The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-26
UTAH'S GILSONITE BEDS
DEPOSITS OF AsPHALTUM WORTH
MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
Reservations in Which the Black
Open April 1-PrOposcd Monopoly.


to control the gilsonite or asphaltum beds
of Utah. Representatives of New York
syndicate and the agents of a st. Louis
company were declared to be preparing to
struggle for the control of these fields,
which are estimated to be worth hundreds
of millions of dollars. There is no doubt
that vast moneyed interests have been
planning to secure control of these gilsonite
deposits for many years and the contest
is about to eliminate in a final struggle
for the supremacy. Whichever side wins
will have the monopoly of one of the most
extensive if not the most valuable asphalt
UNI deposits in the world.
That these deposits are of extraordinary
value is demonstrated by the fact that the
general government has seen fit to send an
expert geologist on two different occasions
to investigate them. George H. Eldrdge
visited the fields in the latter part of 1895
and early in 1896 and made complete re-
port to the government. He was sent out
again last July, and is still engaged in the
work of examining into the extent and
character of the deposits. He Is at present
looking into the deposits along the Utah
Colorado line in the vicinity of the Bo-
nanza and Cowboy groups. OF these Mr..
Eldridge says:
1.-THE most important locality of Uintaite
(gilsonite) is in the region Immediately
north and south of the White river, near
the eastern edge of the Uncompahgre res
ervation. The veins are known as the Lit
tie Bonanza, the Big Bonanza and the Cow
boy, but the two BonazaS are best known
as East and West, respectively, as in some
points the Little Bonanza attainS a greater
size than does the Big Bonanza. The Lit
tie Bonanza is the southwestern of the
three, while from the Cowboy the latter is
distant about two and one-half miles. None
of these veins is exploited, only a. shallow
prospect appearing here and there. So far
as at present known, the greatest widths
of the veins are attained north of White
river
North of the river both the West Qittle)
and East (Big) Bonanzas may be traced
from the canyon slopes northwestward a
distance of fully three miles. They vary
considerably in width within this length,
but both are probably of workable thick
ness at all points. Near the summit OF the
ridge extending along the White river can
nanza attains the maximum observed width
of ten feet six inches, but the great part
of the vein to the northwest shows width
somewhat less-perhaps an average of four
to five feet. The Big Bonanza in the crest
of the ridge just mentioned is but seven
feet six inches wide, attaining the maxi
inches in little hill about a mile north.
The total length of the Big Bonanza is
about fourteen miles, and it is workable
for nearly this entire distance. The Little
Bonanza is two or three miles shorter. Only
one of the veins extends into Colorado and
it is here worked in a small way to the
depth of one hundred feet, with no evil
dence of bottom. The Cowboy is the larg-
est vein on the reservation, a maximum
width of eighteen feet having been observed
at the crest of the ridge a mile north or
the river. 1t thins perceptibly from this
point both ways, but maintains a width of
from ten to twelve feet for more than two
miles. The depth of this vein has been OBJ
served, or, at least, part or It, IN the
White river canyon, where it is plainly Wis
ible for nine hundred feet 1t is probably
much deeper than this, and it is at this
point that Mr.. Eldridge is now investigat-
ing.
Some distance west of the three big veins
is the Black Dragon vein, which shows
clean width of eight feet six inches as
maximum, and averages more than three
feet. Contrary to the three veins already
mentioned the line of demarkation between
the Uintaite and boundary walls is not
clear cut and the walls on both sides are
impregnated for from one to three feet
from the vein. The length of the vein is
about five miles, and its depth has been
prospected for several hundred feet, with
no evidence of bottom. In fact all the
known veins practically are bottomless.
Only two veins are operated. They are
the Duchesne vein, about three miles from
Fort Duchesne, and the Culmer vein, far
Isl the Seaboldt vein. The Duchesne is
owned by the st. Louis ellison Asphaltum
Company (AnheuSer-Busch) and is from
three to- four feet wide for a distance OF
one and one-haf miles. The popularity Of
the vein is that it is not solid between the
wall rocks, but has throughout it's entire
length large quantities OF foreign rocks.
This, however, offers little resistance to
easy mining as the rocks may be worked
around or blown out. The Culmer and Sea-
boldt vein are of fourteen and twelve inches
maximum width, respectively. The Culmer
is operated by Gunner Brothers, of Salt
Lake City. and they are the only compeu-
tors in the field with the st: Louis COM
pany. The Seaboldt vein is not workable,
being too narrow.
Mining gilsonite is not the most pleasant
or most healthful of occupations. 1t is con-
Quoted after the ordinary methods by shafts
and tunnels. Ventilating shafts are neceS-
sary for deep mining for the dust derived
from gilsonite is exceedingly annoying, PEN
etrating both skin and lungs and there re-
naming except under the action of sol
vent, which action is impossible in the
lungs. Besides the harmful results in
breathing it the dust has proved to be
dangerous element in mining, being highly
explosive when mixed with air in the right
ratio.
One thing which is likely to hinder the
speedy development of the property is the
lack of transportation facilities. The depos-
its are remote from railroads and until the
Indian reservations are thrown open to set
Element and the deposits fall into the hands
of some moneyed interests railroads are not
likely to be built. At present it is 125 miles
from the Cowboy and Bozanna veins to
Rifle, Col, the nearest railroad point, and
over bad road at that. From the same
SNelnS TO Price, OtaH, Dy way OI Il or
Duchesne it is $50 miles and over an equally
bad road
The cost of the material laid down in Chi
cago-freight, mining and operating charges
included, as shown in Mr. Eldridge's report
was about $50 and the price at Chicago
and ST. Louis was from $40 to $50, leaving
a net profit of SO to 800 ton. JAS to the
value of these deposits there is much d.
versity of opinion. Mr.. Eldridge, in his re-
port, says 23000,000 tons of asphaltum can
be mined from the known veins. This, at
an average profit of $40 a ton would repre-
sent $3.50 Goo coo of profits. Once in the con-
troll of a powerful syndicate ii is predicted
that the profits would reach twice that sum-
AS every city in the United States is now
laying asphalt pavements and as asphalt is
being put to many other uses an enormous
business will be done by the combination
which secures control of these deposits
That some powerful interests are at work
can be surmised when 1t is known that the
opening of the reservation was defeated in
three Congresses and that at various times
the Interior Department and even the White
House itself have felt the power of the
combination. The final struggle is now ap-
preaching. The reservations will be thrown
open to settlement on April L. 1898 The gov
eminent reserves the asphalt and other
mineral deposits to itself. Two big interests
are in the field to secure them, either by
purchase or by lease and it will be a battle
<,ff t,or oioI erfo nfc NIT h