The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-03-23
SALE GARBENs.JOE GTAH
aow..sAIT- IS ssEARFEsTED FROM
TEE GREAT LAKE; ::-=--~

rystallized souvenirs
TT is said Sat salt collects as crust
.pn the ,top Of some salt lakes, sst
A. lee forms on fresh water in the,
q winter: But certainly this is not
So os The Great Salt Lake, which neither
at 4hs bottom nor on its shores gives
sny siiTn 81 its saline nature. The i'm
mehss #esight Of its properties is car
riea entirely in solution, and the cues
zion q squeezing The water out Of these
Ingredients is almost the only one COZ
necseGs with the -productiongof salt
Aom the heavy and beautifuFwaves. ;
saCrs9he eastern shore of the Great
Sals LIKE, the recession Of the water
during q long period Of time has left
thousands, ,of acres almost as level as q
Roar%and the sun has baked the aka
linegbostom so that at little distance
the ground looks like an immense pond,
contrasting with the deep blue green
of:Ehe, sea beyond. ;: There are scores
of Hundreds of acres of such fields,
wEsreen are harvested vast quantities
of crude salt without any other agency
than the annual rise of the water of
the lake and of the western winds
spraading the saline liquid out to dry.
These particular lands were formerly
q depression Of the lake. In winter
time light ietty work or dam is
threwn up, which is removed when the
salt-making season comes -; the sun
and the:wind do the rest.
In other cases the salt water is
pumped, from, the lake into fumes by
rope cables, operated by powerful en-
gions and flooded over the fields, or
gardens, 80 they are called, the fresh
water and moisture being withdrawn,
as in the case of the automatic ponds,
by solar evaporation. Where pump
ing is done it is into 160O-foot fume
by centrifugal pumps with direct or
transmitted power. It begins in the
latter part of May, unless. as was the
case this year, the season is backward.
One million gallons day are distribu-
ted over the lands of a single company,
and this is continued until the gardens
are filed to the depth of eight to
twelve inches. During the intensest
heat Of summer extra quantities OF
brine are added to supply what is taken
up by evaporation.
Capitalization begins as soon as the
soda and magnesium are eliminated
from the brine. These are almost the
only aaulterants. A stick or straw
plsced IN the salt water will in two or
three days be coated with beautiful
crystals shaped like those of rock
candy. At the lake resorts and at cer-
tain stores of Salt Lake City various
orystallized forms are exhibited for
sale to tourists, such az models Of the
temple, cages, etc. <
#The salt crystals as first formed are
about the size of pea. As the water
eYsporates they form almost in the
same manner that fresh water congeals
in winter. A scum collects on the sur
face, but as salt is heavier than water,
the crystal naturally precipitates to
the bottom. The only ingredient in
the water of the Great Salt Lake which
80 precipitates is chloride of sodium,
or salt, all the impurities remaining in
solution. This surprising fact very
much simphfes the preparation of the
commodity for market.
IN order to take up the salt crystals
which, in the course of p season, form
in almost solid mass to the thickness
of fouz: to six inches and sometimes
more, the water covering them is drawn
off by gravitation. In this drainage
the concentrated impurities are nearly
an removed, some remaining on the
upper surface as slight scum, visible
under magnifying glass only.
During September the harvest is
ready, and it is always greater by hun.
dreds Of thousands of tons than the
demand. At this time the water hiss
nearly all evaporated, leaving white
fields, which look as though covered
with heavy fall Of snow, with some
of it partially melted. Along the sur.
fses Of the gardens planks are laid as
rnn%ay for the wheelbarrow Unto
which the crude salt is scooped) from
every part of the field to the center,
where cone-shaped piles, thirty-seven
feet square at the base, and about
seven feet high, are heaped, contain
ing an average Of $50 tons each. These
salt piles on the field of one of the
companies, if joined together, end to
end. would extend four and a hall
miles. Befoee gathering with the
wheslbarrows, which is done oy
email army Of men wearing colored
goggles, 3 cutter, made of gang OF
Cal. wheels on single axle and with
sharpenea aanges, is drawn by team
Of horses over the flats, breaking up
the inorusted crystals. When piled,
the salt is allowed to remain until Or
ders are received for shipments. The
winter rains, instead Of dissolving the
salt; give J. it hard crust that sheds
water.
The particular field referred to above
is 973 acres in extent, and has bear
ing capacity of $4,000 car loads per
enaum. Nearly seven miles of spur
from main railroad switch run out
like fan from the center. This COM
pany ships train load daily whilst the
season is On, paying the Union Pacific
Railroad $500, GOO a year in freights.
Another company, composed largely
Of digRitaries Of the Mormon Church,
constructed last year a pond occupy
ing, $50 acres, and has completed
railroad thirteen miles long to Salt
Lake City, building in addition an i'm
nense bsthing and pleasure pavilion,
recently opened. Their salt product
his year is estimated at more than