1856.] Pomeroy^ Ohio. 515 



commenced by Mr. Blunden, still pours forth the greatest quantity of 

 the richest brine ! Poor man ! He died in poverty, leaving inex- 

 haustible wealth to his despisers ! 



THE SALT WORKS. 



The average product of these wells is 25 gallons of brine per 

 minute, each, and the average strength is 9J per cent of salt. The 

 concentration of the brine and crystalization of the salt, is effected 

 with great economy as follows : — A row of close covered iron pans, 

 90 feet in length, is placed over a furnace of equal length. The coal 

 taken from the adjacent bank, supplies the fire. Here the brine is 

 concentrated to the proportion of 18 per cent, salt, and then flows off 

 into a series of vats, 100 feet in length each, and 1 foot in depth. — 

 Here the brine is retained near to the boiling point, by the steam 

 generated in the pans over the furnace, acting through long sub- 

 mersed copper tubes in these vats. From the first vat, where it de- 

 posites most of its impurities, and is concentrated to 28 per cent, salt, 

 it flows into the second, and thence to the third, where the last of its 

 sediment is deposited. In the fourth and fifth, are deposited the crys- 

 tals of pure white salt, and the spirit liquid flows off into the river. 

 As the result of one day's labor, each furnace thus produces (as we 

 were informed) 575 bushels of salt. In 1855 the whole amount 

 manufactured, was 948,000 bushels: — In 1856 it is calculated that the 

 product will be 1,223,000 bushels! 



And who buys all this salt? Why, the Kanawha Salt Mining 

 Company takes it all delivered here at the salt manufactory. And 

 what do they want of it? Do they not make salt enough of their 

 own ? Certainly ; but that company can thus maintain their monop- 

 oly of the salt trade in the West, and compel the people to pay twice 

 as much for this needful article, as they would otherwise be charged. 

 Down with such monopolies ! 



Oregon AYheat. — The Oregonian^ published at Portland, thus 

 mentions a bunch of wheat left at its sanctum : — " It consists of fifty- 

 one stalks — all grown from seed — each having a large head, contain- 

 ing, on an average, over seventy large kernels of fine, plump wheat. 

 The bunch stands nearly six feet high, and in its way, is a perfect 

 curiosity. The wheat is of the common white variety, and the field 

 from which this was taken was sowed during the middle of last 

 winter." 



