Newspaper Page Text
ly Electric T elegraph ■ Correspondence of the Telegraph, j
Richmond, January 13th.
A portion cf the Richmond press published
this morning a statement that Galveston, Tex
as, had been taken by the Federals. Nothing
confirmatory of it, however, has been received
by the Confederate authorities.
A report is circulated, stated to be on authc-
rity, that a prominent Virginia official has re
ceived information that the Federals had evac
uated Romne". This needs further confirma
tion. ,
“THE WORTHY POOR."
Mk. Clisby—Lear Sir.—Your Weekly co-
temporary on Third street seems very much
exercised this morning about my “italica” in
the announcement I made in your paper recent
ly, relative to the liberality of the Hon. Nathan
Bass, and has with creditable acumen surmised
that his brief notice of the day before was the
cause of my indulgence in them, in imitation
of himself.
The question involved is one that deserves
The Petersburg Express received a despatch more than a P* ssin g notice, and 1 would be
this afternoon from Norfolk, which says that
the elements are fighting for us. A severe gale
glad to see it discussed through some public
medium, with a view to ascertain what is pro
now prevailing has forced the Burnside expo- P er * nd ri g^ t in lhe premises.
dition back to Hampton Roads. ’ ' ri — L
The weather is cold at Petersburg.
The poor are much more numerous now
Tfij K j than in all our previous history, I presume, and
morning it was cold at Richmond, with snowy if the P ul »l' c charities or taxes are only to be
indications. ' divided among the “worthy"—that is the “vir-
Eightecn transports, sixteen propellers and | tuous ’ or “meritorious" poor, what is to be
two side-wheel steamers o'" the Burnside 1 expo- I done with those that are otherwise, including
dition left Hampton Roads on Sunday after-
iiiMin, apparently southward bound, where it is
believed they will be at an early day.
The Northern press are sanguine that favor
able results will follow Sumner’s speech in the
Senate. He took, ground against Wilkes’cap
ture of Mason and Slidell, and considered Eng
land’s demand and Seward’s rendition of tin
commissioners eminently right.
“Revolver" Colt died at Hartford, Conn., on
the lnth.
Advices from Missour i report that General
their children » In visiting the poor, are the
first questions to be—Are you in the Church *
What caused you to be thus* Is your hus
band or father a drunkard, Ac. * Or should
they be—Have you anything to eat* Are
these rags your best clothes * Have you any
wood in this freezing weather * Or, what can
I do lor you * If the poor be found starving
or freezing, are we to read them a homily on
wickedness and leave them to their fate, be
cause they have not the Editor’s strength of
will that enabled him to resist temptation and
proclaim to the world his “spotless" character*
Or shall we not rather throw over their failings
„ . . . . . . the mantle of that charity that “suffereth long
rice has been reinforced by Arkansas troops. | and is kind, that vaunteth not itself and think-
V fight at Rolls is expected.
FROM THE WEST.
Nashyii.i.k, 13, via Mobile 14th.—It is
sleeting and snowing here this evening.
Reports from Bowling Green state that our
Generals still expect an advance of the enemy,
I hut fhe late rains have retarded their operations.
At the last reports it was estimated that 5000
IPainh had cross.-1 QrM River al Munlords-
1' _ ilie, and were • noantped al Rowlel’s Station
tour miles front the bridge.
The heavy embankments on the Louisville
Lml Nashville turnpike road near Woodsonville
4 ere torn up on the 7lh.
eth no evilrelieve their pressing necessities,
and by kindness, rather than scorn, win them
back perchance to happiness and peace ?
The treatment thus of our unworthy poor,
Ob the manufacture of Salt.
j BT WILLIAM C. DENNIS, OF LEY WEST, FLORIDA.
As Gar as my knowledge extends, there is no
great agricultural country hut ours where com
mon boiled salt, either from sea or spring wa-
ter, is generally or even considerably used for
culinary purposes. In Holland, they re-dis
solve two or more kinds of solar-evaporated
salt, one of which is “French bay salt,” in sea
water; and this incorporated pickle is carefully
purified in various ways, and then re-crystalis
ed, before it is considered f.t for use. From the
use of this salt, numerous writers ascribe the
superiority of Dutch heriing, over those of
their neighbors. Even in Poland, which has
the most extensive salt r:.ines in the world,
French bay salt is generally employed, not on
ly in preserving provisions, but, what appears
more singular,as a raaqpre for their wheat lands.
In all countries where the French bay salt is
known, its superior qualit y is acknowledged.
Some years ago, the commissioners of suppli -s
of th^amty and navy of G reat Britain employ
ed Dr. Henry, of Oxford, 'o examine different
kinds of salt, with the view of improving their
own domestic article, so that it could be safely
used for salting provisions for those services;
but, in an essay which he wrote on the subject,
he failed to suggest any remedy, ascribing the
superiority of solar evaporated salt principally
to the greater hardness of its crystals made in
that way, over those made- by boiling. There
is without doubt much trt th in this; but Dr.
Watson, of England, who wrote about the same
time, probably discovered the chief cause of
the superiority of solar salt. His idea was that
by the slow process of evaporating brines by
the heat of the sun, the -chemical affinities of
each particular kind of salt, which might be
contained in these brines, had time to act; and
they re-deposit themselves distinctly and sepa
rately, one kind of salt not being compelled, as
it were, to mix with another, as it must neces
sarily do in the rapid process of boiling down
brines and crvstalising the salt in kettles. So
far was he convinced of this, that he urged the
use of coarse canvas on an extensive scale,
however, would, in the Editor’s estimation, be , , l
fruinrlit with „„ old evils sneh a* Jod W, " Ch ^ ™ the and the "
A private despat
ling state* (IniI a.
ted here this eve-
jforce was inarch
offer.
much anxi-
Jer's com
pulation is indulg
withers, upon the
Festricting the lib
fraught with untold evils, such as good citizens
and lathers have an interest in avoiding, for it
would “invite to our city the degraded and
abandoned of othei places." Weil, perhaps it
might, but if it really be our purpose to deter
them, I know of no better method than to con
fine our charities in such times as these exclu
sively to the good and worthy ; let the others
slarce, and spread the intelligence throughout
the country that all that the unworthy need
expect at the hands of the puritan people of
Macou, is a grave.
