The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-12-25
EXHAUSTLESS MINES.
What T. A MitcheIl'S Grit Has
Accomplished.
A. L. WILLIAMS ON P. V. MINES
An Industry to Which Utah Owes
Much OF Her PrOsperity-How the
Bitumen Is Extracted

There is no other section of the
United States so well supplied with
coal as this Territory. Perhaps it would
be best to except the great State o.
Pennsylvania from the general rule
but with that one exception there GER
tainly is no other State or Territory
that's anything like as richly endowed
with coal as Utah. 1t has fields in
almost every part, and of almost every
variety. except anthracite. These coal
fields are found in Summit, Utah
Emery. Sanpete, Iron and other coun-
ties, though in those mentioned thew
exist in quantities that to-day warrant
their being worked. The most extern
sive producers to- day are the Pleasant
Valley fields, and they are also perhaus
portions of the most extensive coal
measures in the west. The measures on
which are the mines of the Denver g.
Rio Grande Western, and the Utah
Central railways cover an area of not
less than twenty to forty square miles.
Naturally the work SO far done has only
been to scratch the surface of the great
fields of which they form part.
The character of all coal in Utah is
largely the same. That in Emery and
Utah Counties, Castle Valley, Price
Canyon and at other points bears the
same characteristics, while that of San
pete County and in Summit County
differ. The Pleasant Valley coal is
found mixed with sandstone and that
of Sanpete and Summit Counties IS
found in limestone formation.
It is asserted that the coal found in
Price Canyon on the line of the Denver
g. Rio Grande is adapted to eoking.
and the same has been contended for
the coal found in Iron County, near the
but so far this has yet to be demon
strated. The idea is entertained
that great quantities of coking
coal are to be found in the
Territory, and that the coal OF Castle
Valley will yet prove to be such. But all
this is yet of future proof, though there
does seem little doubt that, in the
vast coal areas of this Territory, one
that will be adapted to coking will be
found. 1t is also probable, by the in
PRODUCTION of new method of coking,
much that is considered of no value for
this purpose will be found available.
Some such method as Possesses the ad-
Vantages claimed by Mr.. David Thomas
for his coking ovens will do the work,
and enable Utah to rank as coke pro-
Queer. Be that as it may, there is no
reason to fear a coal famine, and il is
sometimes a wonder that coal has been
brought to this Territory at ALL espec-
tally where it has been used exclusively
for heating purposes. That the sur
rounding Territories will yet have to be
supplied from this source there can be
no reasonable doubt, and that there is
destined to be large export trade for
our coal to Nevada and Colorado, as
well as to California, is demonstrated
by the fact that to an extent We are
already supplying t. C markets. The
Central Pacific has on everal occasions
been compelled to come t. Utah to OBJ
tain a coal supply for It's own purposes,
and with the absence of coal IN Califor-
mia, and the dependency of that great
State on outside sources for its supply
of fuel, there is a great future for the
products of Utah coal mines along the
Pacific coast as soon as another road is
built from Utah to the west by a more
direct route than the Central Pacific.
1t is also unlikely that all the coal
fields in Utah have yet been discovered.
The necessity of securing the country
for coal for fuel vas done away with as
soon as the mines now in operation
were discovered and opened, since they
offer supply that, to human judgment,
must seem ample for all time. AS the
hills and ravines are more fully ex-
pIored, there is little, if any doubt, that
new coal mines will be discovered and
that we will yet have mined within our
own borders, every known variety of
coal. In the boring for artesian wells
OF the future, when it is found neces-
sary to go to a great depth to make
sure of the water supply and to secure
the required force, coal will in all prob
ability be found under Salt Lake City.
Whether it can be mined or not, be-
cause of the great depth, it will be
found to have the same characteristics
as the Weber coal, and be found in the
same formation.
We do not.lack for coal, and we will
not lack for coal at any tin e hat hu-
man judgment, from PRESENT lndica-
tons, can foretell.
The Pleasant VsIIey Mines,