The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-27
Asphalt Output Measured Only by Ability of
Companies to Get it to the Railroad.
Coming Of the MOat Road Approaching Opening Of
Reservation Stimulate Mining Generally
Throughout Eastern Utah

which is another name for the asphalt
UNI trust, is the moving power tn tho
scheme This road win reach the
Black Dragon vein in about dfty-twO
miles, and with forty miles additional
can top the bulk of the claims owned
by the company When this road is
completed il win be a well equipped
narrow gauge line and viii place tn
company in position to meet all de-
mands and viii give it practical con-
troll Of the business.
1t is now pretty generally believed
that the MOnat road viii pass TO the
north Of the gllsOnite field and down
the Bear river canyon, and the COM
pany no doubt figures that it win be
left in control Of the situation, as there
VIII not be heavy enough interests in
dependent Of theirs TO justify a COM
peting branch from the through road.
The completion of the road VIII mean
big things for this section OF the state.
as 10 IS estimated that the EilsOnita
business alone win amount to mil
lions Of dollars annually I'm a few years.
Promising Oil Lands.
But this is not all. for the section OF
country TO be tapped contains some OF
the most promising oil lands in the
state, where several wells have al
ready been driven, in all Of which oil
exists in encouraging quantities. Aloug
the state line and extending I'm both
Colorado and Utah are extensive de-
pOsits Of coal. some Of the veins being
fifteen feet thick. There is also vast
deposits Of sand asphaltum, which is
heavily impregnated with OIL which it
is figured can be made the basis for a
paying proposition and viii be-
Another branch OF the mining indus
try that Is gradually expanding is the
elaterite mines OF Indian canyon, upon
the Uintah reservation, which are be-
ing operated under lease by the Raven
Mining company When first disCOv-
cred this form Of hydrO-carbon was
unknown, and, ike gilsOuits, its uses
and commercial value had TO be deter
mined, and it's first introduction into
the commercial world was an uphill az
fair. The company lost money until
within recent years, but now the bal
ance is steadily piling up on the other
side Of the ledger, and the business
bids fair to increase very materially in
the future. About twenty men are now
employed at the mines digging and
sacking the ore, which rs hauled by
wagon TO the end Of the Cotton branch
of the Rio Grande railway and thence
shipped 70 various parts Of the coun-
tr-.
The construction OF the Mofat road
and the opening Of the Uintah reserva-
ton viii be an epoch in the mining
history Of this section Of the state, as
fl win stimulate prospecting and re-
suit in the discovery Of propositions
that can be made 10 pay under these
conditions. which would not now
The Florence Mining company has
men on the Uintah reservation pros
pecting for the supposed mineral
wealth Of that mysterious section
From reliable sources Sc is learned that
while the fabulously rich gold deposits
that were supposed TO exist there have
not yet been discovered, the company
has located some valuable ground that
win come into prominence when rail-
road facilities are at hand
Colorado Men Interested.
Just now northeastern Utah is re-
Ceiving considerable attention at the
hands Of Colorado mining men, in an
ticipation Of the coming OF the rail-
road. The Colorado Fuel & Iron com
pany- the Moffat people and others
have representatives in this section Of
Utah TO spy out anything that looks
good, and the many low grade prOpO-
sitions that are now lying idle are all
being spotted with a view to future
development
The prospects are that this section
of Utah has a real solid mining boom
coming. The hydro carbOns alone viii
furnish the basis for a great industry.
There are extensive coal deposits. oil
lands and various other commercial
minerals. aside from the precious met
ais OF the latter there are many in
dications Of low grade deposits of value
All along the lime belt are copper, sill
yer and lead claims too numerous TO
mention in detail, but giving promise
of developing into pay properties BY
intelligent work and expenditure In
the Red Creek and Jesse Ewing can
yons. in the extreme northeastern cor
ner of the state. no little interest has
been aroused by the discovery Of the
existence of vanadIum and uranium.
This latter mineral has also been found
ia the Blue mountains east of Nernal,
samples of which run as high as 1S
pc. cent. There are also deposits OF
iron that are receiving attention from
mining men. immense deposits of gyp-
sum. ETC. all of which VIII receive no.
tice within the next two years Alto
eether the prospects look favorable for
the mining development Of northeast
ern Utah. as with two railroads build
ing to tap the country there can be no
question that great activity VIII fol-
low. as the railroad viii bring an in
fux Of mining men with the means and
inclination to take hold of and develop
the various mining propositions that
exist in this undevelOped portion OF