The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-04
WYOMING'S SODA LAKES.
An Endless Source of Wealth for the
Young State.

From the ST. Louis Globe-Democrat.
out Of her surprising exhibit Of
natural soda at the I'ransm!ssiss!pr
exposition Wyoming expects soon 20
take u front rank among the wealth.
producing states If the Union as Il
soda producer. The great block Of
natural soda that Wyoming placed in
the mines and mining building was
the astonishmcnt of thousands of peo-
pie. 1t has been the means of bring
ing soda eXrerts from liffercnt parts
of the United states into wyoming
to investigate the extent and richness
of the states deposits with view 10
erecting huge alkali works alcng the
marriDs of her great soda lakes.
Wyoming has the most extensive
soda deposits in the world. The pen-
pie Of the big western STATE believe
they have enough natural soda iii
their soda lakes to make all the soda
biscuits of the world for the next
two centuries. and then thrown III.
for good measure, sufficient sal soda
and soda lye to "cleanse all the tribes
Of earth" during the two centuries
they are feeding on the Wyoming bis
cults, and still have plenty Of soda
left to make window glass for the
United states for generations to come
They believe that within tho near fu-
ture Wyoming will really be furnish
ing the bulk Of tine wrr.d's output 1f
soda.
Wyoming is thought to nave morn
than twenty soda lakes Of commercial
Importance. Thesc lakes are widely
scattered throughout the state. and
are invariably found in deprcssions.
Most of these depressirns have an in
let, but no outlet; hercc the opinion
of gcologists that the soda came in
with the spring water and leacheh
out. the water evaporat.ng, thus lcnv-
ing. in some instances. beds of soda
more than fifty feet In depth and hun.
dreds of acres in surface dimensions.
POWDERED SODA.
The surface of these lakes, through,
the action of the sun and air. has an
crusted over with powdered soda.
closely resembling the ordinary bak-
ing soda. and viewed from their mar
gins the lakes resemble great patches
of pure snow. One examining them
with a pick might wei, imagine that
,
snow had fallen, for the soda beneath
Is transparent crystal closely re-
! semtlng Ice.
Professor Wilbur e. Knight. Of the
chair of geology of the Wyoming State
university 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.
Professor Knight said:
Large companies are now being or
ganized in the East to establish alkali
works in Wyoming. These companies
are now being backed by capital in
New York. Chicago and elsewhere
and while England and Germany. until
recent years. have produced the great
part Of the worlds sulphate of soda
from common salt we hope soon II
replace the imported product with our
Wyoming soda.
From my Investigations of the soda
deposits of the state I believe 1t safe
to say that there are at least 10000
900 cubic feet of soda already in sight.
When we consider what development
work may bring forth the beds OF
Wyoming assume enormous proper
tions.
LEADS THE WORLD.
wyoming undoubtedly leads the
world in natural soda. We have, per-
haps, twenty soda lakes of commercial
importance. Their commercial impor-
tance has already been proved. In the
immediate vicinity of these deposits
| are excellent beds Of sand and lime
! stone and also an abundance of fuel
| In the form Of coal, which insures the
| people of Wyoming that these soda
lakes will be used in making glass,
soap, baking soda and sal soda. 1t
| has been already demonstrated thu.
the Wyoming soda makes a first-class
| window or plate glass. There is little
| doubt that plants will also soon be
erected for the manufacture of the or
binary soda compounds, such as sod-
| um, carbonate or sal soda, used i'm
| bleaching and cleaning: sodium bicar-
Donate or baking powder and soda
lye. used in making hard soap.
There is absolutely no reason why
this natural soda cannot be conyerte 4
into other soda compounds that are
more valuable than the sulphate and
| sold at least In competition with the
eastern or imported product made from
| salt"
The Mormons We're the first to make
a practical use Of the Wyoming soda
They discovered the carbonate soda on
i tsa.nt n t... ri In,