The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-11-18
AFTER UTAH
COAL LANDS
Eastern Syndicate Makes Offer
For Big Tract.
WOULD DEPOSIT $500, 600
AT LEAST FIVE COMBINATIONS
ATsa KNOWN TO BE ACTIVE.
= REPRESENTATIVES, Of easter


h coal syndicates are in salt Lake
~ trying to negotiate for vast tracts
of Utah coal land. Two men who
sought TO keep their identity secret yes
terday made a proposition to take over
a tract of %, 600 acres Of coal land IN
Emery county. Owing to the nature
of the negotiations the names of All
parties to the transaction are withheld.
one of the men making the bid is an
attorney, and the other IS the direct
representative of the syndicate seek
ing a fOothOld in Utah They declined
to state for whom they were acting
but they offered to deposit SSO0,OOO IN
cash in one Of two local banks to show
that they meant business, and de-
clared they we're IN a position TO pay
cash for the entire tract providing a
complete examination satisfied the
principals that they wished to con-
summate the deal.
These two men were a little late in
making the offer, however, for an OPP
ton had already been given on the
land to men interested in iron IN tbs
southwestern part of the state If tha
iron syndicate exercises this option, the
other eastern men viii have TO seek
elsewhere
State Secured For Coal.
In this connection, it develops that
the entire state is being quietly secured
for coal. The agents who are doing
this are all working under cover as
much as possible. and in some in
stances the identity of their principals
can only be guessed. II is known.
/ however, that at least five powerful
aggregatiOns of capital are in the mar
ket for coal lands.
Representatives of the 1Ioffat road,
ha Tort W Pacific
have been investigating the coal posi-
bilitieS in Uintah and Wasatch cOun-
ties
The Colorado Fuel & Iron company
has been working Tor over a year to
tie up desirable coal lands, and recent
", despite the fight for control Of the
company, it has been showing in
creased activity in this line.
The syndicate interested in the iron
| deposits near Cedar City is looking
out for a coal supply, and has been
| taking more options.
The mysterious eastern syndicate
: which made the offer yesterday is seek
/ ing a foothOId.
This makes up the five big cOmbina-
/ tons that are sparring for Utah coal
lands. In addition there are individual
/ operators who are working IN, expect
/ ing immense development Of the coal
fields within the next year or two.
! about there not being coal enough in
t Utah. said q man as familiar with
| the situation as any person IL the
! state. The coal measures of this state
1 are so extensive that it Will be many,
/ many years before they can be ex-
hausted. Coal underlies nearly all Of
] Carbon and Emery counties, and parts
| Of Grand, Uintah and Wasatch, to say
| nothing of the deposits in the south
! western part of the state, so there GER
4 tainly should be enough TO go around
The present negotiations are for the
most desirable tracts, located near ex-
listing railroads"
Nay Be Rock Island Crowd
There is considerable speculation
| about the identity Of the interests back
/ of the men making the proposition
yesterday. One guess is that the new
soft coal combine. backed by the Rock
Island interests, is reaching out after
Utah. The company has tied UP vast
tracts in Indiana and other states far
/ Their east, and IS now said 70 be work
ing for a secure fOOthOld in Colorado.
The Moore Bros, who head the Rock
Island syndicate, are ambitious TO eX-
tend that road westward, and it is
surmised that they are already looking
far enough ahead to go after coal lands
in Utah.
John w Gates, who is associated
with the MOOres in several enterprises,
is also under suspicion as the posi-
bic purchaser Mr. Gates was defeated
in his fight for the control of the Colo
RADIO Fuel & Iron company. and il is
said that he has made up his mind to
start new coal and iron company to
compete for the western and Oriental
trade. Should he do this, Utah will
! in all probability secure the new plant
and Utah coal viii be needed to supply
the coke.
While the Mofat road viii depend
for some time on the coal mines it al
ready controls in Colorado, it is looking
for q fuel supply in Utah Good GOA
has been found along the proposed line
of the road in Utah, but it is on the
Uintah Indian reservation and cannot
be taken up until the reservation is
opened. The coal is said to be not
quite as good as the product farther
south, and it may be decided to build
, a branch into Carbon and Emery coun-
, ties.
, The Colorado Fuel & Iron company
has been paying more attention to tbs
Emery and Iron county fields, and /!
; looking especially for cOking coal This
, exists in quantities in Emery county.
Utah Fuel Company Active.
The Utah Fuel company has beer
reaching out into Emery county To-
some time, and tracts including som,
of the finest coal land in the state havt
I been secured by representatives OF TIL
+ company.
? With the building of the San Pedr,