The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-12-01
HAS SULPHUR MONOPOLY.
Louisiana Also Important Oil, Gas, and
Rock Salt Producer.


Rock Salt Producer.
In one respect Louisiana stands pre-
eminently in the lead of the states Of
the Union-that is, in the production
of sulphur. In 1904 the Frasch process
for the recovery of sulphur from beds
underlying heavy cover of quicksand
was put into operation by the Union
Sulphur Co., of Sulphur City, near Lake
Charles, in CaIcasieu Parish! Since that
time approximately 100000 tons of re-
fined sulphur have been recovered from
the Louisiana deposits. Prior to 1904
the only domestic source of sulphur in
quantity in the United States was py-
rite, from which sulphuric acid il made
direct, and nearly all of the sulphur
used was imported from Sicily. At the
present time the domestic output of re-
fined sulphur, except from Louisiana, is
a neglbie quantity, and the quantity
and value of the imports are insignifi-
cant compared with what they were 10
years ago. In 1908, one year before
the production of sulphur in Louisiana
began to exert an influence upon the
market, the imports of sulphur into
the United States amounted to l9l ,033
long tons, valued at S3700,690 In 1912
the imports were 29,027 tons, valued at
$583,974 On the other hand, the do
mestic production of sulphur in 1912 ex-
ceeded by more than $4,000 tons, or
nearly so per cent. the imports Of Sici-
liam sulphur in 1908 and was more than
10 times the imports of sulphur in 1912.
Increasing Oil Production.
While Louisiana has almost a prac-
tical monopoly in the production of sltl
phur in this country, the state is also
an important oil producer. Two years
before the development of the sulphur
resources at Sulphur City, prospecting
for petroleum, which had followed the
sensational strike of oil at Beaumont,
Tex, in 1901, resulted in the discovery
and development of several oil pools in
the vicinity of Jennings, La. Since that
time productive areas have been devel-
oped in several portions OF the state,
and Louisiana now ranks sixth among
the states in the quantity of oil pro-
duced and eighth in value. In the first
two years Of oil development the pro-
duction was less than 100000 barrels
each year, but in 1904, the year in which
the sulphur industry asserted itself, the
output of petroleum Appropriated
3 100000 barrels, and in 1905 that output
was trebled. The maximum production
of petroleum was reached in lDll, when
l0720,420 barrels valued at S5,66s,Sl4,
were reported. In 1912 the quantity
decreased to 9,263 ,439 barrels, but the
value increased to 81 ,023,s27 The larger
part of the production is obtained from
the Caddo district near Shreveport, in
the northwestern part of the state. The
combined value of the petroleum and
sulphur products of Louisiana is near
ly 90 per cent of the states total min
eral value, so that it may be considered
that only during the last 10 years has
Louisiana developed into prominence as
a mineral-producing state.
Important Deposits of Rock Salt.
Louisiana is also an important pro-
Queer Of rock salt, in which it ranks
second among the states. The salt mines
underlie so-called islands which are
really mounds rising above the marsh
lands along the Gulf shore in iberia
Parish. The Petite Anse mines, on
Avery Island, were operated during the
Civil war, having been developed in
small way in 1852. These mines were
flooded twice, and new shaft was sunk
in 1899. In the value OF the total pro-
duction OF salt, which includes the prod
uct evaporated from brine, Louisiana
ranks sixth among the states.
The value OF the natural gas produced
in Louisiana in 1912, the development
Of this resource having followed that of
petroleum, was more than 100 per cent
greater than in 1911. There is good rea-
son to believe that Louisiana is under
lain by one OF the greatest gas fields in
the United States, and incidentally it
is believed that more gas is wasted in
the petroleum and gas fields of Louisiana
than in any other state.