ALLIANCE HERALD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1918
POTASH NOT KNOWN IN F.AST
(Continued from Pane 1.)
consumed annually about 2"0,n00
tons of K2-0, at a cost to the consum
era of approximately ftfi.OOO.OOO.
Ninety per rent of this went into fer- I
tilizers. of which the greater part
was used In the cotton fields. This
consumption in the I'nited States was
reduced in 1917 to about I MM tons.
VniMHitioii of Luke Brine.
"The strong water la the Nebraska
lake is called brine. Two things
stand out prominently in determin
ing value of branes. viz , the per (
centime of absolute salts and the per
centage of KIO in the salts The
brines contain compounds principally
of potassium and sodium, and traces
of magnesium, calcium, iron, etc. The
compounds are principally BUlphatea,
carbonates and chlorides. The rela
tive amounts of sodium and potash
vary considerably in the potash re
gion, and there Is a yet wider ratm
if the lakes of the whole sand hill
country are considered.
By the percentnue of potash is
meant the per cent in the water or in
the solids of the water. For example
a brine running 16 per cent solids
and 28 per cent of that as potash
(K20) would be reported: potash, 28
or as potash, 4.44. Both these are cor
rect, but they refer In the one case
to the solids and in the other to the
water and salts combined
Under a refining procers such as i
two of the Nebraska plants are in
stalling these other chemicals, now
rescured in eastern chemical works,
will he extracted. At present prices
their value Ib greater than potash,
and is thus one bulwark agatnst Ger
man competition after the war."
There is one monoply lone enjoyed
by Germany, one which, it was hoped
by all cohorts of the kaiser, could be
used as a most powerful lever in open
ing up renewed commerce with the
world after the war ifl over. This is
the monopoly of potash.
There are two fields under German
control wherein are contained the
greatest known deposits of natural
potash. These deposits are in Prus
sia and in Alsare-Loraine. Fer many
years the production and refining of
potash has been strictly under gov-'
ernment control. Abour one hun
dred companies in Germany prior to!
the war operated the potash plants.
All were unaer government airwuwa
and these concerns constttuded a
magnificent syndicate which virtually
controlled the supply of potash used
In agriculture and in the other in
dustries. Only one-half of the pot
ash prepared for commerce was al
lowed to be exported, the other half
retained being wholly utilized in agri
culture and in the manufacture !n
encies ruled by the kaiser.
One Jermai Club in the Discard
Some of the most noted among the
German scientists, and the other kul
tured and foresighted ones In the In
ternational affairs of the Fatherland,
have confidently believed, and have
expressed freely their convictions
that th's great German monoply, if
nothing else, would force the entente
powers to most favorable terms of
peace front the German viewpoint
They reasoned and argued that by
outline off the supply or potash the
Industrial world would he seriously
hampered in scores of most Important
and necessary pursuits.
But these scientists and wily states
men know not and they did not
know they knew not that in the
United States vast deposits of potash
were available, and only needed such
a calamity as the present war to set
Into motion American enterprise and
genius for the development and the
Utilization of these great supplies of
potash which nature has provided.
I lilted Htnte the Kal-erS ;.! Oi
tomor "Necessity is the mother" of the
potash industry in the I'nited States.
Trior to the breaklnr out of the war
Germany supplied approximately 90
pat cent, of the potash used through
out the world. How ureat has been
the demand for this eawattal element
In the Vnited BUlttfl snown bv the
figures from the ("enr.us Bureau re
ports ami the statistic supplied by
iii' Department of Commerce, The
I'nited States for years has been one
of Germany's best patrons tn so fat
as potash is considered. In 1919
201,220 tons of muriat of potash
and 4 2.74 ". tons of SOlphaM of potash
were importated Into the country
The total potash In varioun forms
Which we purchased from (iermany
that year was valued at $1,929,124
In 1916 our total Importations of pot
ash amounted to 4. r.." tons, valued
at $1,007,228.
From a price of $39 a ton, sea
board in America, in December, 1113,
there was an advan.-o to $."00 a ton in
December. 1916. No wonder such p1
vanr" in price of a commodity thai a
civilized country must have greatly
stimulated search for suppli.-s of pot
ash In this country. It is one of the
most necessary tilings In American
industries. It is an essential in
hundreds of trades. It had been a
Commodity so cheap that there was
no inclination for Americans to make
serious effort to produce It in a com
mercial way. In fact in the Statisti
cal Abstract of the I'nited States for
1915 no mention is made of the pro
duction of potash in this country.
Even though the Geological Survey
and the Bureau of Soils have made
exhaustive reports on minerals and
other thinns under the jurisdiction
of these government bureaus, little
data had been gathered up to 191 i t
of the potash resources of the coun
try. Passed Up With Few Words
In the Year Book of the depart
ment of Agriculture for 1915, the
statement is made: "There are four
possible domestic sources of potash:
The giant kelp of the Pacific coast
from lower California to Alaska; the
alunite deposits, muinly in (he moun
tains of Utah; the feldspathic rocks
of the eastern part of the United
States and the mud of Searles Lake
in California."
