The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-29
@ SALT @

NAMIE'S mother was going to have
 company for dinner, and had de-
 cided to have ice cream for ~ desert, which suited Jamie very we'll.
 So Jamie's Uncle Bob, who was big, but not so very old and went to a school called high school, offered to turn the ice cream freezer, and of course, Jamie wanted to help. So aft CT his mother had stirred in the eggs and sugar and everybody had tasted It to see if it was just right, Jamie and Uncle, Bob cracked the ice and nlled the bucket around the tin can. packing it down tight with layers of ice and salt
 Jamie turned the handle until he got tired, then Uncle Bob took his place. When little boys hands are not busy. their heads usually are. and Jamie. happening to look at the bag of salt lying on the cellar floor, sud- denly inquired. Say. Uncle Bob, do you know anything about salt?"
 Uncle Bob laughed. T ought to-" he replied. We had salt for a com position at school last spring, so I
 
 It." Jamie clapped his hands "Oh, goody!" he cried. T just love to hear stories about things like that"
 Uncle Bob ran his hand through his hair, and thought for a minute, then he began. Under all the land. way down deep in the earth, there Is wa ter. Some of it is still and other parts of it are running, like creeks. Some of the water is fresh, like that in springs. But in certain parts of the country. the water down under the ground is salty. just like sea wa ter"
 What makes it salty?" Jamie asked
 Well. the salt in it was part of the earth, at one time-some salt was in the rocks, some of it in the ground. And the water washing and washing up againstthe rocks and ground, melt ed the salt and so the water became salty"
 "Oh, is that why the ocean is salty? ?" Jamie inquired
 "Yes." Uncle Bob answered. You know there are lots of rivers empty ing into the ocean, and they all bring in tiny bits of salt from the land, too.
 Sometimes the water Is so near the top of the ground that it bubbles up from springs, and then when it flows away, it makes a salt creek Almost the first salt creek that we know about in this country was in Jackson coun- ty. Ohio. Years ago, the buffaloes and Indians came to that creek and got salt water. Every animal and every person has to have a certain amount of salt to live. Did you ever taste a tear when you were crying?" Jamie nodded Tt tasted salty" he said "Is that the reason we eat salt in almost everything?" he asked
 Yes" answered Uncle Bob Our blood has to have whole lot of salt in it. to do it's work right"
 "Blood tastes salty. tool" Jamie cried. "Once when l cut my finger put it into my mouth and it tasted just as salty"
 Well, about two hundred years ago, the white men found this salt creek. They would come for miles around and carry home the salt on horseback to their families and cattle. It was so valuable, that at one time it was used for money"
 That's funny!" Jamie said. Sup pose I went to the store and asked for salts worth of candy!"
 Then salt was not so cheap as it is now. It cost about eight dollars a bushel and a bushel is from sixty to eighty pounds. Just think. almost ten cents pound and now 1t isn't much over a cent pound"
 How did they get the salt out of the water?" Jamie asked.
 They had big kettles. which they filled with salt water. then they built great wood fires under them and boiled 5 the water It boiled and boiled and boiled, and most of the water went up in the air as steam But of course