The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-04-11
OUR LOCAL CAPITALISTS
Largely Interested In Promotis5 the
Company.
SODAS AND BLEACHING POWDER
Are to BE the Main Products CONNER
cial Salt Will Also he Made = The
Splendid Position OF the Company,
with All It's Raw Materials Near st
Hand and Its 10. 900 Acres Of Land.
Give 1t Great Opportunities.

Another corporation with capital OF
81, 500, 900 has been added to the long list
of those whose chief promoters reside in
Providence.
The company, Of which detailed ac-
count follows, is the Mathieson Alkali
works of Saltville. Va 1t was organized
last August and Its object will be the
production OF soda products, that is, BIZ
carbonate, carbonate and caustic soda,
bleaching powders and commercial salt.
The enterprise which its promoters
have undertaken is particularly haz.
ardous one. involving not only theoret-
ical knowledge of chemical substances
and their affinities, but also years of
practical experience in accomplishing the
best results. Many companies have al
ready started in similar lines of business
in this country and failed because of lack
| Of proximity OF raw material or from
| lack or practical knowledge of how to
| utilize tue waste products. 1t was with
this knowledge OF the risks attending the
business that the promoters of the COM
pany have spared neither time nor ex-
| pense in selecting the best location OBJ
tainable for their plant AID securing the
most expert talent that could be found
| In the world.
The requisites are rock salt, limestone.
| abundance Of water, fuel, wool for max.
| ing packages and a convenient place for
| dumping waste materials. The raw
materials must not only exist in practi-
| cally unlimited quantities but must also
be in such close proximity rs to reduce
| TO minimum the item OF freight. For
| four years the gentlemen interested ana
Il vya ard nf ~
have been examining and comparing 10
cations and they have recently decided
| upon the property at caltville. Va. ex-
tending on both sides Of the north Uranth
| OF the Hollsion river. The property con-
tains about 10000 acres
| On the property is level tract OF about
500 acres In extent under which is bed
| OF rock salt. The salt stratum il 2l5 feet
| below the surface and In its thinnest
portion pierced is 165 feet thick. This
| salt deposit, by the way. was worked
during the late war aud its output fur
Sole Source OF supply
| for the confederate states, after the capl
ture by the union forces of New Orleans
There were then sixty-nine furnaces In
| ope ration producing commercial salt.
| The supply OF limestone Is practically
unlimited, one mountain alone Of solid
| limestone, situated Immediately adjoin-
| ing the works. being 235 feet high. On
| the land is an abundance Of heavy tim
Der, furnishing ample supplies Of wood
| for packages and building purposes. It
| is also situated in close proximity to the
| Pocahontas coal district.
The only company with which the
Mathieson Alkali works will compete IL
| the Solvay Process company Of Syracuse.
| N. Y, and with that 1t only competes In
soda products, as the latter makes no
bleaching powders A comparison Of tho
company's property and plant with
those or any in the world Is favorable 70
the Virginia company. No other COM
pany making bleaching powder owns
both its salt and limestone deposits. No
other company making soda products
has Its salt and limestone ia such close
| juxtapostion.
In the production of carbonate of soda
saturated brine and limestone are the
chief constituents. The salt beds of the
Mathieson company are 40 favorably
situated on an elevated plain that the
saturated brine which is pumped from
the shafts of the salt mines, flows by
gravity TO the towers at the works in
which the precipitate or carbonate Of
soda is made. The limestone is carried
by cars on a gravity raj. road from the
hillside TO che kIins below, . distance OF
100 To 200 feet, and the carbonic oxide gas
Is forced from the kilns into the towers.
In the reduction OF Dleachicg powder
the ingredients most needed are salt,
pure
Limestone and sulphur.
Much of limestone found on the prop
erty is absolutely pure. Salt Is abund-
ant and there are large deposits of sui
phur pyrites near the property.
The company will also make table salt.
Its present proposed output being about
ZOO, 900 bushels annually.
la IT'S facilities for shipping its pro-
ducts the company Is fully supplied by
spur tracks running to the works FROM
the lines Of the Norfolk and Western
railroad. 1t can thus deliver goods TO
the central and western parts OF the c5un-
try With the greatest ease ana least cost.
The three largest centres of cons mp
tiou of the soda are Philadelphia. Pitts
burg and ST Louis. The use OF soda
products is very extensive ia tue pro-
duction OF pap-r, glass, soaps and bleach
ing solutions. IL enters into multitude
If he nee ssities OF life,aud in fact is one
of the moss important products OF the
world. Over 100000 tous OF carbonate OF
soda ar used annually ia this country
aud only about one-third VI this Is
PRODUCED here.
The neea of efficient management for
such company as tnis has been noted
before, ana with this In view the Matn-
iesons of Widnes, Eug., were inuuced
to become interested la the comUauy
here. They have long been the leading
manufacturers OF sodas and bleaching
powders In the worlu. They have taken
a large interest In tie Mathieson Alkaii
works of Saltville, aud will he it's prac-
tical managers. 10 need OF manage
ment by those who nave practically
demonsi rated their ability % succeed ia
the business may be empnas.zsd by
noting hat the company's capital ~
s2 5OO,UOO fully paid; tbat near4y all Of
this will be expeIdcd Ia constructing tie
plant bef,re any return ca, be real zed.