The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-14
BAKING POWDER Wild
IMMENSE DEPOSITS OF SODA ARE
DISCOVERED IN WYOMING
MOUNTAINS
NATURAL SODA FOUNTAIN
Water Than All the Fountains in
st. Paul on an August Day
More Than Twenty Soda Lakes
Prof knights Investfgations-
MormOns First to Use the Soda.

49,
MormOns First to Use the Soda.
LARAMIE, Wyo., Nov. 10.-Out of her
surprising exhibit Of natural soda at
the rans-Mississippi exposition at
Omaha, Wyoming expects soon to TAKE
a front rank among the wealth pro-
ducing states of the Union as a soda
producer. The great block of natural
soda that Wyoming placed IN the
mines and mining building at Omnha
was the establishment Of thousands of
people. II has been the means of
bringing soda experts from different
parts of the United States into Wyo-
ming to investigate the extent and
richness Of the states deposits, with a
view to erecting huge alkan works
along the margins of her great soda
lakes
Wyoming has the most extensive
soda deposits in the world. The peo-
pie of the big Western state believe
they have enough natural soda in their
soda lakes to make all the soda bis
cults Of the world for the next two
centuries and then throw in for gocd
measure sufficient sal soon and soda
I've TO cleanse all the tribes of earth"
during the two centuries they are feed
ing on the Wyoming biscuits and still
have plenty of soda left TO make win
COW glass for the United States for
generations 70 come They believe that
within the near future Wyoming will
really be furnishing the bulk Of the
worlds output of soda.
TWENTY SODA LAKES.
Wyoming is thought to have more
tknn twenty soda lakes of commerc al
Importance. These lakes are widely
scattered throughout the state and are
invariably found In depressions Most
of these depressions have an inlet, but
no outlet; hence the opinion of geolo-
Slsts that the soda came in with the
spring water and leached out, the
water eVhporating, thus leaving in
some instances beds Of soda more than
hfty feet in depth and hundreds OF
acres In surface dimension.
The surface OF these lakes. through
the action of the sun and cir, has been
incrusted over with a powdered soda
closely resembling great patches Of
pure snow. On examining them with
pick one might well imagine that ne
were on a lake OF ice upon which a
light snow had fallen, for the soda be.
meath is transparent crystal closely
resembling ice.
KNIGHTS INVESTIGATIONS.
Prof. Wilbur c. Knight, of the chair
of geology of the Wyoming state uh-
Versity here at Laramie, has done per.
haps more than any other Westerner
to ascertain the chemical richness OF
the Wyoming soda deposits. SPEAKING
OF Wyoming's inland seas of soda Prof.
knight said:
Large companies are now being or.
ganized in the East to establish alkali
works in Wyoming. These companies
are being backed by big capital in New
York. Chicago and elsewhere: and while
England and Germany until recent
years have produced the greater part
OF the worlds sulphate OF soda from
common salt. we hope soon to replace
the imported product with our Wyom-
ing soda.
From my Investigations OF the soda
deposits of the state, ! believe IL safe
10 say that there are at least 10000 600
cubic feet OF soda already in sight.
When we consider what development
work may bring forth. the soda beds Of
Wyoming assume enormous proper.
lions In the immediate vicinity OF
these deposits are excellent beds OF
sand and limestone. and also an abund-
anCe Of fuel In the form of coal, which
insures the people OF Wyoming that
these soda lakes will be used in MAX
ing glass, soap, baking soda and sal
soda. 1t has already been demonstrated
that the Wyoming soda makes a first,
class window or plate glass. There ia
little doubt that plants will also soon
be erected for the manufacture OF tbs
ordinary soda compounds, such as
sodium carbonate, or baking soda. and
soda I've. used in making hard soap.
There is absolutely no reason why
this natural soda cannot he converted
into other soda compounds that are
more valuable than the sulphate. and
sold, al least in competition, with the
Eastern or imported product made
from salt"
MORMONS FIRST USE 1T.
The Mormons were the first TO make
a practical use of the Wyoming soda.
They discovered the carbonate OF soda
on the SweetwGter river in Central
Wyoming. and for years annually
made trips across the sage brush des-
ert in freight wagons. a distance Of
more than 800 miles. to return to Salt
Lake with sufficient soda TO do their
cooking and washing for the year.
These immense soda deposits hive
since been used extensively by the in
habitants OF Wyoming and the adjoin-
ing states
In the Sweetwater valley in Natrona
county, the soda lakes have been d.
vided into three groups according TO
their ownership. as follows: The Nor
gan deposits, the Du Pont deposits and
the Wyoming Syndicate Improvement
comTnny's deposits. The Morgan de-
poSits are nearly pure sulphate OF
soda. The Du Pont deposits are a
mixture OF carbonate and sulphate of
soda In this group is one lake that
contains practically 80 per cent carbo-
nate OF sode- The group owned by
the Wyoming Syndicate Improvement
company is composed of carbonate and
sulphate Of soda, similar to the Du
Pont group.
Taking these deposits as a whole. the
soda is found IN solid formation. and
varies in thickness from a few inches
10 fifteen and twenty feet, and In sur
face area from few 10 more than 100
acres. Nine lakes have been discoy-
cred In Natrono county.
small plant was erected a few
years ago at the properties OF the
Wyoming Syndicate Improvement
company, but at the time OF It's cree
ton the company anticipated the con-
sTuction of the extension Of the Chi
cagO & Northwestern railroad from
Casper. Wyo.. up the Sweetwater val
ley, In which event the road would
have passed the company's prouerty
The road was not built, and, on ac-
count OF the wagon haul Of sixty miles
II was found impractical 10 operate the
plant
A few miles east of Casper is the
GIN soda deposit. This is a very large
lake. and is practically pure sulphate
OF soda
Carbon county has numerous small
soda lakes and one that Is quite large
This Is one located about twenty-fsva
miles northwest OF Rawlins. The soda
from all Of the Carbon county deposits
has been found 10 be almost pure SUI
phate.
In Albany county there are three