Believing that 1 have read the hearts of the
l>eople of Macen to better purpose than to sup
pose they could be guilty of such inhumanity,
1 have given such little bounties as they haveau-
thorized me from time to time to distribute to
exposed to the sun and wind to hasten the
evaporation. Yet, as far as I can obtain infor
mation, nothing has been done in England to
improve the salt made there, so as to invalidate
the truth of some remarks made in Ree’s Cy
clopedia, just after the close of the general war
in Europe, in 1815 on the subject of French
bay salt This writer says: “The English and
Dutch have often striven hard, in time of war,
to do without the French salt, and to that end
have endeavored to take salt from the Spaniards
and Portuguese ; but there is a disagreeable
sharpness and acidness natural to this salt,
which renders it very unfit for salting flesh,
fish, Ac. To remove this, they boil it with sea
wa'er, and a little French salt, which they pro
cure by the aid of neutral nations, and which
, not only softens it, but increases its quantity
the destitute, with as little partiality as possi
u.,.„d'.....
ing the hint in the Messenger to give the pro- »_!- . . , .
ceeds of the supper a special direction, the
bless them, have done the same
Ipoti that through their exertions
one hundred and twenty-five destitute families
have been relieved from pinching and absolute
fining does not succeed to their wish, by the
eagerness with which they return to the salt
of Brittany as soon as any treaty has opened
the commerce." The same writer goes on to
say, that the French government mikes enor-
... i a- ,» — . . mous sums out of the salt works ol that coun-
wanu In P™' 8 « 11 1 try. Nearly all European nations, in a great
spoken, they went n- t on y ,n^ the highways me . 8ure , strive to be independent of
but the byways of the city, in wLfoh few it
Ting known publicly, j any worthy could be found, and invitea hem
. re is considerable doubt as to the passage
’ such an act.
A report is circulated, said to be reliable,
that the Federal* evacuated Romney on Fri-
independent of others for
their salt. Great Britain exports more than
she imports, besides making the great quantity
which is there consumed yearly in the arts, anil
for in— - -- -
places in tn»»
is made near
•ire. Salt is manufactured at various
•-p.intry ; but the great bulk of it
Liverpool, ...
the river Mersey, by dissolving
i side of
to come.
As regards the “colony” of soldiers’ wives
; and relatives that have been permitted to occu
py the negro houses on the old Depot lot, I
can only say, that if I hey do not behave them-. me river meraey, uy u.»u..mg
day night, and the Confederates took posses- . selves they are amenable to the laws the same salt from the mines of Cheshire, in sea wiu.,
sion early on Saturday, capturing a larce * 8 others ; that we cannot refuse such shelter j which brine is boiled down and crystalised by
itv "of military stores ~ ~ ) as they afford, to even an unworthy soldier’s »a very rapid process, that leaves the salt both
wife, whose husband is baring his breast to the impure and very light,only weighing 52 pounds
foe, in our detence, nor can we deprive the little to the bushel; while good solar salt weigh*
ones of shelter for the m(Tiber's fault. The ex- | from 70 to 75 pounds, a difference of more than
It is sleeting ercise of a little charily and a little more faith 20 pounds. This Liverpool salt we import to
in the good that still exists in .human nature,! an enormous amount; yet no other people, than
would greatly improve the temper of the Jour
nal and Messenger men, and when John Bar
quantity of military stores.
Richmond was visited with a heavy snow
storm yesterday, and lust night and this Morn
ing the streets were slippery,
to-night
The Lynchburg Republican lias intelligence
•in Camp Alleghany to the 12th. Nothing of
r ,nter.st has transpired since the last dates.
The reports of the Yankees taking possession
of lluntcrsv lle and capturing our stores are
greatly exaggerated. There was but little dam
age done.
Ihe health of the command has greatly im
proved, and large accessions have been made
by convalescents returning to duty.
Snow, hail and rain had prevailed for eight j
days accompanied by a heavy wind, which |
still continued.
The Norfolk Day Book learned late last ;
night from a reliable source that the Burnside
expedition had not returned to Hampton Roads.
The Chicago Journal, of the 9th, has private \
Prices from Washington, that Jim Lane would )
Freaeh Chuago at an cai ly day en route for Kan- I
sag, to take command of 25,003 men, of whom
0,000 are cavalry designed for a grand expedi
tion along the Arkansas border into Texas, si
multaneously with a movement of other divis
ion!, of the Federal invading army.
At Wilmington, N. C., 0 o’clock to-night,
Lid been heard of the Burnside Exne-
ours use it for salting provisions, except those
living in Canada, or perhaps Australia. There
leycorn incites his worshipers to madder pranks is also a kind of salt made m England and
than usual, on New Y r ear’s eve, none should
Vie more ready to throw over them the mantle
, of oblivion than those who haveolten acknowl
edged his power and voluntarily submitted to
! his bewitching allurements.
I wonld have deferred publication till next
Wednesday in the Journal and Messenger, but
Scotland, which is tolerably pure, and is fre
quently used for domestic culinary purposes.
This is the “cat silt," It is crystalised on
stakes placed perpendicularly below the bass
kets in which the salt is pat to drain when
drawn from the boilers or kettles. Thus do
they make a small quantity of salt, rather pur-
as a week looks almost an age in these fast j er than the great bulk of it; and every one
times, and the subject may he lorgotten belore j who is acquainted with chemistry can see why
it again appears, 1 conclude to ask a corner in this “cat salt” is much better and purer than
your columns and pass along. j that drawn from the kettles. Common salt
Respectfully, M. S. Thomson. crystalises much more rapidly than any other
Macon, 15th Jan., 1862. contained in the brine, when it is at the proper
Humphrey Marshall Whips the Federals.
