. The fourteen wells under the con-
troll of these companies are all flowing. The
furthest distance the salt water is Piped Is about
is 1000 feet. The product of these five COM
panies annually is now 3500. 900 bushels of salt.
There has been q steady increase in the yield
for the past three years. and good demand for
all produced. Pittsburg salt is now in demand
from 200 to 250 miles east, being delivered regu-
larly close up to Carlisle. where salt was loaded
on pack horses for the MOnongahela Valley in
the early part Of this century Our salt travels
Kentucky, and within 20 miles Of Chicago.
lkWherever 1t gains foothold it has no trou-
BILE keeping its position. The finest dairy salt
Is produce here, but none is shipped out in
sacks as such. The greatest consumption of
our home production is at home. There Is now
very little imported, and what Is imported Is
mainly because Of old-time prejudices. which
are very hard to uproot. The consumption OF
imported salt grows less every year, and the
time is not far distant when 1t will cease en-
tirely.
Grent Industry.
Pittsburg is the only great city Of the con-
tinent which produces this important commo-
dity and stands third In the country for the
volume produced. Saginaw and Bay City,
MichA still lead us in amount pro-
duced. Pomeroy. o.. was at one
salt industry has been on the wane there OF
late years. The supply here so FAR as can be
seen, is inexhaustible, and we are now looked
to In the world of commerce as q great center
of salt, as we'll as iron, glass, coal and natural
gas. Our producers claim to give better
weights than are ordinarily given in this line.
Short weight salt has become proverb. Pitts
burg producers guarantee every package sent
forth to be full weight. The present is the
slack time for this great industry. and still
there are II to Is carloads going out daily on
the different railroads. Last fall as mapy as
l4O cars Of salt were shipped out in a Single
day. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad carried
100 cars in one day within six months
The nargins of profit are very close but not
as close as they have been within a few years
when salt sold as low as IS cents per barrel.
The companies of our city sell at uniform rates.
The brethren of this industry dwell together
in unity. The days of cut-throat business have
passed. The interest of each is now viewed as
the interest OF an. The prospects Of our salt
industry were never more promising than they
ara to-day,