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In Nevada an* M\«*ral deposits of mineral soap. One of these has been worked for three or four years. The soap is sometimes made up into cakes as it come* fioiu the mine, hut usually it is toiie«l down by admixture with various other soaps. In Dakota and Wyoming are also deposits of natural so.,p. In tedious where sod a, borax, and iiiineral oils a bound it is only nceessury to bring *h**se ingredient* together and a soap mine is the result. Hot springs assist Very materially in uniting and concentrating iho materials provided by nature. | he soap found about hot springs is therefore generalh harder and more perfect tli:,„ that produced in the dry way in and about the basins of ext met lakes. I he water s of Oweii* and Mono lakes are so thoroughly saturated with borax and soda in’solution that the addition of any oleaginous matter produces .soap. The waters of Mono lake produce unriads of grubs, (whirl, after u time become Hies), which are washed ashore, and in soma places form beaches a foot or two in depth. J be oily matter contained io the grubs or flies uniting with the alkali in the water of the bike forms* deposit of soap an inch or two in thickness each year. Thus in the course of ages a deposit of natural soap of great depth has built up on the east side of the alkali lakes where the worms arestranded -the prevailing winds being from the west. Theto peculiar grub* are the only living thing found in the waters of Mono and Owens lakes. At certain seasons an msectiferous duck,• ailed the spoon-bill, frequent* these lakes, and feeding upon the aquatic flies and grubs becomes so fat that it can hardly fly. Hunters kill these spoon-bill ducks for their oil, as the grub on w hich they feed imparts to them a lishy taste, so strong that they cannot be eaten except by Indians, w ho eat both worms and duck*. Duck* killed by hunters atKl lost are sometimes found in the waters of the lake. All the feathers are eaten olT the fowl by the alkaline solution, and the layer of fat beneath the skin (an inch in thickness) is found to be changed to soap, hard as the best castilo uud beautifully white.-
Newspaper Details
The Sully County Watchman
Onida, South Dakota, US
Sat, Jan 26, 1889
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Dean T.
USA 10 Dec 2022
Other Publications Near Onida, South Dakota
The Sully County Watchman
