Arizona republican., 1911-03-27
A REVOLUTION IN SALT MAKING.

SoiAiSo I1puShiilSpH UT sodilpTu ndS sold for $5,00O.OOO the American rights of new invention which. he asserts. will revolutionize the whole salt indus try. A telegram reached him from an agent in the United States on Saturday saying: Sold American rights to strong American Canadian syndicate Terms, s5,O0O,OOO and royalty"
 The inventor is a Stafford merchant head of the firm of James Hodgkinson (Salford), Limited, makers of mechani- cal stokers and economizers. The in vention. besides making MT. Hodgkin- son a millionaire. will have the effect it is said, of cheapening salt to users throughout the world.
 The manner by which MT. Hodgkin- son conceived the idea of his patent is interesting. Four years ago he was engaged in the course of his business on the plant at the Norwich Salt works. and he then formed the opinion that there was room for vast improve ments in the salt making process. He went home and labored at the scheme for four years. until it has at last borne fruit
 My idea was secuted at first" he said. What do you know of the salt industry" I was asked. But I kept begging away and now am as certain ss it is possible to be "f the success of my invention"
 MT. Hodgkinson's plant consists of three covered and four uncovered pans. all heated from one fire, instead of from seven, as at present. This fire is regulated by the Hodgkinson patent stoker to insure automatically uni- form temperature. He can so regulate the intensity of the fire by draft con trol that he can produce all varieties of salt and all sizes of crystal simultane- onsly by the one fire.
 As examples Hodgkinson produced four boxes containing different kinds of salt produced in this way. In the first pan, heated at a uniform tempera- ture of anything up to 1.sOO degrees. a table salt was produced by a process of pure specialization finer than any previously made. No grinding or fur ther treatment was necessary. From the first pan the waste gases and steam are carried underneath the oth- CT pans by draft system, and the heat is regulated and controlled by Hampers under each pan. Precipitation is also hastened by steam fans. The second and third pans produced a dairy salt slightly coarser than the table salt and the remaining pans. which are covered. received the gases at a considerably re- duced temperature and produced the coarser salts used in preserving fish. The whole system forms a sequential working of a cascade of heat, econO- mixing fuel and using the full value of the steam, which had formerly been allowed to escape. As there is no smoke a chimney is unnecessary.
 Hodgknson mentioned that in Eng land only about 100000 tons of salt were produced annually. The effect of his patent would be felt with greater force in the United States. where 4,500.000 tons were produced year. The Chicago meat factories alone. he said. utilized more than England produced. There were undoubtedly large tracts of salt in Canada, too, and the invention would give it's production an impetus.
 Moreover he claimed that salt dis tricts need no longer be marred by clouds of smoke. as this new plant gives off no smoke. Even yet" he added finally. 'I do not think I have exhausted the whole resources of my scheme I have discovered a principle not limited by anything I have done. but there has been very little invention in salt making from the time of Me thuselah until now" The inventors only anxiety at present is that he is not we'll enough to undertake person ally the tests of the invention to be made in the United States The appli- rf.I, and the finishing tests will take place in a few days. Apart from his pres ent invention Hodgkinson is known all over the world as an inventor of me chanical stokers and economizers and has received contracts from the Brit sh admiralty. He maintains also that he has solved the black smoke prob lem."-London Daily Mail.