H.

Returns of Salt inspected in the county of Kanawha in the year 1829.

A. W. QUARRIER, Clerk Ken. County Court.

I.

Copy of a letter from Gen. Francis Preston, of Washington county, Virginia, to Judge Summers, of Kanawha, dated Dec. 7th, 1827.

DEAR SIR: I have to lament the delay that has taken place in answering your favor; but I was absent from home when it arrived, and a considerable time after. On my return, I handed it over to Col. White, who has rented the whole salt establishment on Holston, and has been engaged many years in the business; but by the pressure of business, and his being frequently from home, he did not answer the interrogatories in yours until I received another letter from Nashville, from a Mr. Dickinson, on the same subject. The result is enclosed.

I have not manufactured salt for upwards of twenty years, having for that period rented out my establishments, and hence have paid but little attention to the business, either in detail or generally, and therefore cannot afford any information that may be useful on the subject; but Col. White's information may be relied on, as he is a man of great experience and observation, and of a strong rational mind-very practical in all his pursuits, and extremely attentive to their details.

I agree with him most decidedly, that, if the duty is taken off imported salt, it will have a most deleterious effect on all the manufactories of the west, by the introduction of foreign salt up the Mississippi and its tributary streams, through the medium of steamboats, and eastward, as much farther as the 20 cents (the present duty) will enable the carriers of the article to penetrate into the interior. How far this will be politic or just, is for the nation to decide.

The past difficulties in relation to this article of first necessity during the late war, and especially the war of the Revolution, are strongly admonitory of the prudence and caution necessary to be exercised on this subject, so interesting to the nation as well as to individuals.

With sentiments of esteem and respect,
I am, dear sir, respectfully, yours, &c.
FRANCIS PRESTON.

Questions proposed to Colonel James White, who at present occupies all the Sati establishments of Holston, in Washington County, Virginia, with his answers, and referred to by General Preston in the foregoing

letter.

Question 1. What amount of capital is vested in Washington county, Virginia, including the real and personal estate, as well as money used in carrying on the business?

Answer I would suppose King's and Preston's real estate, including and connected with the salt works, are worth $400,000. The capital vested, other than the real estate, for manufacturing, transportation, &c. &c. is $200,000 and upwards; the water being evaporated by wood, the hauling of which is very expensive, and yearly increasing as it recedes from the establishments, and the unevenness of the country is such that the water cannot be conveyed to the wood.

Q. 2. To what number of persons do these manufactories give employment? A. When the establishments are united, as they are at present, there are generally about 60 hands employed, exclusive of those engaged in transportation, who, with their teams, are numerous. If the interests were separated, it would nearly double the number.

Q. 3. What is the aggregate quantity of salt manufactured per annum?

A. There could be, by extending the establishments, manufactured 300,000 bushels per annum, believing the water would afford it, as there has been no diminution of it since these establishments were brought into operation; but the consumption of the country which they now supply does not require more than from 60 to 100,000 bushels per annum, owing to the introduction of salt from Kanawha, and foreign salt up the Mississippi, to some portions of the country which formerly relied on the Holston works for their supplies.

Q. 4. What does it cost the manufacturer to produce it ready for market? A. That would necessarily depend on the quantity made. If 300,000 bushels per annum were made, perhaps not more than 12 cents per bushel; but at the present consumption, from 25 to 50 cents.

Q. 5. At what price is it sold at the manufactory?

A. One dollar per bushel at the works, though the quantity sold will not average 75 cents.

Q. 6. What quantity of water is required to produce 50 weight of salt? A. About forty-five gallons of water at King's works, but considerably more at Preston's.

Q. 7. What quantity of iron is annually used, distinguishing the mallea

ble from the cast.

A. About 4 tons of bar iron, and about 30 tons of cast.

Q. 8. In the time of the last war, what was the price of salt at the Holston works and on the Ohio river?

A. At the Holston works it was $2 25, and on the Ohio, at Chillicothe, I paid from $1 50 to $2 per bushel.

I am decidedly of opinion, that, if the duty is taken off imported salt, it will in all probability cut off four-fifths of the present consumption of the domestic article, or reduce the manufactories to an unprofitable concern.

NASHVILLE, January 3, 1831.

GENTLEMEN: I am requested by the manufacturers of salt at Kanawha to obtain from you answers to the following questions, viz:

1st. What was the current price of salt in Nashville in 1816?

2d. Has the price of salt been gradually reduced at Nashville since the year 1816?

3d. Was Kanawha salt sold at Nashville, in April and May last, at sixtytwo and a half cents per bushel?

4th. What is the present price of Kanawha salt per bushel?

5th. Has the quality of Kanawha salt been improved within the last few years?

6th. Does Kanawha salt answer the general purposes of the community about Nashville?

7th. Has there been generally, for several years past, a full supply of Kar nawha salt, and other domestic salt, in Nashville?

8th. Is it the custom to reweigh and deduct the tare when Kanawha and other domestic salt is sold in Nashville?

9th. In selling foreign salt in Nashville, is it the custom to reweigh, measure, or sell by the sack?

Your answers to the above questions will be regarded as a singular favor by the manufacturers of salt at Kanawha, as well as by myself.

I am, gentlemen,

Very respectfully, yours, &c.

JOHNSTON ARMSTRONG.

Messrs. NORVELL & WALKERS.

NASHVILLE, January 3, 1831.

Answer to 1st Question. We cannot say precisely what the price was in 1816. We think from 2 to 3 dollars per bushel, generally.

