The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-08-28
UTAH'S BEDS OF
HYDRO,CARBON
Almost Unlimited Supply in
Uintah County.
BRIEF HISTORY OF DISCOVERY
HOW THE SCHEME WAS MANIP-
ULATED FOR BENEFIT OF FEW.


compahgre reservation, as provided in
the Uncompahgre amendment TO the
Irdian bin. as passed in the last ses-
sion of congress, is to be indefinitely
postponed, causes no surprise in the
section directly interested. shortly
after the measure passed congress the
prediction was made in The Herald
that the sale would not take place. For
certain well defined reasons the sale
al this time would adversely effect es-
tablished interests and a carefully de-
vised and executed move to protect
those interests through powerful infiu-
ence has resulted in the present siJua-
ton.
There are a great many erroneous
impressions extant concerning the de-
pOsits of gilsonite on the reservation
not least among which is one that pre-
walls at Washington in certain quar-
ters to the effect that these deposits
are of almost fabulous value. This
impression is due to a report made by
a government engineer some years ago.
who based his computations upon the
value or the material as used for GER
tain purposes, at that time the uses to
which il was put being very limited,
AID prices being no indication of the
real value, which depends wholly upon
the amount marketed
A brief history Of the "gilsonite"
business in this connection viii no
doubt be OF interest to many who have
watched the developments i'm the
hydro-carbon fields OF eastern Utah.
1t is now about thirty-five years ago
that Captain Pardon Dodds. then act
ing agent at the Uintah agency and
now residing in the Ashley valley. was
attracted by reports brought in by In
dams OF vein Of black stuff. which
ne presumed was coal "A much needed
commodity at the agency. With this
idea IN mind Captain Dodds made a
TRIP to the supposed coal beds. He
found well defined vein of black ma
terial three or four feet thick and
standing perpendicular between sand
stone walls, which was unlike any coal
vein ne had ever seen. A fire was
built and some OF the vein piled on for
q test To the captains surprise the
stun melted and ran all over the ire
and the vision of blazing coal fires at
the agency during the intense cold OF
winter was dispelled for the time
About that time Major Powell. who was
making his famous trip to and down
the Colorado river. visited the agency
and his curiosity was at once aroused
when shown some Of the stuff. but he
was IN ignorance Of its nature or value.
but at once set about finding out by
sending samples to the Smithsonian in
stitute and elsewhere. Captain Dodds
IT the meantime made several locatio
along the vein. but did nothing further.
About the year 1855 Sam Gilson's at
tentOn was attracted to the find which
it had been determined was form of
asphaltum. and he visited the ground.
With the result that he located the vein
over the old locations made by Dodds
and associates.
About that time c. o. Baxter. the
present president Of the ellison As
mo-
tory in st. Louis which turned out pic
ture frames, etc. and in which various
materials We're used. such as varnish
glue, etc. A member Of a big St Louis
firm that furnished these materials one
day expressed a wish that some cheap
or and better material for varnisE
could be found than then in use which
aroused the interest Of Mr. Baxter who
one day read A press account of the
hnding OF vein of mineral wax along
the line Of the Rio Grande Western
railwas near Cotton, Utah. He took
the train west and inspected the find
which later resulted in it's purchase BIZ
Mr.. Baxter for himself and St. Louis
associates.
subsequently something like 500. 900
was expended in various ways in con-
nectiOn with the property. which proved
10 be dead loss, for the time at least.
and IL was about the time that Baxter
had turned his back On the wax promo
sition that the news reached him of
the ind made by ellison and others
over I'm the Uintah country He was
in st. Louis al the time and his at
tention was directed to the discovery
by newspa per account and he at
once boarded a train for Salt Lake and
proceeded 10 look up Sam ellison. whom
ne easily located. Mr.. ellison had a
number of samples in his possession
20 4
a commercial value. Samples were
forwarded TO the best experts in the
country. who all pronounced the stuff
almost pure aSphaltum. This Baxter
believed could be utilized for the pur-
pose which first moved him to come
west. and he made ellison an offer for
The property at once. which was de-
clned.
Finding he could not purchase the
GROUND. Mr.. Baxter made a proposal to
gibson that he act as selling agent for
2 commission to get the material into
me market the extent of " hich no one
could know at that time
Eventually deal was made b,- which
SNule such arrangement was perfected
ana those interested went ont ia look
over the ground. Baxter nm 10 tbat
1me had never vet seen the find. Affey.
A"e investigation 10 was found very
huch 20 their chagrin. that the ,,ein
% llllh the lines OF the TTintah roc
eL NdIloh, which was a damper To The
Whoie affair. George Basor ,vbo
was associated with ellison. claimed 70
Know OF the existence of the 60
material OFF the reservation. -but when
me matter was looked I'D II nro,,a0
10 be forbidden ground also 60 tho
was only one alternative and that W.
20 go before congress TO have a sIica
taken of the last side Of the rs,,o,
'atiOH- ellson at once set about This
TASK after having first made = nov,
ueal winch would give Baxter aSd a.
soclates an interest IN the PROPERTY r
MS efforts were successful wiz
Peislstency that is characterised ca
son lacked congress and after a deter
mined ehort succeeded iR having what
- known as the ''StriRT restored to the
pubic domain. In NJ meanwhile Gil
son became dissatisfied and disnosed
~ IN, ms lhterests~c6 the ST. Louis people.
-.u5 'utSl the sole owners of the
When the property was thus
Lleu ne next thing was TO get to
ia fet' fand ascertain its value and
ISIS, Ihe first shipment was made
IN - and was consigned as gibson
ne which was the first time that ma
Ssrial WAS called by that name. but
which has subsequently become tho one
In general use.
he use of the stuff was wholly ex-
detrimental at first. and for several
years Baxter and his associates spent
much time and money TO ascertain
Just what could be done with the ma
IL a#nN