The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-05-14
SALT FROM SALT LAKE;
HOW IT IS OBTAINED
WATER EvAPORATES, LEAVING
CRYSTAlllZED SALT ON
BEACH-THEN REFINED.

The most unique salt industry /,
the world is now carried on along tn
borders of Great Salt Lake. The sa
line deposits of the lake are utilize,
commercially, and it is no uncommon
sight to see plowmen breaking III
acres of the purest salt, while othe
workmen shovel the broken produc
into wheelbarrows and carry it t,
waiting cars for transportation to tn,
refinery
The early settlers of Salt Lake Cit,
and vicinity were accustomed to get.
ting their salt along the edges of tn,
lake. The little pools left along tn,
edges of the lake in the spring soo1
dried in the hot summer sun, leaving
deposits of the purest salt crystal
This was used by the settlers, but il
was figured out that Great Salt Lake
might be turned into a verltable salt
factory.
Great Natural Salt Factory.
In utilizing this great lake as a salt
factory it was only necessary to i'm
prove somewhat upon the ideas of the
pioneers. Instead of depending upon
the pools that We're left by nature,
those who have developed the salt
industry have made large. artificial
ponds and settling basins. The usual
course of procedure is to make one
large stock" or settling pond This
is surrounded by several smaller har-
vesting ponds, each about So0X1000 in
area. About May the stock pond is
filled and the water is allowed to stand
here until the impurities in the water
settle to the bottom of the pond. 1t
is not generally known that the waters
Of Great Salt Lake are heavily i'm
with iron as well as salt.
This iron forms a large part of the
After the water in the stock pond
has settled it is allowed to flow into
the harvesting basins, winch are on
~ about inches deep. The water in
these large, shallow basins evapor-
ates at the astounding rate of inches
A day during an ordinary Utah sum
mer. The daily losses in the harvest
ing basins are made up from the stock
pond. In this way the harvesting
basins always have an accumulation
Of water making salt under the action
Of the hot sun.
Removing Impurities.
Among the impurities which are
brought to light in the stock pond are
large quantities of sodium sulphate.
This impurty floats and Is driven
ashore by the wind. This is marketed
for cattle, as 1t contains much salt.
The remainder is very pure, and the
salt which forms in the harvesting
basins is sent directly to the refin-
cry. Late in the summer, as harvest
ing time approaches, the sight of these
harvesting basins is most unique. The
basins stretch sometimes for a mile
or more along the beach, glittering
white In the sun.
September l Is generally the begin
hing Of the harvest. The last inch of
prime in each harvesting basin Is
Trained off, as this contains some i'm
)urities which were not caught in the
arge stock basin. If the summer has
)een one of ordinary heat there will
)e a crust of at least inches of salt
n each basin. After the last inch Of
water has been drained off these great
ALT fields shine like snow. The salt
s pure crystal and very hard. Men
nd teams are set to work with plOws
Is the white and glistening burrows
re turned aside by the plowshares
he salt Is thrown into barrows by the
howell brigade, and carried to places
Which have been marked out as the
ties Of salt stacks. Here the salt Is
eft in great piles, or rectangles, until |
| is needed
Heated, Then Crushed for Market.
rom the great salt piles into flat cars |
nd taken to the refinery. Here it is |
ried in cylinders of heated iron, at. |
er which it is crushed between great |
oilers and elevated to the second |
oor, where it goes to what is known |
s the shaking sieve. This great sieve |
cts as a separator. The fine stuff is |
AIKEN to the sacking room and the re-
1ainder is again put through the |
olling process.
This is continued six times, and the |
nal installment of refined salt has |
ad to go through forty meshes !
While the rolling and sitting processes
re going on, fans blow off impurities,
hitch are preserved for cattle feed, |
fter being pressed into bricks