Richmond, 15tli.—Intelligence has been re
at Lynchburg by the Tennessee Railway tion is paid for it.
Hit a fight had occurred a few miles be-
(fnd Prestonburg, Ky., between Humphrey
Marshall, with 2,500 men, and a Federal force
numbei.og 8,000. Marshall was retreating
when attacked by the enemy, who came upon
him in a narrow gorge. The engagement is
represented as the most desperate of the war.
ol. Moore’s regiment charged the enemy, an3
•hund-to hand conflict ensued, lasting for half
an hour. The Federals fought gallantly, but
finally broke and run in Bull Run style. Mar-
kshafi’s force, greatly exhausted and much
■mailer than the enemy's, fell back to Prcston-
lurg. The Confederates sustained a loss of
(wenty-five killed and fifteen wounded. The
.deral loss was over two hundred killed. The
rmation was brought to Abingdon by parti-
nts in the battle.
' Congress has ordered the publication of the
'official reports of all battles fought. This in
cludes Beauregard’s and Johnson's report of
the battle of the twenty-first July. Nothing
otherwise has been made public of the proceed
ings of Congress to-day.
Jfr. Editor:—The statement which you were
authorized by one of the State’s agents in the
vending of salt, to make in your issue of the
15th inst., “that the salt offered for sale at $7.
50 per sack is not the salt seized for the use of
the army, but is some of the salt purchased
by the State for army purposes,” does not re-
I lieve that transaction of its objectionable fea-
j tures, but, on the contrary, aggravates them.
If the Governor had purchased salt for “ar-
i my purposes,” and had that salt on hand, he
>hen had no right lo seize salt for public use ;
j for it is only in case of necessity that he can
seize it, and according to the constitution, it
must be a ‘‘case of pressing necessity" to au
thorize him to seize it, before just compfnaa-
If the necessity 13 so ur
gent aa to admit of no delay, in such case he
can seize it and pay for it afterwards, but only
in such a case can he do it.
Now, if salt had been purchased for the use
of the army, the Governor had no right to
seize any for “army purposes," and when he
did so, he perpetrated a high handed outrage
upon private property. If he had no salt on
hand for “army purposes,” and the necessity
of the army required it, he could then seize it
for their use, hut for no other ; and if he offers
it for sale, whether to the families of soldiers
in the service, or to the poor, in such case he
transcends his authority, and in so doing com
mits a like outrage upon private property.—
Now he may take which horn of the dilemma
he may choose—upon one or the other he must
be impaled.
The more this salt seizure is looked into, the
worse it becomes. It stinks, and all the salt
in the country cannot save it from putrefaction.
The owners of tne salt which was seized ought,
if they have not already done so, to commence
actions of trespass against the agents engaged
in the transaction, and ss for his Excellency he
may congratulate himself if he be permitted to
go unimpeach.'d. , Veritas.
l.iiirolu Kuimint his own Ulwkuit.
Nashville, Jan. 14.—It lias been definitely
ascertained that considerable shipments of cot
ton a£ sugar have recently been made in wa
gons through Kentucky to the Ohio river—as
it is supposed, from Clarksville, in East Ten
nessee.
NOT A GRADUATE OF WEST POINT.
Richmond, Jan. 15. — John K. Jackson, Colo
nel of the 5th Georgia Regiment, and Com-
taand&nt at Pensacola, has been appointed a
Brigadier General. Col. Jackson is not a grad
uate of West Point, but is nevertheless an ex
perienced military officer and warmly recom
mended by Gon. Bragg for promotion.
[Not a graduate of West Point! We were
about to feel hurt that any man should be pro- their all and coming to a land of liberty, to es-
OUR HEART IS SAD.
At reading tlie following, which we find
mong the mass of the matter telegraphed from
Washington to the New York press :
“Washington, Jan. 9.—Wm. T. Smithson’
the banker and broker arrested here yesterday
afternoon, by order of the Government, on sus
picion of communicating with the Rebels, left
in the same afternoon train for Fort LaFayette.
This is considered one of the most important
arrests which has taken place since the com-
, menccment of the rebellion."
The people of the whole South know Mr.
I Smithson, as one of the best men in the world
—particularly is he known among the Metho
dists in connection with his exertions to build
up a Metropolitan Southern Methodist Church
I in Washington. We knew hita well A truer
man, and a truer Southerner never lived; and
our great wonder is, that he was allowed to re
main there so long unmolested. When many
Southern people in that place were forsakihg
moled who is not a graduate of West Point;
but when we remember that the next genera
tion of Confederates must do altogether with
out graduates of West Point, a thought occuts
to ui that the present one may test the experi
ment in a few isolated cases. W c accept the
apology of the Associated press for an appoint
uient of one who is not a graduate of West
Point. I
FROM THE OLD NORTH STATE.
Richmond, 16th.—At Wilmington, N. C. all
is quiet at the forts. There is a heavy sea
cape the irreponsible despotism of Lincoln, it
was judged best for him to remain there to pro
tect the interests of the Southern Mfhodist
Church. We sincerely sympathise with this
eminently good man,and his interesting family ;
but we have no doubt he rejoices in being ac
counted worthy to suffer in the cause of the
South, which we know lies so near his heart
—Atlanta Confederacy of yesterday.
—The Postmaster General lately wrote to a
Postmaster in Virginia, that his office must be
discontinued, in consequence of its proximit;
to another office. The Postmaster repliec
complaining bitterly of the discontinuance—
not lor the sake of the salary, which was 624
cents a week—but on account of the charge of
outside, and the weather is thick and foggy.—
No shipping in sight yesterday or early this ! proximity : “for,” said he, “I never was guilty
morning.
