158 CITY OF SYRACUSE. 



Connection of gypsum and common salt. — Strength of the Brine 

 Springs at Syracuse. — Quantity of water pumped up and of salt 

 manufactured. — Alleged consumption of salt in the United States. — 

 Individual consumption in Great Britain. — State revenue from the 

 Salt Springs. — Methods of extracting the salt at Syracuse. — Probable 

 presence of bromine in the Syracuse brines. 



Syracuse, l^th Sept. — The village of Syracuse, erected 

 into a city in 1848, occupies an important local position, 

 and is a remarkable place in many respects. It is situated 

 at the junction of the Oswego canal (of thirty-eight miles 

 in length) with the main trunk of the Erie canal, and is 

 thus on the great lines of communication between Canada 

 and western New York on the one hand, and between 

 the Atlantic and the Western lakes and States on the 

 other. It is also close to the site of the salt springs, and 

 is the seat of the extensive salt manufacture by which 

 western New York, the Canadas, and the Western States 

 are principally supplied with this necessary article of 

 consumption. It stands also in a fertile district, and in 

 a comparatively genial climate, where grapes ripen in 

 the open air, and can even be left uncovered all the year 

 through. Thirty years ago, Syracuse was the name of 

 a few houses in the wilderness, now it is a city of 16,000 

 inhabitants, taxing themselves for local purposes during 

 the present year (1849) to the extent of 35,000 dollars. 

 It has the large hotels common to towns in this country, 

 numerous churches, the spires of several of which are 

 now in process of erection, and many skeleton streets, 

 which, if its prosperity continue, will soon be built up. 

 The last ten years have added greatly to its size ; and, 

 so late as six years ago, the wilderness still surrounded 

 the residence of the mayor — to whose hospitality I was 

 indebted during my stay at Syracuse — where his garden 

 now extends, and plum and peach trees and vines are in 

 full and luxuriant bearing. 



All was excitement in the town, in consequence of the 



