Year: 1862




RICHMOND, Jan. 20, 1862


flearn that proposition is before the Legislature for
ton and smyth counties at sltvs in this state ILe
eve that the two contiguous estates embracing these
sanes and the lease under which they are now operated
can be procured for one million Of dollars. have
acquaintance with this property and persuaded that
the purchase ought 70 be made at that price, If it be
done.


The property worth more than s demanded for t.
il in danger OF passing into the hands Of joint
company At higher price than the State would be re-
qured to give vizat twelve hundred thousand dollars
to the capital Of which company upwards Of three hum
dred thousand dollars Is already subscribed. Corpora
Ons have no souls and Il the works pass into corporate
having the single object alone Of making the largest
profits out of them.


Tho properly proved TO be worth more than is de-
manded Of the State; not only by the fact that il will
bring more but by the fact that the State officers have
been assessing for ten years pest the property
itself, rrespectively Of the ease) at about half mil
lion for the Preston and over half million for the King
estate; more than . million for the two. The essees
they can fill in four MONTHS that will give them profit
Of hundred thousand dollars and il the proposition
before the Legislature to direct contract the part Of
the State for four hundred thousand bushels Of salt be
carried the profit Of the essecs this alone will be
hundred and seventysx thousand dollars mere and
be executed in six months. Nevertheless, with this
prospect OF two hundred and five thousand DOL
lars the lease can be bought out by the State at less
than their profits these two contracts The Preston
estate be bought for $3.50 000 although assessed at
$500 0C0 and the King estate fos less though assessed
at $3.50 coo. am familiar with the improvements
the estate: but those the Preston estate,
eudng machinery, buildings and apparatus of all sorts
is w1rth upwards OF 800 600; they cest than
sl25 600. This estate consists Of 900 acres OF land,
which could be sold IN farms At an average OF $50
the mere land alone being worth $210 0o0 which
with the improvements, make $50 000 leaving the salt
and plaster to stand the State in only $4,000 The
King estate has 900 acres worth $50 acre, and
many improvements, the value Of which am not ac-
qualnted with.


State price less than will DO taken from private in
divdusls the proposition is certainly relieved from all
color Of speculation snd extortion.


The ought 10 works like these producing IN
limited supplies Of those two important articles salt and
plaster The cost of making salt by boiling the brine s
thirteen cents bushel and Of barrelng sackng it FOR
could be reduced to three cents bushe by constructing
for solar evaporation, which would enable it to be
put depot for Shipment at per bushel The
State could sell IL anywhere within her limits except in
seaport Cities ty bushel with
added OF p,ys o. 'nrsy 70 vs csn,s per Dusne %
anywhere except Just upon the border Of shin navga
tion at three dollars ton, with transportation added
She may manufacture any Quantities of both salt and
plaster for any length Of mc 10 these salnes without
exhaustng the supply Of either The present manufac
turs Of salt ut satve is at the rate Of nine hundred
thousand bushels year. -Four times the quantity, in
addition could be manufactured By constructing watts for
solar evaporation. requires only twenty gallons Of thu
szitvie brine TO make bushs Of salt; Of water 10
requires three hundred and ty gallons; that lo17h
the labor and expense OF evaporation Is saved by max
ing salt at saltvills rather than on the ssaboard.


The state ought TO own this property for the
that salt and plaster articles that should be In the
hands public agents rather than Of private monopoes
aud for the further that the transportation Of
these articles always be secured on the most econom
cal terms by the state; whereas This
srdy and costly when private account TO give op-
portupy for the speculaons these essential
articles sveh we have Just Witnessed IN times search
ty the State herself produeed these articles she
could enforce such action the part Of her public works.
10 make this transportation adequate, regular and
cheap and ~ would prevent the possibility Of repet
ton of that system Of speculation and sxoron which
the last few months have witnessed.





salt AMI plaster property the cheap and liberal terms
which they offered the state, obvious
need argument and trust that thsro Is enough
sagacty in the Legislature to give eject to the propos
ton n this purchase be not made the people have yet
troubles 70 experience In regard TO supply OF salt
which those Of the past have been tring
have further interest In this subject than bcones
citizen Of Virginia, certainly not than Ia natu
rally felt by one.