I of proximity in my life I"
strength; consequently, alone, it would be apt
to crystalise on the stakes, tne impurities of
every kind having a chance to flow off, which
is not the case when the salt is rapidly crystal
ised in boilers, as in the latter case it is neces
sarily incorporated, more or less, with the
crystals of‘chloride of soda, or common salt
Ir. fact, the crystalisation can he by no means
perfect, nor the crystals pure, where the pro
gress is so much hurried, as is the case where
salt is boiled.
All the salt made in the United States, with
few exceptions, is liable to the same objections,
in a greater or less degree, to that which is
made in Great Britain, as it is almost th® uni
versal practice to evaporate the brine by boil
ing. But I am informed that solar heat is used
to a limited extent lor evaporating the brines at
the salt-works in the State of New York, and
likewise in many of the works in the great Salt
basin of the Kanawha river. To effect this,
shallow wooden pans, or tanks, are erected, well
alBve the earth, in long lines, hut of limited
width, so that covers can be rolled on or off to
protect the pickle from rains. It will be seen,
when we come to the French method of making
salt, that even this degree of tardiness in eva
poration is of great use in purifying the brine,
wherever it is practised.
The French method of salt-making varies, in
many particulars, in different parts of that coun
try ; but one principle is observed in all places :
That is, to keep the brine, or pickle, moving
slowly from one reservoir, or to another, from
the commencement of the operation till it near
ly reaches the point of saturation. This is ef
fected on the salt-marshis near the mouth of
the Loire, by letting sea-water into large re
servoirs, built for the purpose, at the time of
high tides, by the means of swing-gates which
close when the tide recedes. From these re
servoirs, the water in them r being of sufficient
height, is let into a series of smaller reservoirs
and pans, to a depth of a foot, down as low as
4 inches, the latter being the usual depth of
pickle when crystalised in pans. When these
pans are “set,” as they say, sea water is let out
of a large reservoir, whence it finds it* way
slowly into the whole series of smaller reser
voirs and pans, care being taken that only a
very shallow “charge” is let into the crystalis
ing pans, while the pickle is weak ;r about 18»,
Baume’s hydrometer. To get brine into these
pans, from a great reservoir, in many works, it
has to traverse from 3 to 10 miles, which is ef
fected by its widening from reservoir, and from
pan to pan ; the distance being likewise increas
ed by long narrow passages. After the first
charge, no water is let into the crystalising
pans weaker than 18c, and even the first charge,
by the management indicated, is nearly up to
that. The crystalising pans are last in the
series, and from the fact that, as the brine flofc-s
forward, that behind “pushes," as it were, that
which is before it, forward, without mixing with
it. As the sun evaporates the water from the
whole works, the water which is daily let in
from the sea to supply its loss, instead of mix
ing with the strengthened brine, forces it for
ward from reservoir to reservoir, until a part of
it arrives at the crystalising pan in the series;
by which time, if the pissages be of sufficient
length, the pickle will be up to saturation,
ready to deposit crystals of common salt. Great
ingenuity is frequently shown by arranging
even small works so that the pickle will flow a
great distance before it arrives where it is to be
crystalised.
The principle can be extended to suit the
sise and foim of the works, from the fact stated
that in feeding them from the great reservoir,
the incoming water pushes the brine before it
without mixing to much extent, so that the
brine can be evaporated to the point of satura
tion, in the crystalising pans, in a much shor
ter time than if the water were let in directly to
all parts of the works to supply the daily loss
by evaporation. For instance, take a series of
twelve small reservoirs: Let it be supposed
that the water is let into all of them to the
depth of 6 inches. In one day, a quarter of an
inch is evaporated out of each. Now, instead
of letting the water into each one separately, to
supply thia loss, we will suppose that the whole
twelve quarters (3 inches) l»e let into No. 1 ;
it does not mix, but pushes forward 2} inches'
of water No. 2, which ho had the advantage of
one days’s evaporation. From No. 2, there is
2| inches of brine of like strength pushed for
ward into No. 3 ; and, so on, tiil we arrive at
No. 12, into which only a quarter of an inch of
brine has been pushed of the same strength.
Again, there is a quarter of arpinch evaporated
.out of each, on the second day ; and again, on
the morning of the third'day, we will say, there
is another 3 inches of water let into No.’ 1, and
the loss supplied to each as on the day before;
but it will be seen from what has been said
that, except No. 1 and No. 2., perhaps all the
rest have had their loss supplied by brine which
has had the advantage of two days’ evaporation.
