The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-21
INTO THE WILDS
OF SAN JUAN
Commercial Club Agrees to Send Out
an Expedition.
WONDERS TO BE REVEALED
n. L. A. CULMER TO HAVE
CHARGE OF EXPLORATION.

The Commercial club has. decided to
send out an exploring expedition into
the southeastern part of the state to
oe known as THE Commercial Clubs
Expedition into the wonders Of the
San Juan Country" 1t is to be in
charge of II. l.. a. Gunner, the local
artist and writer who will have as
Bociated with him s. Y. Whitaker, who
has won high reputation as a phOtog-
1aEher of scenic effects. The expedi-
lion viii start from Salt Lake City
April /, and the members expect TO re-
turn in thirty days with the trophies of
their exploration.
There is an unknown region of many
hundreds Of square miles between the
San Juan and the Colorado rivers,
bounded on the east by the Elk noun
1ains. This country is comparatively
I'm its primitive condition. and it Is
doubtful if any one has ever explored
Il to make public the results of an in
NestigatiOn. Rumors from there indi-
cate that it is a weird and wonderful
labyrinth Of canyons and tablelandS,
extremely difficult of access yet giving
promise of mineral and other treasures
which could be certainly developed if
known to exist.
Experience of the Past.
The experience in this state has been
That the discovery of valuable re-
Sources invariably follows explorations.
a notable example is the instance
where the wanderers into the lands of
the UncOmpahgre river reservation, In
the midst Of dreary wastes unable to
support life of any kind, discovered
the valuable and absolutely new min
eral. gilsonite, the production of which
has given employment to hundreds of
men and teams for the last twelve
years. The value of those properties
runs I'D into the millions.
The FIRST object however Of this
petition is to reveal the scenic Won
ders Of this region to the public. The
expedition will be in charge of Mr.
Eulmer. whose paintings of the Grand
Canyon region have occupied a con-
EpicuOus place in American art. Two
OF these paintings are now in the Press
club. He viii be accompanied by Mr..
Whitaker, who is recognized as the
foremost scenic photographer Of the
state. They will take with them a full
equipment 50 as to bring back replete
data and illustrations.
Expect to Find Wonders.
AS a result of this expedition it is
expected and believed by the CONNER
Cial club and persons familiar with the
development Of the western country
that this now unknown region will
have lost its mystery and Will be like
an open book so far a. researches can
Zoe made in the limited time at the dis
pcsal of The explorers.
Mr.. CUlmer and Mr.. Whitaker will
leave April /, and will proceed to
Thompson Springs, where they will
leave the railway and reach the field
b. way of Moab, Monticello and Bluff
City, from which latter place they Will
launch out into the great unknown.
They have engaged as guide ]. A.
Scorup, Of Bluff City, who is one Of
Iht. few men who have ever beheld the
great natural stone bridges, although
even he admits that there are vast
areas in that region Astounding with
atural curiosities and ruins of Cliff
DWellers of which he only knows by
TumOT.