The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-01-19
A CHAPTER ON SALT.

ticle.
People do not cat salt by the teaspoon
full as they do sugar, yet not i meal is
eaten during the day that does not
haze a seasoning of salt disseminated
through it, and sugar could be much
easier spared from food than the more
humble saline article.
By some mysterious law of nature
salt is continually evolved from living
bodies, and must as constantly be re-
ceived again in due proportion to the
loss. 1t is by the law OF evaporation
that we enjoy our privilege of salt, as
it is now believed that the chief source
of it is from the ocean, although the
salt OF the sea is bitter and Il draught
of sea-water works madness in tho
brain of him who drinks. 1t is esti-
mated that individuals average a yearly
allowance of sixteen pounds of salt.
This does not mean salt in the bulk,
but the constituent which enters into
the system by the process of assinila-
ton. It's necessity an article OF diet
is assured by its presence in the cor
puscles of the blood, where mustard
and pepper are assured!y not found.
The salt miues of the world arc
among the most important schemes of
commerce, and the slightest change in
the method of manufacture is hailed
almost as n triumph of science. When
England began to export u pure white
crystal salt to India, the IIindoos would
not use it, they mistrusted its brilliant
whiteness and preferred the dark
native salt, which contrasted well with
their white rice Time has overcome
their prejudice, md they now eat
freely of the English salt, while their
own has undergone purifying process.
The salt used in England comes pria-
cipa1ly from tho Cheshire mines, but
the continental salt is obtained from
different sources, especially from the
great salt district OF Austria, which
covers a large area, and has been for
people of that locality. The Durren-
berg mine at Iallein has been worked
steadily for six hundred years and
others have been like Patrimony,
handed down to its workmen.
To tho government the salt
mines are regular profit. To go
down into these mines with leather
garments provided for visitors, to gaze
aud taste, and wonder by the glinmer
of a horn lantern, has been one of the
privileges of the tourist in Austria.
The great crystal crypts are most at
tractive, and much less dangerous than
their prototypes, the coal mines.
The salt wells of Syracuse are great
American industries, which are, how
ever, only two hundred and fifty years
old and were discovered by the Indians,
who We're the originators of the salt
industry OF This country, altnOuSn Jney
were afraid to drink of the water, be-
ieving it to have been sailed by a
demon to poison them. Father lie
Moyne, passing that way in 1858, evap-
GRATED some of the water of which
they complained and obtained a pure
article of salt, which he carried to
Quebec. Next Il national tree of the
five nations was planted on the shore
of the spring, and a treaty-maling
council held. The Indians, however.
the revolutionary war. Then a
small company boiled the water in
camp kettles on crotched sticks, and in
177s tho state bought the land, stipu.
lating its future use as a salt unanufac.
turing field, Twenty Indian chiefs
signed the treaty. Gov. Clinton, Viii
Liam Floyd, Ezra L'Hommedieu. Rich
ard Varrick, Samuel Jones, Egbert
Benson and Peter Gansevoort-aD
names of historic interest-signed the
treaty for the state. In connection
with this is a historical incident which
showed what wise heads the athers
OF the country carried on their shoul.
ders. The salt-na<ers planned the Eric
canal, and after it was built, liquidated
three million dollars of Indebtedness
by simply increasing the tax on salt to
twelve and q half cents a busheL This
same amount was afterwards paid to |
the state for taxes on the wells, and |
twenty thousand dollars annually t.
the treasury. The apparently cheap !
provision for manufacturing gives one
no idea OF the enormous profits that
have been derived from the Syracuse
ea1t wells.-Dctroit Free Press.