The Washington herald., 1909-06-20

The virtues OF salt have been eulogized
by sages and saints. and tbe Book OF
Books SAYS, in beautiful word-painting.
Let your speech be always with grace,
seasoned with salt" Shakespeare knew
its vitalizing power when he wrote.
Though we are justices. and doctors.
and churchmen. Master Psge. we have
some salt OF our youth in Us" Homer
calls salt divine. and Plato says. "A sub
stance dear 10 the gods. Plutarch speaks
OF II "as the emblem OF the soul" HsW-
thorne remarks reverently. salt IS white
and pure; there is something holy IN
salt" The Arab uses salt as an emblem
OF hospitality The Abyssinians carry a
piece Of Il with them 20 offer for tasting
70 those they wish 70 meet as friends.
The first mention OF salt IS IN the Book
Of Genesis. and in many places thereafter.
Spllllng salt was held 70 be an unlucky
omen by the Romans. and the supersJi-
ton has descended 10 ourselves. IN Leo
nardo da Vincis famous picture OF the
Lords supper, Judas Iscariot Is known
BY the salt cellar knocked over accident
ally by his arm. salt was used IN sac
rihce by the Jews. as well as By the
Greeks and Romans. and Il is stin used
IN baptism by the Roman Catholic
Church II was an emblem OF purity and
the sanctifyinr influence Of a holy Hfe on
others. hence our Lord tells His disciples
they are ~the salt OF the earth" For
merly the family saler (salt CELLAR was
OF massive silver and placed in the mid
die OF the table Persons Of distinction
SAT- above the saler. {. e, between II and
the head OF the table. Dependents and
other inferior guests sat below f. Nature
so loves salt that almost all OF our animal
and vegetable food contains f. Tit
farmer wants 1t on his table and on his
fields. for his crops are favored by th'
proper and judicious use OF salt: IL in
creases the capacity of the soil 70 retain
moisture. Nature 50 loves salt that
may say al springs brimming with pur'
water contain salt
Chemical industries would be blightet
without salt have often thought tha,
I II the highways, streets. and alleys o.
cities afflicted with yellow fever or chol
L
might not only blight but destroy dis
ease germs IN Biblical times sowing o
much salt meant permanent desolatiou
killing OF everything. Judges. ix-45
/ Sigonius observes. When Milan va
taken. A d. 1is2. the walls were raze'
and Il was sown with salt - for ObviOU
/ reasons
! Salt increases the specific gravity o
+ water. hence the ocean is not so anecte
( by storms as il would be il fresh. an
\ without the salt navigation would b
more hazardous. salt. taken all IN all,
not the best antiseptic. Is certainly on
OF the most useful and nature has bee
lavish IN supplying our needs. Its abun
Z dance makes Il the cheapest OF all DeCeS
sites. There are shoals and seas OF sal
in various quarters OF the globe. but
7 strange TO say. there are no mines o
great import. although there are plsnC
OF saline springs and lakes from whic
the mineral Is principally utilized Amer
ican salt. however, IS Of very superio
( quality. being much heavier than Ems
Esh salt. The salt mines OF CracOw, Il
Poland. have been worked since the Yea
IA. y. I25. one OF these Is said 20 be IL
\ feet deep. go feet wide. and more ina
three miles in length. In the vicinity @
i Csrdens, Spain IS a mountain so fee
high and about three miles IN circumfeg
fence which IS composed almost entirely G
rock salt In Persia and Arabia roc
salt IS so abundant that some OF the IN
habitants use II for building houses 1
contrast. 50 scarce IS salt IN Delhi an
Agra. the cities Of Hindoostan. that IL sci
for shnlings per pound II is said 10 B
so rare in the interior OF thar countr
that the natives use as money pieces
the mineral sealed up and bearing II
stamp OF their prince
Petroleum. for some mysterious reasoi
is never found save IN the presence Z
sal. and doubtless countless tons OF ss
underlie Us. an unseen and marveloJ
chemical force The salt water pumpe
Up IN procuring petroleum IS SO brin
that IL will blister the tongue ''Thel
. are more things in heaven and earth. HI
ratio. than are dreamt OF in your ph
losOphy,"
We are told that ineIosed seas set the
salt from contiguous sources WhenC
the mighty. ocean gets its salt is as niue
. q mystery as the viewless winds.
The ocean covers some eight-eleventf
of the globe with an average depth (
2 900 fathoms. II has been computed thl
the entire ocean II dried I'D would yie
not less than 4sle.S50 cubic miles OF roc
salt. or about fourteen and a Ia
times the bulk OF the entire continent
Europe above high water mark. masse
mountains. and all. Suppose the sea we
: fresh. with all the pollution that wir
! and tide. river and rivulet carry into
5 what noxious grOwths would crowd 1
I shores ana environments; what pesulen'
: might. and doubtless would, stalk Il
r earth. Nature. however. salted the Sc
r and the air from that salted water dV'ar
trees and vegetation FAR away 70 give
, the ocean winds and storms a free ar
) unfettered pathway over which they ma
Il plow through acres and acres OF ar