The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-03-07
Loufslana's Salt Mines.

Louislana's Salt Mines.
A New Orleans correspondent Of the
St. Louis Globe Democrat has the follow
ing to say about Louisiana's great salt
mines:
It need hardly be said that New Orleans
is one of the great salt markets OF the
United States Within her own territory
are those wonderful salt mines, practically
from which train loads Of
salt are always being taken away, leaving
no perceptible decrease behind them.
Away in the depths Of the earth are the
miners, working with compressed air
drills, getting out the huge blocks, and
there are the mules and the drays, carry
ing it to the places where it may be drawn
out; and the work goes on without ceas-
ing, year in and year out. These wonder
full natural deposits have never been
understood or satisfactorily explained, but
whether they formed an ancient sea bed or
not, the fact remains that they are one OF
the important assets to Louisiana, and
therefore to this city. That there should
be, less than 1875 miles from New Orleans,
vast deposits of rock salt, underlying
whole sections, not 100 feet from the sur
face of the earth, and several thousand
feet thick, is one of the mysteries Of nature
which shows what care she was taking in
those long millions of years to prepare the
earth for the coming of man.
UNDERGROUND PALACES.
To the visitor, one of these mines looks
more like fairy cave or an enchanted
palace than like mere prosaic, every day
mine; the roofs upheld by massive pillars
of salt; the place lighted by electricity;
and all these lights glittering on the trans
parent crystals of the salt. Modern plants
have been installed, and everything that
could be done to make salt mining profta-
BILE has been done, at the same time no
expense has been spared in construction
Or operation.
To the uninitiated, salt is merely salt;
but if one begins to inquire he will find
that there are number of varieties, each
one distinctive and worthy of study.
When the mines are worked to their
capacity, one of them will produce 1900
tons of salt day, and when this is loaded
into cars, packed into 300-pound barrels
} or 200-pound bags, it has already been
} assorted and sifted and graded, each fol-
its own especial use.
There are the very largest crystals Of
i all, for instance-they form the ''capping
, salt" This is used for Gaping barrels Of
, salt pork, and an enormous amount of this
2 is consumed in the United States, espe-
r cially in the Western States.
The next grade, made up of smaller
4 crystals, is used in the curing Of hides ir
9 the tanneries, and their use produces 8
: beautifully clean, white leather, wholly
unlike that made with the use Of salt from
mines outside of Louisiana. This, nc
doubt, is due to the fact that this Louisiana
! salt is 1884 pure chloride of sodium, ane
= contains no admixture of other minerals
. which might stain the leather while cur
a ing it.
= The next smaller crystals are used il
: refrigerator cars, with ice, and this, 0
course, is in large demand in this city
where 50 many fruits and vegetables mus
n be shipped in cold storage.
= Next finer is the ice cream salt; and tn
4 salt companies of the city have evidenc
+ on their books to show that the people Q
:. the United States in every section ar
= greatly addicted to ice cream. Indeed,
il may be said that more salt is sold in thi
# form than in every other; and the deman
n for it is not confined to this city, but it
# widespread.
"a IN OTHER FORMS.
Following this come two grades of tabl
n salt, coarse and fine. In the latter the sal
i, is ground to a powder, and is fine an
l. white and pure.
ct There is another form Of salt Gale
J. ''stock salt" This is made in 6-poun
1t bricks, by COMPRISING the fine salt, an
!. the careful owner Of cows or horses Away
6. keeps brick of this salt where the animal
n, can reach it at any time. The need of ga
L is shown even by deer and other viii
animals, which will haunt the neighbor
hood of saline spring and lick the cart
around it with hungry tongue; and if
ID farmer wishes his stock to prosper he
ID wise enough to know that he must provid
"a them with salt
q. There is even bath salt manufacture
q at the salt mines-perfumed and refresh
Ne ing-and this has attained great popu
st larity.