Show 227 the sea of the salt obtained from this by boiling has been brought in by General Ashley— he has also brought in some specimens of rock salt found in strata several feet thick at the surface of the ground with streams of water running through it in numerous little channels The people in the mountains supply themselves with salt at this spot and plentifully carry it home in bags Osborne Russell who visited the shores of the lake in found four or five acres of salt some four inches deep near the mouth of Bear river It was says Russell® the most beautiful salt I have ever seen Two crusts had formed one at the bottom and the other on the top which has protected it from being the least bit soiled Between those crusts the salt was completely dry loose ’ and composed of very small grains of snowy whiteness Mention has already been made of John C Fremont’s to the lake xn 164:3 and the salt he obtained from five Some gallons of lake water Shortly after their arrival in Salt Lake Valley the Mormon leaders made an exploring trip to the south shore of the lake where they bathed in its briny waters at Black Rock Recognizing the possibilities of obtaining salt for the community from the lake a salt business was begun at once Besides gathering loose salt by scooping it up along the shore they established boiling vats and began in earnest to supply their needs According to William Clayton’s Journal entry for August 10 1847 "men returned from the I 3 Osborne 4 Supra Russell Journal of a Trapper 123 p 129 |