The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-28
Northeastern Utah Mines

all these outfits are loaded out with
ore. some idea may be formed of the
growth of the business which a few
years ago was next to nothing. The
wagon haul, which is about 100 miles.
adds very materially to the cost, and
when the railroad reaches the mines
the wfping out of this difference viii
result in a tremendous expansion of the
market. The company paid out 10
freighters direct last year the sum of
$4,000. Owing to the present cost of
transportation the product has been
limited to certain uses. Very little has
been used as yet for paving owing 20
the cost, which precludes the pOssibil-
ity of competing with the Trinidad
product. The construction of the MOf-
fat short line will change this and viii
by cheapening the cost. make it posi-
bic to compete with any paving ma
terial now in use.
Much interest is manifested in the
possible action of congress this win
ter on matters affecting the great
gilsonite deposits in the White river
country. The peculiar conditions ex-
listing there. by reason of which no
material development work can be
done, nor titles perfected, has been
great drawback, and the original
lOcatOrs have been forced to simply
hold on awaiting some favorable ac-
ton of congress. Many thousands Of
dollars have been expended by prior
lOcators in an effort to MAINTAIN their
holdings, and should the Lacey bill,
which provides for the leasing of these
deposits, become a law, it will mean
many thousands of dollars loss to To-
Gators who have expended time and
money in good faith, believing that
the matter would be eventually ad-
justed.
Despite the peculiar conditions ex-
] listing, the coming of the MOffat road
has awakened a renewed interest in
these deposits. Many new locations
have been made within the last six
months. There are no fewer than 1000
locations recorded in the different To-
calities where gilsonite is found. The
veins measure all the way from a few
inches to fifteen feet in width.
Along the line of the proposed rail-
road. on both sides of the state line,
are immense deposits Of coal in veins
from five to fifteen feet in thick
ness. There has been a scramble for
these coal lands since the announce
ment that the new road would GER
tainly be built. and miles of splendid
coal lands are covered with locations.
! II is presumed that parties who are
J in close touch with the railroad in
/ terests have figured prominently in
! the gobbling up of these coal meas
ures.
/ In the same locality. and OF both
sides of the line, are found the oil in
/ diCatiOns referred 10. AT the Stalking
\ Water basin five drilling rigs are now
in operation by different companies.
/ Some of the wells are now down over
/ 2O00 feet and have filled with fine
quality of parafiine oil that seeps in
/ from the different strata. AS yet,
however. no heavy flow has been en-
cOuntered and is not expected until
/ the Florence stratum is reached.
! In the south end of the county, along
/ the Book cliffs, a Chicago company
| has a drilling rig on the ground and
/ has one hole down SEQ feet, with good
/ indications. This company promises to
do considerable development work dur
ing the coming season
The Nernal & California Oil COM
pany. at the head of which is Milton
/ McWhorter, has between 10000 and 30
/ 600 acres of oil lands located in Uintah
/ county. and it is the intention Of the
company to ship in a standard rig and
( prospect its ground the coming sum
mer
Considerable Interest," has been cen
tered in the Red Creek and Jesse Ew-
ing mining districts, in the northeast
! corner Of Uintah county. by reason
Of the discovery there of vanadium. a
rare and valuable mineral, said TO be
found in no other known locality ex-
cept the Ural mountains. The exist
/ ence Of this mineral was first detected
by Professor j. f. Talmage. who Wis
! tied the camp last summer and re-
ported on the mineral possibilities OF
the Districts The new mineral has
been found principally on Red creek