On the fourth day, all except some two or three
of the first would have their loss supplied by
brine which has had three days’ evaporation.—
This same system being preserved, on the
twenty-second day, No. 12 would be up to the
point ot saturation, and in six days more would
be ready to rake ; and before the end of forty
days, even in so short a series as this, full half
of these reservoirs, or pans, could be raked,
which makes this French plan of vast import
ance in a climate so variable as this ; for, fre
quently, f very good yield of salt can in this
manner be secured, when not a crystal would
be found :f the Spanish and Portuguese method
were adopted. To feed each pan directly from
sea-water, it would take full ninety days to per
fect the deposit, ready for raking, when it
might then all be lost by rains, because they all
come at once, and if a large one, it might take
three more months to rake it. By the French
plan, the whole deposit docs not take place at
once ; but, at the end of ninety days, quite a
large quantity would be saved. Furthermore,
this plan is of still more value, by its depositing
all impurities by themselves. Sea-water, by
Baume’s hydrometer, is from 4° to 5°; and as
soon as it is strengthened up to 6“, it begins to
deposit lime, which finally assumes the form of
marl, and afterwards, under certain circum-
stancts, soldifies into rock. After the water
gets stronger, if it be kept in Slow motion, these
deposit* gradually become much greater, to
which are now added sulphurated hydrogen,
bromine, and probably iodine. When it gets
as high as 12“, it begins to deposit sulphate of
lime in crystals, and the quantity of sulphura
ted hydrogen is increased, and the br^uine is
so freely deposited that every substance in con
tact with the brine is stained a deep-red ; but,
after the pickle is evaporated up to 18° or 20°,
it appears to deposit nothing more till it gets
up to ‘Jo - , when the brine is in a state of satura
tion with chloride ot soda, (common salt,) and
it then begins to crystalise, and in about six
days more, in good weather, it deposits a layer
of crystals, which are sufficiently hard, or, as
it is termed, “ripe,” to rake. The “sharpness
or ferocity” of the Spanish and Portuguese salt
(Cadiz and St. Ubes; is easily accounted for by
the manner in which it is made. The sea-water
is let directly into the large pans, where the
salt is ultimately crystalised; and, before the
brine is evaporated to 26 Q , the bottoms
pans are covered 2 or 3 inches deep with
rities, and in this bed of fillip the minuiunl
crystalises. But when it is raked, insteid ol
the transparent white crys'als of pure salt, we
see them stained a reddish-brown, and the taste
alone indicates that they are highly charged
with both bromine and iodine, besides other
impurites. Much of this salt cannot be used in
less than a year after it has been raked ; Out it
never loses that disagreeable “sharpness and
ferocity.” The same remarks apply to the salt
gj-i^the Azores, or Western Islands,
the same pr.ncfple F , r ,? nch sal r t considered, that
in the south of Germany,’ a PPhod
mate will admit. In connection won VT»® ,
tended surface, arranged alter the manner above
described, they have enormous tanks with
moveable covers, into which they gather the
strengthened pickle when they fear rain, and
there secure it until good weather, when it is
spread again till it is up to the point of satura
tion, or nearly so, when it is secured in these
tanks to await being crystalised, which, instead
of being done in ground pans, is usually pen-
formed in large lead boilsrs; or more frequent
ly, what is much better, they pump up the hot
saturated pickle into small tanks placed around
the top of a 'r&me some 20 to 30 feet high, and
of convenient dimensions, on the ground.—
From this hang ropes perpendicularly, some 6
inches apart, on which small streams of fliis
brine are conducted from the small tanks, and
the crystal- form rapidly on them—in fact, so
rapidly, as stated by Dr. Ure, that ‘.he same
wortv, in proper weather, can be done in this
way in twenty four hours which would take
three or four days by boiling in kettles, besides
making the salt^ much purer. When these
ropes are sufficiently loaded with salt, it is
knocked oft' to tall on ttie lloor beneath, when
it is ready to store or for market
One might think* this a wasteful mode of
crystalising salt; but, from some experiments
I have made, I am satisfied that, with propnr
care, as little is lost as by any other process.
Furthermore, I believe that in this climate.
(Key West,) it will not be necessary to heat
th® ...unrated pickle at all to crystalise salt in
great perfection. Hence there can be no doubt
that saltcamhe made principally, if not*wholl v,
by solar belt, anywhere in the United Status
south of New Jersey, in suitable places on the
sea-board. In the south of Germany and in
many parts of France, they do not depend ei»
tirely on evaporating the pickle by the system
above desci ibed, on the ground,"but increase it,
especially while the brine is yet weak, by ar
ranging bundles of faggots perpendicularly in
frames which are frequently from 20 to 30 feet
high, and 50 to 100 or more feet on the ground.
The brine is repeatedly pumped up to the top
ol this frame, and let down in showers through
the faggots. Any one must see that evapora
tion is very much increased by presenting no
great a surface to the wind and sun.
1 have been thus minute in setting forth the
high value placed on solar-evaporated salt, man
ufactured after a peculiar manner on the conti-
nent of Europe, and, likewise, for the purpose
of showing the great difficulties and expense
many nations there seem to think it to their
interest to encounter in order to obtain an ar
ticle of this sort.
atttention to improvements, and last y«*r
(1854,) I made full 70,000 bushels, althot
about 20 inches more rain fell than therecon
averago for nineteen years. Each month of 1
salt season had its due share of this exo
which was from February to August, inclus;
To make that quantity, required the av«
labor of eight hands for the year, to peil
everything connected with it, in the way
securing and delivering for market The pres
ent year, 1835, has been a very singular one lor
this climate, there having been scarcely a week,
from February to the end-of September, with
out some rain ; and, in addition, the winds have
been continually both cold and damp yet, from
the nature of my improvements, on these pen
sions, in the course of the season, there was on
the works almost an unlimited amount of pickle
up to saturation, or nearly so. This pickle I
could have saved, and afterwards crystalized on
ropes, after the German plan, had I had the
tanks finished, which are new well advanced.
I should here state, that there lias been a very
singular increase of rain or. this island, for the
last five years, including 1850 up to the preser t
time. In this period, the average has been
something over 50 inches of rain per annum,
while the record of the proceeding nineteen
years gives an average ol only 31J inches. The
Patent Office Report for 1853 gives the average
of fourteen of those years at 3 4-5 inches. From
this, the expectation is but reasonable that the
yearly average must hereafter agree, or nearly
so, with the record of the longest period ; for it
is known that those who mado this record are
noted for their accuracy. Yet, it is proved tlAt
salt can be made here in ground pans without
the aid of covered tanks, during the years of
the heaviest fall ol rain to which the island is
ever subject, provided the weather is otherwise
favorable. In 1854, about 52 inches
and, as before stated, a full propoi
salt season • and the weather was 01
and dry. 1 am mlormed that the]
like increase in the fall of rain for
in Turk Island, ani in the Balia
presume accounts partially, at
scarcity of salt in those islands fi
years, notwithstanding the great
of the article there in former years. This s!
ity makes it a part ot wisdom and economy, in
this country, to increase in every possible way
the supply of the better kinds of salt.