A. to 2d Q. The price has been gradually reduced until, we think, 1824, when it sold for 1 dollar per bushel. Since that, the price has varied, sometimes 1 dollar, and sometimes 75 cents, and at other times 624 cents per bushel of 50 pounds.

A to 3d Q. Salt was sold, in April or May last, for 624 cents, but the general price this year, 1830, was 75 cents. The present price is 62 cents. A. to 5th Q. The quality has been improved. A. to 6th Q.

State.

A. to 7th Q.

the last 10 years. A. to 8th Q.

Kanawha salt answers all the general purposes of this

There has been, generally, a full supply of domestic salt for

All domestic salt is reweighed here.

A. to 9th Q. Foreign salt is generally sold by the sack, without weighing. If weighed, it is sold higher than domestic salt. But foreign salt will sell very slowly, if the price is 12 cents higher than Kanawha.

Respectfully,

5

NORVELL & WALKERS.

ST. LOUIS, January 4, 1831.

DEAR SIR: I was sent to this market last summer, by the manufacturers at Kanawha, for the purpose of making deposites of salt, at such points, and in such quantities, on the Upper Mississippi, as might be found necessary for a full and ample supply for the country.

On my arrival, I ascertained that, at the close of the year 1829, there had been a surplus of about 1,850 barrels. I deposited 4,700 barrels; there was also another lot of Kanawha salt of 400 barrels; this made the whole quantity of Kanawha salt, for the year 1830, in this market, amount to 6,950 barrels. To this quantity add 1,800 barrels received from sundry works, to wit, Pittsburg, Illinois, and Missouri, and it makes the whole quantity of domestic salt put into this market for the last year amount to 8,750 barrels, or about 60,000 bushels. Of this quantity, there remained on hand on the 1st of January, 1831, about 3,000 barrels.

The price of Kanawha and other domestic salt has varied, during the last season, from 56 to 624 cents per bushel, and has in all instances been reweighed at the time of selling.

I have not been able to arrive with precision at the exact quantity of foreign salt introduced into the market last year, but, from the best information I can collect, the quantity may be safely put down at 10,000 sacks: a moiety of this quantity has probably been coarse salt, the other moiety ground alum, and Liverpool blown. The former has been sold from 56 to 624 cents, and the latter from 65 to 75 cents per bushel.

Since the navigation of this river has been obstructed by ice, I have observed, that, at one of my depots below, where the domestic salt had become scarce, the foreign article had advanced in price to $1 25 per bushel.

The quantity of salt spoken of is the amount deposited in this city, and has no reference to the other markets on this river, all of which have been abundantly supplied with domestic as well as sack salt.

It seems to me that there can be no doubt of the fact, that sack salt advances in this and the other markets, as the domestic article grows scarce. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. WALKER, Esq.

W. B. CLIFTON,

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Dec. 30, 1830.

At the request of the manufacturers of salt at Kanawha, Virginia, we, the undersigned subscribers, do certify, (after making the necessary inquiries of the commission merchants and others in this city,) that foreign salt sold for (in the spring and summer months) from sixty to seventy cents per bushel, (fifty pounds to the bushel;) and that, in consequence of the low stage of the water, and there being no domestic salt in the market, the foreign salt rose, and sold for from eighty-five cents to one dollar per bushel. This information was obtained by us from such sources as warrants our belief in this statement or certificate. Witness our hands.

B. I. HARRISON,
STARK FIELDER.

I, William Tompkins, a justice of the peace for said county, do certify, that Benjamin I. Harrison and Stark Fielder, whose names are subscribed to the foregoing affidavit, this day came before me, and made oath that the statements therein contained are true; and I further certify, that said Harrison and Fielder are persons of intelligence and veracity. Given under my hand this 30th December, 1830.

W. TOMPKINS, J. P.

Questions propounded to L. and N. Lodge, of Madison, Indiana, together with their answers.

Question 1. The price of domestic and foreign salt at your place per bushel, when sold by the sack or barrel?

Answer. The domestic salt has been, with very little exception, sold, for twelve months past, at fifty cents per bushel of 50 pounds, at the inspector's weights. The foreign salt has been sold at 75 to 874 cents per bushel of 50 lbs.; average, perhaps, 814.

Q. 2. The quantity of foreign salt introduced into your market since the 1st January, 1830, and the freight per sack from New Orleans; also, the quantity on hand?

A. The quantity of foreign salt introduced since the 1st of January last will vary little from 6,000 bushels, none of which was shipped direct from New Orleans, but was purchased and reshipped at Louisville. The freight from Orleans to this place, when long boats could pass the falls, would be no more than to that place, and may be estimated at something like 50 cts. per 100 wt. by the time it is stored in warehouses. The quantity on hand is inconsiderable, perhaps not more than will be required for packing pork this season.

Q. 3. The effect which the absence of domestic salt has had upon the foreign article, if any, and its extent?

A. In consequence of the low stage of water in the Ohio river the past fall, the supply of domestic salt for a short period was not commensurate with the demand, which had the effect of enhancing the price of the foreign article in this market, in common with those of Louisville and Cincinnati, and its extent was commensurate with the sales effected.

It can be only matter of opinion, what effect the entire absence of the domestic article for any considerable period would have had upon the price of the foreign; but if we reason from analogy, and the known maxim generally practised upon by traders, of selling for the highest price that can be obtained, we are constrained to believe the price would only have been limited by the necessity of purchasers.