Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-01-27
HYDROCARBONS
ON MOFFAT LINE
General Frank Hall Writes a Story
of Discovery, Location and
Development.
VEIN OCCURANCE DESCRIBED.
Crude Product Shipped to Denver A
Desirable Paint Being Manulac.
turcd from Ii.

General Frank Hall, in writing Of the
elaterte deposits along the line u the
proposed Moffat railway for the Denver
Post says;
As stated In the Post Of Jan the
hydrocarbon deposits Of Grand and
Routt counties In Colorado and over
the border In eastern Utah that VIII be-
more thoroughly developed by the Moi
fat railroad are Of very great extent
and II almost incalculable value. When
Il was stated that these were the only
deposits OF the kind IN the world and
that the material Is the cheapest and
best that has been discovered for the
manifold uses to which 1t is adapted,
thus becoming one OF the most useful
factors In the Industrial affairs OF the
country, more especially in the develop
ment of electrical appliances, It Great
ed much surprise. Following the pub
lication came numerous inquiries as to
Its form and appearance, and having
samples at my command they have
been examined with great interest, one
division was devoted TO gilsonite and Its
uses, the other to the elaterlte deposits,
which are of somewhat different char
acter but OF equal and perhaps even
more extended, usefulness. This article
will be devoted 10 the latter branch, for
the reason. as will appear In due course,
that this material Is now being refined
and converted into commercial promi.
nence right here in Denver
The proper name Of elaterte Is Wurt-
zllite, so designated In honor Of It's
dlscoverer. The great deposits arc
found In the region Of Indian, Lake and
Sans canyons. about 50 miles southwest
Of Fort Duchesne, Utah. The mineral
occurs IN vertical veins from one to
twenty-five inches In width, twenty TO
two hundred feet In height with max
imum length OF three and one-quarter
miles. There are from 30 to 80 of these
veins. The nearest shipping point Is on
n spur n the Rio Grande Western rail-
road. 10 miles distant.
The rigbtful dlscoverer OF these de-
posts was Colonel $. II. WhItall OF the
Twenty-seyenth United States Infantry,
who made very thorough examination
Of them while he was in command at
Fort Duchesne some 10 years ago. Col
onel Whitall made some experiments
with the material and, believing that II
could be made very useful mined and
shipped two carloads OF II to "Uncle
Billy Stevens" the dlscoverer OF Lead
vile and formerly president Of the Iron
Silver Mining company, at Detroit,
Mich, who, becoming quite enthusiast
tic over II, built works at that place for
the manufacture OF elaterite paints and
varnlshes from the crude ore. This was
before a solvent for II had been dis
covered, and the enterprise ended In
failure.
Meanwhile the colonel and his eldest
son, w. V. r. WhItall, located the elat-
critic veins went TO the expense OF hav-
ing them surveyed, and found they
were not on the Ute Indian reservation,
The interior department at Washing
ton, however, took the opposite view,
insisting that they were upon the res
ervation and therefore elected the
Whtalls.
Subsequently Judge Mcconnell Of
Utah secured a lease Of the lands from
the Indians which the interior depart
ment confirmed, and he has held It to
the present day. At some time in the
future, when events are ripe for IT, this
transaction and some others will be the
subject Of chapter Of scandals that
are aliable 10 create marked sensations
The next step In the proceedings was
taken by the Raven Mining company
Of Chicago, which came into the deal
and secured from Mcconnell the right
20 mine the claterite veins, which they
are doing at this time.
Col. Whtal and son continued their
experiments with the material and H.
nally found the right solvent whereby
the crude ore could be reduced 10 the
most enduring and desirable paint ever
known for certain purposes, which will
be mentioned later on.
The colonel sailed from the Philip
pines on the lith of this month, and
VIII pass through Denver about March
IN route to his assigned station at
Fort Sheridan near Chicago, During
his absence his son has completely soly-
ed the problem Of how TO reduce the
crude ore and begun It's manufacture
In Denver Past August, His father will
stop here long enough to investigate
what has been accomplished and win
aid the further development OF the on
terprlsc.
Two or three days ago, while wander
Ing among the mercantile and other
structures Of Wazee street, West Don.
YER noticed a sign over small brick
building In an alley which read, Tho
Hydro-Carbon Manufacturing com
pany." II attracted my attention be-
cause OF rs apparent connection with
the story had prepared on the hydro.
carbons Of Colorado ana Utah for the
New Year Post There being q little
door marked coffee" I opened Il and
found Mr.. Whital literally up to his
elbows In paint The reason why he
couldn't shake hands was evident with.
out saying After inspecting the eotah-
lishment | asked for and obtained the
later history Of the venture
II was started In a little place on
Waco street on the 10Th Of August.
1908 with small gasoline stove, THY
could make about i've gallons Of elatcr.
iic paint a day, Mr. Whitall said he
set out TO manufacture 10 gallons by
the lst NJ January, 1904, Tho product
was sold TO lopl consumers as FIST as
made which encouraged him 10 adl an
other stove, with the two ne made
10 gallons upper day The de-
mand still increasing, hn put In what
tho vas people call candy cooker"
which had capacity Of cooking about
% gallons per day. The demand equal |
ling the supply about the middle OF
December last small plant Of ma
chincry and two furnaces were put I'm
which arc equal to making about | 400
gallons daily,
The Whitalls have a signed contract |
with the Raven Mining company TO fur
nish them 10000 tons Of crude elaterlte |
ore which Is shipped to Denver IN bar
rels. The only manufacturers OF this |
for commercial uses in the |
world are here In this city.
Now a word ms to It's uses, owing |
10 It's great resistance TO acid and aka |
H. fume and vapor attacks rs Water
proonng qualities and It's elasticity for |
contraction and expansion, and again
It's bright luster, II IL now being used |
In almost countless channels on wood !