To aid in this purpose, 1 will give a brief de
scription of the plans which 1 have adopted here
to make the most of these local advantages ;
and, when these plans are all perfected, I have
no doubt that the business will be rendered
reasonably sefe and successful, even during the
wettest season- which we have on these Keys ;
and when such years happen as I am informed
1842-43 were, and again, those of 1847-48, the
only limit to the yield of salt would be in the
limit of the labor at command to rake and secure
it There are other Keys oj^k^jeef, whi
a. Ivaiiti^^^^^^liis,
when we m.
fulness of the climate, especiall^^J^ese ad |
class .ot invalids, it would seem ta‘_;„te>l
vantages are worthy ol being
Key West is almost four
one broad; and from the 1
L irougb the centre of it, fo
Mniles, there are a series
,a!e from one to two fee
' tides. These pon
', originally, but sepa'
ridge, over which the
except in times of very
situation, even before tl
salt was frequently made,
tides of
ter
a’.l broke.
With 600,001
and no money,
not likely to h!
now, and its
ed and plundei
The Northern com'
interests cry for
—the great Wes 1
NO !
As a preface, we annex
editorial columns of the Her*
FINANCIAL CONDITION OF T
Whilst Congress is wasti,
hours of the session in the
tions which belong to the e
the War Department, and
which can be of no sort of ’
ent time, the financial affairs
are in a condition which excites
anxiety and alarm. In another week
ury will be without a cent, and in financ
commercial business of every kind the
is fast precipitating matters towards a
Those wl
who canj
gold or
pared foj
that,
getically, no!
lave anything to dispose of,
are investing the p:
exchange, so as to be" _
ms inevitable. It is evident
f;ress acts speedily and ener-
ffl f will we be overtaken by a
nancial revulsion severer than any we have as
yet encountered, hut the credit of the Govern
ment will be destroyed, and our army, which
being brought into such fine condition, ut-
demoralized. Thu issue of irredeemable
ir money, so far from helping to extricate
from our embarrassments, will only render
'em less easy of solution. A nation that has
-ecourse to such expedients is bent on suicide.
In taxation alone we can find the means of
providing for the burdens that war imposes up
on us. Every article of luxury, every deed or
paper relating to the transfer of real or per
sonal property, promissory notes and bills of
exchange—everything in short that is suscep
tible 01 being thus charged—should bear its
proportion ot them, in the
tafes or stamp duties,
of a couple of hundred mil
to secure the interest
that
either of direct
way a revenue
is could be raised
heavy war debt
leave a large sur-
£ants of the
by the
lesirous to
an aoien-
U at once
taxation
objects. The
indition to re-
Is made upon
lly meet them,
lly entertained,
and legitimate
tulties that are now crowd-
upon us. *
FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
Tuesday, January 7—6 P. M.—We have
reason to believe that Congress has at last wak-
to a sense ot its duty to the country, and
a measure has already been or will at once
fore
lowing
inform
crev
House authorizing Mr. Chase to
issue one hundred millions of Treasury notes,
;oes raked by the | in addition to those authorized at last session ;
away. Outside of declaring these new notes as well as the demand
which souts out the low tides notes authorized in July a legal tender for all
[lids, I have inclosed a large bay with debts as well to the Government as to individ-
water, which contains some 100 uals; directing that they .may be funded in
twenty year slocks of the United States at par
at fixed periods, or redeemed in coin, at the
pleasure of Government, and for the security
tleman named J. I:. P. Wilbur, of PBif
and his family, arrived here via
armed with a pass to procee
brought with him tw«
and packages, which
aroused the suspiciq
tain Phineas A.
in readiness, 1
a thorough se
The bagga-i
were albuiy ha’’
unit tlie trunks, ‘
On searching
Provost Marshal and
Duval, Esq., the following
were found
107 spools of silk; 31 rolls of
white shirts; 48 pairs of boots, shoes]
hers, nearly all rew; 650 envelopes;’<
of paper; 31 pairs socks; 2. gross steel 1
penholders; 11 silk vest patterns; 2 1
patterns; 2 dozen handkerchiefs; 2j
tons; 50 papers pins; 100 papers ne^
spools thread: 5 pieces gray woolen
piece (30 yards) white cotton cloth;
white flannel; 10 pounds coffee, about 1
of pants, part slightly new; 6 beaver skins.
. .. „ - ... . w , py The Fort Smith News says that Col.
■ G™233SZ. l W f *£ Km. p.™d through ,h.t plaooo.1
; by connecting two points of land
ntial dam. In this is fixed a swing,
as is used in Turks Island and the
which enables me to shut in the sea
water from the Gulf.Stream, a’ high tide. This
arrangement is such that, by a short canal
through the ridge, I can convey water at pleas
ure to every part of the natural ponds, which, 1 revenue of one
by means of more than 20 miles of embank- | dollars.
the 3rd, having with them a company of fine
negroes taken from Opothleyliolo, in the late
fight.
THE SITUATION OF AFFAIRS.
The Baltimore American, of the 16th inst.,
has the following significantly worded review
of the aspect of the war :
The sailing of Burnside’s fleet, and the wish-
>, ,. , . . »- es that accompany it, dimly foreshadow in the
of their redemption and of the due payment of t £ e Eighty expectations that hang
the interest and principal ©f the bonds into 1 _ ° 'v , r .. .51-
principal
which they may be converted, imposing a di-
upon the next two weeks. With a degree of
.. l u „i„ b , patriotism which in the patience displayed, ri-
rect tax which is calculated to yield an annual £ the8ubUme , the people appear, as with
hundred and fafty millions of nnp „ nn . , n , ’ .15,;, hom-s of the fut,
We have no hesitation in saying that
merits, are made into a series of reservoirs that ; such a measure as this will be satisfactory to
contain in full the principles herein laid down, the public credit. The new Treasury notes |
Out of the bay, at
point furthest from the will pass everywhere as money if their redetnp-
swing-gate, where the evaporation is sure
one consent, to hang their hopes of the future
upon a grand combined movement which is to
sweep rebellion trom existence. We see the
financial world on this side of the water hold-
1 the will pass everywhere as money it their redetnp- . ..... _
to he tion is nronerlv secured bv direct taxes and ln S 118 ljleath . ** lt were ’ 10 awalt the contem '
. .. ,- . ... t0 ° e t,on 18 properly secured bydirect taxes, and ( late d result; aid so, with the rest, we en-
the greatest, the canal ,s dug which lets the sad- none of the evils which in other countries un- P Qur h * of a g l oriou < re8 ult, whilst
water into the highest part, whence it Hows der aileus careful system of finance, have alien-1 we in | eftni ^yjostpone our fears-ifasy we
ded heavy issues ol paper money need be rq - m i cause so essential to the vin-
prehended on this occasion. Much anxiety and /. ~ ^ ^ B
loss would have been avoided if Congress had ‘ Uc ^™ ° r ^'“s ywII be justified by our hopes,
adopted tins course a manth ago, when it was , ,
recommended in this column. 8 ’ we wou! 1 f ” : ' he ? lad t0 dera0C9tr * t0 even t0
The speculation in exchange continues. Ster
from into another, forward and backward, till
it arrives at the last and lowest one in the se
ries, by which time the pickle has traversed
about 14 miles. In good weather, the water is
not only purified, but is up to the point of sa
turation, or nearly so. At any rate, it is in
fit state to be pumped up by wind-mills into ling must be quoted 114a 1144, andgold 3}aJ.