In the Agriculture Department re
port Issued in 1916, in an article by
Frederick W. Brown, assistant in
charge of investigation of fertilizer
resources. Bureau of Soils, futlier
reference is made to the r.ourcos of
potash, and for the first limp official
recognization is given to the potash
lakes of Nebraska, which were at
that time being utilized in a modest
way. and which were passed upon
with the statement: "Whllo the size
of these lakes precludes the possibili
ty of their ever furnishing a large
supply of potash, it Is to be hoped
that the operators will succeed in
perfecting their process so as to be
able to continue production upon a
return of normal conditions."
Private Research Rewarded
If the clever scientists in charge of
our geological investigations Knew so
little about the existence of potash in
this country, it appears that the Ger
mans should know still less. But
facts are that in the United States
are vast deposits of potash, great
fields which have been hardly inves
tigated, and as private researches
proceed the vastnss and the value
of these deposits are becoming known
In the Sand Hills pf Nebraska
DiKine the past year the so-called
sand hill country of Nebraska has
been producing about two-thirds of a 4000-acre ranch, paying $32,000
all potash produced in the I'nited
States. Nebraska 's potash resources
are enorm mis The field extends
from the North Platte river In the
western central part of the state to
the Niobrara and the Iong Pine
for It. After he bought It he discov
ered that It Included a 100-acre lake.
He asked a rebate of $100 from the
man from whom he purchased It. It 1
was not given. Today the heirs of
the cattleman are operating a potash 1
These deposits are In the hundreds reduc tion plant and estimate that the
of small lake.t located In the sand lake cont. tines more than a million
hills, principally In Sheridan, Gordon
and Cherry countie.v Of these lakes
there ate approximately Too. all of
dollars worth of potash
Ibiptd tad Mug of Potash Town
ThlB is only a fragment of the hls-
thetn ca rr n potash, and about 100 tory of potash in America. The fu-
were venturesome enought to start
In the game will keep gathering in
the dollars. Fortunately the) have
been not stock poddlOrBi but legiti
mate pioneers, level-headed men
whoso foresight and enterprise mer
its the success they h ivo attained.
It will to int resting to wptch the
progress of the potash Industry In
oui own oMiniry -an Industry tint
Rives a boa?! MOW to Oermrn amblt-tlons.
Which have bet n tested run from five
to nine par i nt carbonate of potash.
The lakes ranee in size from 15 to
300 anil 400 acres. The deposits of
lUre will disclose the rest In the
meantime Kraal plants are running
night ami da) anil other mammoth
plants an bein:' built The three
Soap at Germ Destroyer.
Lately medical science has been try
ing to find out to what degree the
chemical action of soap can be de
Deeded upon as a destroyer of genua
Professor Hymen, after experiment
Ing with many varieties of soap
declares that "all soaps possess nntV
septic properties In some degree, and
that any germs rubbed Into soap 01
dropped upon Its surface are not cap
hie of multiplication."
potash in these lake hods run from potash towns of the Nebraska sand
eight to 20 feet in depth i hills are lloffland, the first one where
Crop of Now MUHonartea potash was leathered la small way.
Already some of the ptOBeor. Who Lakeside, Which 'or years was a cat
less than three years ago started in j tloloading station on the Burlington
the potash business in these fields. railroad, and Antioch whore two
and in a modest way, are rated as large refineries are riming and other
millionaires Throe exclusive pot-! ones beini: built. At T.aKesltle. a
ash have been built up. ami m arly n company which was put out of the
thonaand hands are employed Is thelbrewlnl bualneaa at Omaha by the
...... .l.i..u i- V . i I . ......
iiiu'i- i . which is tne iiini-M iii state iroittouor auieutimeni . is omiu
merlca, ami the permanency of which
seems a certainty.
The story of oil, of gold or any
other like discovery is not more In
tereatlOf than that of potash in the
Nebraska fields; and the story of pot
ash in the United States Is now only
in its first chapter, and no doubt the
I subsequent ones will be fully as In
teresting. Accursed Lakes Turned to messing
if an Immonac plant ami utilizing
the machinery which It formerly used
IB making beer This plant repre
sents an expenditure of more than
$200,000.
