The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-04-19
HOW SALT is MINED
c K Schafer Writes of the Great Salt
Works of Kansas
Ash Fork, Ariz., 40, 1906

Ash FORK, ArlZ., 4-9, l9Ub
Editor Review:
A few comments relative to con-
ditions concerning certain portions of
this great country of ours may be of
interest to some of your readers.
1t may not be generally known that
besides producing zinc and oil in
large quantities that Kansas is also
famous for its fine salt. Hutchinson
is the center of this great salt pro
ducing area and numerous plants are
in daily operation converting rock
salt into fine table or dairy salt, the
kind that is marked r. S. V. P. The
bed of rock salt two or three hundred
feet in thickness lies several hundred
feet below the surface of the ground.
At first thought one would think that
this immense body of salt would be
mined like coal but such is not the
case. Instead drill is started and
a hole made down to the bed of salt.
Two iron pipes, one inside the other,
are then inserted in the drill hole
and in one of these pipes pure water
is conveyed to the salt which is there
by converted into brine and then
pumped out again and distilled. The
product is then ground to suit it's var
led uses. The packing house at Hutch
inson used to be engaged in making
salt and even now they make some
for their own use.
To convey some idea of the strength
of the brine which is pumped out it
is only necessary to state that it has
to be diluted before it is a suitable
agent for picking meat. Hutch nson
claims to have the largest salt works
in the world, and probably it has.
Orchards also abound around Hutchin-
son and it is no very uncommon sight
to see orchards Of over forty acres.
Several are more than a section in
extent. The last few years though
the fruit has not been plentiful or of
good quality. When | was there good
apples sold at retail for above 6Oc
peck. The soil is sandy and the winter
was so mild in general that blowing
was done during some part of every
month. March was really the most
disagreeable of all. came west last
week under orders to do ''field work"
for the Bureau of Animal Industry
To the uninitated this means that |
must travel here, there and every
where over sagebrush plains, cool
shady mountains or across yawning
chasms and try and examine all sheep
in my territory to see if they have
the disease known as mango or scab.
If find band that is infected in
this way then am expected to super
intend the dipping of them, not only
those visibly affected but the whole
of the flock in which they were found.
They are usually dipped in solution
of Lime and sulphur which is placed
hot in long vat and the sheep forced
to swim through 1T for not less than
two minutes. A second similar treat
ment in ten days will cure the disease
but Of course they may contract the
disease again. Arizona is twice as
large as Iowa SO you can imagine
what a great undertaking is on foot.
1t is expected that twenty or thirty
men at least will be necessary to dc
the work promptly. Tomorrow
expect to work out from Williams il
the direction of the Grand Canyon
though it is hardly possible that
will get so far north as to see it.
1t is pretty warm here to-day
though snow capped mountains are il
sight, the San Francisco range. ~ ~.
!, AS | expect to remain out here al
summer on this work l may writ,
again.
Yours truly,
g. X Schafar