The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-02-26
Potash MINES.


Ehey Are AN In Prussia and SappSv
the Entire world.
The potash which is dug from the
i loyal Prussian mines, located at Strass-
furt, ninety miles from Berlin, is the
sole source of the worlds supply. Be-
fore the mines were discovered the
best substitute which could be found
for the product was wood ash. such as
the southern plantations used in the
old days for making I've soap The
Prussian mines are lwenty-seven in
number and were devoted to the pro-
duction of salt before rock salt was
discovered.
When the new variety of salt was
given to the world the Prussian mines
were temporarily abandoned, and in a
few years search for rock salt was
instituted The salt was found, but
In badly adulterated condition, and
an analysis Of the adulterant revealed
the fact that it was the most valuable
part of the mineral. The potash was
at once turned to use as commercial
fertilizer.
The mines are controlled by a syndi-
cate. They employ 21,0O0 men and
yield 1900 car loads day of potash
OF the entire output rs per cent Is
used for agricultural purposes, while
the remainder is used for chemical
purposes 1t is largely utilized in the
cyanide process of extracting gold
| from the ore.-Louisville Courier-Jour-
nal.
Foreign Trade In Iron ana steel.
| The government figures of our iron
and steel exports and imports for the
closing month of last year, which have
just been made public, show plainly
the effect of the changed conditions of
the trade. The exports were $1,000, 900
larger than in the corresponding month
| of 1902, while the imports were $3,00O,-
900 smaller. This makes our total i'm
ports for the calendar year 1903-$4ds-
253, 333-equal almost exactly to the
imports for the calendar year 1902,
while 1t brings the exports to $99,036,-
697, figure little more than 81 ,000,-
600 larger than that for 1902.
The question will be at once raised
as to whether the gain in exports has
been as great as was to have been ex-
| pected, considering the extraordinary
measures the steel trust took to secure
| foreign trade when it found that the
| home market was shattered. Excep-
| tionally low rates were quoted, it will
| be remembered, on rails for foreign
| shipment, so that rails were even sold
| for delivery in Asia Minor at a price
S. or ST below the price charged at the
factories to American purchasers. To
help themselves out the manufacturers
secured railroad freight rates on steel
! for export at discount of one-third
below domestic rates.
1t appears now that the December
exports were 20 per cent larger tran
the exports of December, 1902, II per
cent larger than those for November,
1908, and 10 per cent larger than the
average for the first eleven months of
last year.
Taking steel rails alone, it appears
that the December exports were $685.
TAI as against $21,216 in December,
1902, $1S0,000 in November 1908, and
an average of $66,700 for the first elev-
en- months of 1908
The increase is noteworthy, but it is
hardly sufficient to answer positively
ly large market for our surplus steel
products can be obtained abroad to
bring our exports again up to the rec
ord figure of $129,633,000 for the cal