the crystalising pans, which in this case are , The Government has been disbursing heavily
I will now add some of my own personal ex
perience in the way of salt making in this re
gion : In 1836, there was a salt company lormed
on this island. Wooden pans, like those form
erly used at Cape Cod and New Bedford, were
erected to a considerable extent. I believe
there were put up at that time, about 3,000 feet,
linear measure, of these works, which were 16
feet wide, and had covers to roll on and off’, to
protect the pickle from the rain. Of the na
tural ponds on the island only very small por
tions were improved, and this solely for the
purpose of strengthening the sea-water before
it was pumped into the wooden works ; but no
attempt was made to make salt in ground pans.
Although they made four or five times as much
salt in these wooden tanks, in a given time, as
could be made in a like amount of works, in
New Bedford or Capo Cod, from the fact that
they could generally evaporate the pickle lo
saturation before pumping it up ; yet they could
hardly be said to be successful. The salt which
they made was very pure, as they adopted the
plan of having tlte pickle traverse a considerable
distance before pumping it into the works where
it was crystalised; and it acquired a very high
reputation for salting beef and fish ; but the
crystals were too fine for pork. In 1846, these
wooden works were nearly all destroyed by the
great huricane of that year, after which this
company sold out to a private individual, who
re-erected some part of the works in wood, out
of the debris of the storm, and turned his at
tention to making ground pans for the purpose
of crystalising salt in them. He did but little
in this way ; yet he was quite successful in
1847-48, making over 70,000 bushels per an
num with four or five hands on the place. In
1849-50, he made less ; but, considering the
limited amount of improvements, he had a fair
yield ; having raked about 50,000 bushels, in
these two years. In 1851, the works came into
my possession, but as I had only commenced
the business, and the season being very short,
I raked only about 20,000 bushels out of the
ground pans, besides some 15,000 bushels pro
duced in the covered works. This was done
with the average labor of only six hands. The
year 1852 was very wet, and the crop small;
and 1853, more rain fell than was ever before
recorded. In the mean time, I gave my chief
built on a )e%el from 12 inches to 3 feet higher
than the reservoirs. These have bottoms pre
pared with sand and marl, which become quite
hard, enabling os to keep the salt clean while
raking it. These pans are also enclosed with
stone and mar) wails, and vary in size from 50
feet square to an acre or more. They are like
wise arranged so that the pickle flows from the
highest to the lowest, through the whole series,
which still further purities the water and has
tens the crystalising atom. It is really aston
ishing to witness the amountof impurities which
are thus deposited from the sea-water. In some
of the reservoirs, at the end of the season, there
are nearly 6 inches of the half-floating deposits
of ortfc summer.
I do not pump any but perfectly saturated
pickle into the covered wooden pans, of which
I have some 2,500 feet in length. The salt
from these very heavy and pure, being invalu
able for salting beef and fish, but the coarse
salt from the ground pans is better for salting
pork. Fishermen, here, and in the vicinity,
will use for their purpose none but the finer
kind of salt made in covered works; and 1 have
been informed that fish in the Havana market
salted wi*h it, even when they are only “dry
salted,” command a higher price than those
cured with any other kind.
1 have from 300 to 400 acres of surface now
in the series of reservoirs, and, by further im
provements, 1 can more than double that
amount Of crystalising irins, I have from 50
to 60 acres, amply sufficient for the present
surface of reservoirs; and I have room to increase
to any necessary extent. The tanks which 1
am building are 50 bylOO feet on the ground,
and 10 feet deep, 5 leet of which is dug down
into the solid rock, hut even this part of them
will be lined with concrete, made of hydraulic
cement, sand, and broken stone. They are to
be covered by movable roofs, 20 by 25 feet, so
constructed as to roll on and off from each side
to the centre. These tanks, with ropes arran
ged as before described, to crystalise the pickle
on, will render a fair yield certain, even in a
wet season; and I think salt, crystalised in this
manner, out of brine previously purified in the
reservoirs, will be even better than that mado
wholly in the pans.
From personal observations of the use of Key
West salt, 1 am convinced that no other, except
perhaps, the very best Turk Island, is so well
fitted for salting provisions of all kinds. I say
the very best Turk Island, tor in a great number
of the works there, and in the Bahamas, the
salt >s sold under the same general name, and
and were they have applied the puriiying sys
tem, toe, but to a very limited extent; and at
many of the works salt is made after the plan
adopted in Spain. It would seem that many
brines have a disagreeable taste, which no prac
tical method can remedy,j>nd that on the whole,
that made from sea-water is usually better than
that which is made from springs. Furthermore
it is very probably that there is a great differ
ence in sea-water from divers localities. This
supposition is in a measure confirmed by the
salt made everywhere from the Gulf stream,
as it is better than that made in Spain, Portu
gal, the Azores, Ac., all of which produce an
article that has a sharpness of taste, which is
never present in the other kind, made from the
great ocean current; but even this kind varies
much in quality by the pains taken in purify
ing the pickle.