Sand Hills Put ash Production
One authority on fertilizers writ
ing on the subject of potash makes
the statement that in 1917 the total
output of potash was approximately
15.000 tons, and this Is mainly
For years and years the "alkali" ! credited to the utilization of the
lakes of the Nebraska sand hills, now Pacific kelp beds, the Searles Like
j so valuable for the potash they con
tain, Ware considered worse than
worthless, in fact a nuisance to be
and the Nebraska alkali lakes. The
fact Is that of crude potash Nebraska
alone produced approximately 62,600
avoided. From their wafers cattle ( tons. From lloffland. the pioneer
wouldn't drink, nor would hogs wal-j potash town of the United States,
low In them; they were even avoided there were shipped 718 car loads
I by the flocks of wild ducks passing during 1917; from Antloch, 496 car
i over them, and apparently their only loads and from Lakeside, 3KI car
redeeming features was that they ! loads. With an average of 40 tons to
j were never the breeding places of the car the tonnage stated Is derived
mosquitoes. They Were the curse of at. The price of potash la about $5
: the homesteader, the bane of the cat- ' per unit. The concentrates from the
tie and the sheepmen and thoroughtly Nebraska fields run about. 28 per cent
damned by every thirsty man. : which brings the product to a valuo
Ctotdefl Opport unities Passed Up lot $140 a ton . Thus IT ran be easly
A few years ago when the Kin- estimated that the potash Industry
kead homestead law was enacted, hun enriched Nebraska about $8,764,000
, dreds of homesoekers rushed into the In 1917.
sand-hills hoping that on the 640, Potash Not a Piker' Came
acres allowed them they could, raise I Tno potash game Is a big one.
a little stock and manage to build a while the pioneers In It had little
home. Many of these homesteaders capital. It has advanced bo th. t now it
found part of their claims covered by requires hundreds of thousands of
the alkali lakes Many of them after ,ioilars fo engage In it with any as
a year or two abandoned their claims. sllranro of xicvo. The wooden
One of these Kinkaiders some day Btnvo ppo ,inPS wnl(,n mt ho flod
will come to a realization, if ho has for 1P conveyance of the water from
not already experienced it. that he ,iho lnkofl ,, ,.xrrn,,v cosf;nc mnrP
passed up the one great opportunity tnan $MO0 mj,0 A wducag plant
I of his life. He filed on a section In r(innot h() wo ,,, for ,0 t,)!in
the southern part of Sheridan county $lr;0-00n. At Antloch a plant will
I hree hundred acres of his claim was ' ,)r eompletej V(VTOF,,nt , !in In
covered with one of these abominable votn.n) of , h;(lf milItnn rton:,r!,
alkali lakes, a shallow, no-good patch j .
,..,. 1 1 . Still a fliihy Industry
v., airi Ruvnia i in niiuui'M mini 01
fish could not be found. He cussed
his misfortune, he condemned the
country as he would the infernal re
gions, and picked up stakes and
Some men now in the potpsh indus
try a few years ago would feel rich
had they a hundred dollars cash To
day they are trying to decide what
moved to parts not known. His de- ,hpy ran hoat do wi,h ,,"Mr Incomes
parture was just at the time when it I ..Pf" rrom ,OOB IO ,'""n
was quietly whispered about that
these alkali lakes contained potash.
His abandoned claim was "jumped
Still the indntry is In swaddling
clothes. In the bad lands of South
Dakota. In North Dakota. Montana,
the alkali country.
An Unknown Gift to TTetrs
6
MAZOLA
Helps the housewife to save butter, lard, suet;
improves fried foods and salad dressings.
FOOD Administrator Hoover says that 375,000 tons of animal fats can be
saved yearly if one-third ounce less is useJ per capita per day ami he asks
every American to do his share.
He says use vegetable oils in cooking.
And thousands of housewives today are congratulating themselves that they
have at last found in Mazola a vegetable oil which is even better than the old
cooking mediums.
Mazola is a pure product from American corn.
It browns food quickly, preventing that greasiness and sogginess which
used to be so prevalent in fried or sauted dishes.
And since Mazola does not carry taste or odor from one food to another it
can be used over and over again a great force for economy.
If you want an especially delicious mayonnaise or French dressing use Mazola. There
is no need to give up salad because ot the uncertain supply or high prices of olivs oil.
Get Mazola from your grocer in pint, quart, halt-gallon or gallon tins.
The large sizes are the most economical. Also ask for the free Mazola book of
Recipes or write usdixecl.
ONE. PINT"
Youi moocy rclundcd il M.ioi. 4oe ox five cmiie num. i. on.
Corn Products Refining Company
17 Battery Place New York
UlUKtjK
SALAD
H O
COOKING.
Oik
bv a man who was looking for Ins Wyoming and oth-r western states nt
what It contained, and today the con- 1 far as n are lakes similar to
demned lake is giving up dallv sev-',hp ,akPF' in tno bad lands,
oral hundred dollars worth of potash. Thrsp ,akos rrp now Attracting at
and most conservative potash experts ,f ntif,rl They mean that forever the
estimate that there is still to be taken I TTn,,"fl States Is Independent of Oor
out of the once-considered no-good :manv Insofar as potns' I ts concerned.
