The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-10-01
OUR ASPHALT LEDGES.
A New Enterprise Near Thistle
Station, D. g. Il. q.
TO the Editor of THE HERALD.

Have just taken a trip up the canyon
to Thistle Valley, the road of which is
enough to discourage the most hardened
bullwhacker thai ever Cracked a
whip" Arriving at Mr.. Joseph Kerr's,
whose hospitality is proverbial through.
out the canyon. put up for few days
repose from the hurry and hustle of
business. The sun just declining left a
rosy pink hue on the oak shrubbery,
touched by the finger of Jack Frost, and
which covers the mountain sides IN
every direction, the sight being truly
picturesque to city folks. The morning
was lovely. High, rocky cliffs. seamy
rocks of varied kinds and colors, blue,
reddish, greenish, etc., made a panor-
anna of charming interest and beauty.
Huge boulders of solid granite have
here for countless ages Withstood the
assaults OF rain, hail, snow and tempest,
alike Impregnable TO men and beasts,
VINO move like insects over their rough, ,
Old sur aces. SCcl rocks never succumb
Til drill or dynamite tell their savage
story upon them in yawning chasms
duu SOlASs 1ChCdllLlS OCCdSlOudItJ tic
treasures of wealth hidden in the bosom
of the stiffness of untold centuries.
What uplifted mountain masses How
ponderous their bulkl How insignif-
cant the pyramid heights when COM
pared with some OF these mountains
Aside from the believing Of the iron
horse and the giddy whirl of passengers
down the canyon gOrgeS there were few
tiers nF IntornSr mill W TQoghAH no
homestead of our friend Kerr on two
acres of which, sold to the North
American Asphalt Company of ST. !
Louis, was rapidly being constructed a /
tine residence for the upeIiut5udent OF /
said works, st. n. Lesieur, a mOstPeDia! /
gentleman, to whom | had the pleasure I
Of IN Introduction The sound OF hsm- |
ner and saw here was quite a relief /
rom the AWFUL quit of the canyon, |
The company'S works are to be con- |
;ruCted two miles south of This le /
station. The various lodges Of asphalt /
extend over $40 acres of ground and are /
rom eighth TO twenty feet thick, being /
practically lneXhauSuble. An expert /
rom New York, on seeing the Lodges,
remarked that "A thousand men III a
thousand years could not exhaust F.
hem" The furnaces to work these
edges are to be built at the mouth of
Mid Cat Greek. The ties are already
IN the ground to construct a Iramway,
hree- quarters Of a mile in length. and
unDelllng is being pushed forward
ap. dly. This is the only asphalt nine
n y Orth America, except a small one in
california, insufficient TO justify work
ny. The value of asphalt TO roads rem
Iers it cheaper than granite, with IL,
pairs. hven without water aSphal-
) dustless. and with water running on
aCh side of a street, where it is used,
he streets are always perfectly clean.
IS instance the city of Washington,
where the streets are lined with its The
.sphalt of this region compares favor
bly, with the Egyptian. The bulk OF
sphalt in this canyon exceeds that OF
he whole world, except in Trinidad.
south America, where it is also in
The German and French
Sphalts are unfit for varnish. This will |
make, as proved by testing. excellent
arnlsh. and Will be of great value to
he Territory and the United States
generally.
The intention of the company is to
lake eastern shipments, but con
iderable demand will be made in Utah.
CORRESPONDENT,