It is only during the time of raking salt from
ourselv
\\
he popular belief pointing to
a region comp-, .(.lively near by as the destina
tion of the fleet which has just left the Capital
of our State, we shall not venture to conjecture
the results. But when wo look to the army in
front of \Y ashington, with its splendid material
and its acknow ledged high discipline,we cannot
but hope that a forward movement, soon to be
attempted, wil\ wipe out effectually the remem
brance of former disasters, and thus justify the
expectation of all true patriots.
Turning to Kentucky, we have, according to
report, an army almost equal in point of num
bers, as well a.s discipline, at last in a position
likewise to move foward. The Green Riv^r
Railroad bridze is completed, and has ere this
reu ...... H’-cvs we..- , forward needed supplies in abundance
Ihus, Rock Island lost to day ft percent, P, enable the Nationa 1 troo ^ to take up the
Seven miles fiom .the
ground pans, and sometimes for a month or
more, when tho demand is brisk, to deliver it,
that many hands can be profitably employed at
the salt-works here. Even in favorable years,
a full force is not needed, after all improvements
arc made, for more that: six to eight months.
Consequently, some other business should be
connected with salt-making on these Keys, the
within the past day or two, and people are in
vesting their money in gold and exchange, in
consequence of the non-action of Congress up
on the subject of taxation. Gold is held for
much higher premiums by the speculators.
The stock market opened vigorously this
morning, with a large amount of orders from
the public; butastheday advanced the spec
ulators began to realize profits, and the market
was not strong enough to take the stock thrown
upon it. Hence the alternoon prices of many
of the speculative shares show a decline
compared with the closing prices? of last even
_ . ...
Burlington and Quincy 1, Toledo 1, Galena $,
Illinois Central 1$, Michigan Central i, South
ern, old, J, guaranteed jj, Reading 4. The ex
ceptions to the decline were United States 6’s,
which advanced f, and did not fall back ; Erie,
which closed | better than yesterday; Missou
ri, Tennessees and Virginias, each of whom
gained 4 to-day, and Pacific Mail, which ad
vanced J per cent. The market closed very
firm, with a general disposition to buy.
THE BANKERS’ CONSPIRACY IN PHILADELPHIA.
Philadelphia, Jan. 7.—Some of our banks
refuse to take Treasury notes on deposit A
very bad feeling is getting up towards the
banks, and if they do not alter their course
there will not be a dozen banks m the United
States in a year from now. The cry is being
raised, “Down with the banks, and give us a
a national currency.”
The Boston Post, of yesterday, says:
“Bank specie, $8 975,700. Late in the day
the banks were called upon to pay the Govern
ment- $100,000 in coin, to supply, perhaps,
some temporary deficiency. It is to be hoped
that a fair system will be speedily adopted by
whic.i the Government shall receive bank bills
for subscriptions to tbe loans. The bills of the
Boston banks are as good as the demand notes
of the United States—they can be used as read
ily and conveniently—and as the Government
itself has stopped specie payment, except for
interest and debt overdue, and as specie is at a
premium of 14 to 2 per cent, it follows that
the coin paid by the banks to Government does
not return to them. Every coin payment,
theretore, diminishes the specie aggregate of
the Banks, to sustain which these institutions
agreed to suspend. * Moreover, the vote of sus
pension made qo exception in favor of Govern
ment, and the banks, therefore, are not justi
fied in favoring it beyond their other custom
ers. Liberal payments of United States
mand notes to public creditors would fur
some temporary remedy for the present ditti
culty, for thereby the banks would soon obtain
enough of these notes to cancel their remaining
obligations to the Secretary of the Treasury.” /
And another extract from the Herald’s edi
torial columns;
“We are fighting to put down Southern
white rebels, and not agair.st the hundreds of
thousands of (J nion men throughout the South
who are awaiting the day of their deliverance
from Jeff Davis; we are fighting to save the
South, not destroy it; our object is to restore
the blessings of our Federal Constitution to
thereoel States, and not to transfer them from
one irresponsible military despotism to anoth
er.
“We have an army and a navy sufficient
the immediate work in hand ; we have
my and our navy so organized and disti
as to indicate the inevitable overth:
rebellion, and in a very short time. 1
money question is assuming an alarm!
Sixty millions of cash receipts
figure against six hundred millions
diture.' The receipts of the Treasi
increased to the extent of a hu
millions, and that right soon, c.
deluged by a general outpouring
line of march South,
bridge across Green River an excellent turn
pike begins, which, extending to the Capital of
Tennessee, offers every facility needed for an
advancing force ; whilst in command of the Na
tional troop, we are sail to have a man quite
equal to the demands upon him.
At Cairo, further onward, is the remainder
of the great war cloud prepared to expend it*
fury on the rebel territory. Sevenl v-eight ves
sels of all kinds, many ol them of the most for
midable character as armed vest*.- s, are now
reported a£ about ready, aud the late account*
from below show that Columbus once passed,
Memphis must fall an easey prey.
All this affords vast room tor hope, coui.i we
be assured- there was the will at headquarters to
set it all ill motion. We shall see, and await
ing results, shall strive to be patient. One
thing is certain : With these resources in hand,
a fearful responsiblity will rest on somebody,
if, in the r ext few weeks, the national disas
ters are not measurably forgotten in the be' ter
face put uoonour affairs.
pgT* The Quincy (Fla.) Dispatch of the 8th
says:
The Glpdiator sailed from an English port,
(after the Queen’s proclamation prohibiting the
exportation ot arms,) ostensibly tor New Bruns
wick, to supply British subject* there, but lost
her way—in a horn! Late information enables
us to inform our readers that she is now safely
moored in a Confederate port—so our heart*
may also say “all’s well.”
jM Home.—Mr. Oppen-
cs a specimen of Salt