' shallow puddle. This man is only one I Kvpn ,,1"lru he wise ones tn the
I Of the many who have missed out In .Oaolotleal Survey and other bureaus
in Washington have had their eves
closed and made a lot of gue s wok
A prominent Nebraska cattleman. 1 hr scented as facts, th- potash tn
now dead, some years ngo purchased trr Promises to thrive Soon na
private enterprise nroves the sroat-
, noss of this nartlcular Industry there
will he vo'umlnous "official" reports
It promises to erin.il Wyoming ell In
jtbls repaid.
Potash has never been of sufficient
importance in the United States to
appeal as being worthy of r.ny special
I legislation for the regulation of its
I production. But thero has been a
j sudden change, and astute men a
I mong the national lawmakers have
tO. mod their attention toward It.
Will There Hi- a Monopoli Idka in
(icmuMiy
Perhaps some people have heard
of or read ubout the Walsh-Pittman
bill recently passed by the Senate,
and now lingering before the House
This bill is to "encourage and pro
mote the mining of coal, phosphate,
oil, gas, potassium and sodium on the
public domain." Note the intent of
the measure, then look up In the
Congressional Record the amend
ments to the original drafted Mil!
There is plenty specific changes as to
oil and coal, but strange us it muy
seem, considering the importance of
potash just now, there is not a
single modification as to phosphate
and potassium. Let It be hoped thut
the bill will encourage the potash
industry. Let it also be hoped that
this most promising industry will not
become a monopoly like some others
In similar commodities. The provi
sion of the Walsh-Pittman bill are
most liberal, and prov;de for the
b aling by the Government of mineral
and oil-producing lands in trncts not
to exceed 2,560 acres to any Individ
ual or corporation.
Fake Promoters Not Vet in Kvldence
So far the potash business has been
free from "wlldcatting" but its raln-bow-llke
Lues will attract the wily
promoters, end we will soon have
numerous fool-seekers and blue-sky
artists in the limelight, and the taleB
of great fortunes nirde quickly In pot
ash will be played up In the most In
teresting style of th sure-tvlng oper
ator. In the interim the onea who
CarUn&Jeffrey
Co.
Oaulu, Nebraska
ifi s the new "cold flVv'v wZSt'
Jjy ho'tlc" to enjoy with ithe wSji
stiictcst sense, but the T ; ?ffi 1
H' Mil liveliest, nippiest nppc- (IL,,. jefc. " A
tSS n,er Imaginable rich jjf amtd!
B fBll in the flavor of nutritive H HL. kVu
HLHll cereals and imported HilBVkV
3MlJtl BEVO fl
WfJrjlHk makes good things to Vjfl Lit
mm ihIHRvI cnt even better HlJefl
mll.llMll and it's healthful. SiliiSsSHiBflB
iLffijjC-Bh 4 ANHKltSKR BUSCH
ltvejppa st. lkjui. u. s. a. ' m
KING'S CORNER
Alliance Distributors for Bevo
!wmm RAt1HMSKISnHHSeewwta
Dray Phone 54
Dye & Owens
Transfer Line
HOUSEHOLD GOODS
moved promptly and
'7 TRANSFER WORK
solicited.
Residence Phone 636 and Blue 574
Save American Blood
Buy More War Stamps
The government muat have money now. The da
eigion is soon to he made for or against America.
Which way it will go depends upon the money loan
ed the ffovernment to carry on the, war.
The more money loaned our government the
sooner the war will end the less American hlood
will he shed.
The government has issued two hillion dollars
in war securities in the form of 25-cent "Thrift
Stamps" anil $r "War Saving! Stamps."
The $5 War Savings Stamps are little govern"
ment honds, bearing 4 per cent compound Intereat
They cost $4.13 now. The 25 cent Thrift Slumps
do not hear interest, hut sixteen of them are worth
$4 in payment on a $5 stamp which does
These "hahy honds" are intended for investors
who are not aide to loan the government more than
25 cents or $8 at a time, hut they can he bought in a
mounts up to $1,000.
We sell both kinds of stamps for the Govern
ment. Let us tell vou ahout them.
FIRST NATION A LBANK
Alliance, Nebraska
Order Your
Coal Supply Early
It is the wise thing to do
You'll say so this winter, too.
If we could make plain to you the situation, we know
that fou would put la your winter's coal supply now.
We are not trying to scare you, but we are trying to toll
you. The car shortage exist. It may oos to you like
everything Is moving, but you'll appreciate what we toll
you when winter comes and It may be next to Impossible
to get coal.
We've got coal to sell you today. We've got coal today
to put into your bin. We can't promise more. It's good
ooal and it's a fair price. We urge you to get busy
thing act. It will prove to your advantage.
Dierks Lumber & Coal Co.
F. W. HAROARTEN. Mgr. PHONE 22 111 Laramie Ave.
