The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-31

7 IuS QyQIO~CdTDou u6iQS OI llc OAlIoll
Z basin contain one of the greatest of
Utah's resources-pure gilsonite. The
supply. 10 all appearances. is mex
haustble; it is sufficient experts say,
to supply the whole word for an IN
limited number of years
The gilsonite fields begin at point
about three miles west of the west line
Of the old Uncompahgre Indian reser-
walton. and extend easterly over what
was the reservation for a distance Of
seventy-flve miles. clear across the
Colorado boundary. In area they are
about seyenty-five miles long, east and
west. and about forty miles wide, north
and south.
The gilsouite fields, or at least near
~ al the valuable gilsonite claims, are
owned by the asphalt trust" The
ST. Louis Gilsonite company and the
ellison Aspha1tum company. both Of
which are subsidiary corporations Of
the asphalt trust are operating in
Utah, and one OF their main objects.
UP TO date. has been 70 limit the supply
Of gilsonite and asphaltum so as not TO
over-supply the market and thus force
down the price.
Uses of Gilsonlte.
Gilsonite is utilized mainly in the
manufacture OF varnishes, pipe dip,
roofing materials, etc. It can also be
utilized in the manufacture Of rubber
goods. Ordinary rubber goods. it is
maintained, can contain about 40 per
cent OF gilsonite. Much Utah gilsonite
has been marketed in Europe.
The Utah gilsonite is pure when
mined; II requires no treatment after
being taken from the vein before it Is
used for manufacturing purposes. The
aim Of those who control the produc
is. therefore, to supply only what the
market requires and no more. Nowhere
else in the world is IT found in pure
form. It IS a soluble bitumtn, dissolV-
ing readily in benZine.
The supply OF the adjacent asphalt
is held down by the trust because in
the eastern oil fields asphalt is manu-
iactured as a by-product and can be
purchased much cheaper than the Utah
product can be shipped east TO the
great markets This supply OF eastern
asphalt IS almost unlimited, too and.
until a large market can be created in
the west. the trust will naturally limit
the local output
\ Are Perfect Flssure Veins.
NThe gilsonite in the Uintah basin
runs in the most perfect assure veins
known to the mining world Tie four
large veins are the Little Bonanza. the
Cowboy, the Big Bonanza and the
Black Dragon The ST. Louis Gibson
tie company, already referred to- is
working the Black Dragon vein at
Dragon. the present terminus OF the
Uintah railway.
The gilsonite lies IN perpendicular
veins between solid walls Of rock At
one point where the vein Is exposed
IN White River cut--it is seen 10 be
averages twelve feet in width. is about
eighteen miles In length and is SO per-
fectly formed that # is possible 70 drive
a blackboard along the top of IL. It is
the belief OF experts that all the big
veins are from 1850 10 Sc 600 feet deep
They are perfectly visible 10 the naked
eye.
There are thirty-eight varieties Of
hydro-earbon products TO be found IN
the Uintah basin and adjacent terri
tory, ranging all the way from pure
gilsonite to varieties that are valueless
for any purpose whatever, but which
have the appearance in large measure
Of the more valuable hydro-carbon
products.
Other Asphalt Fields.
Sand asphGltum, bituminous lime
stoSA and other hydrocarbon products
are 10 be found in great quantities in
Spanish Fork canyon in Utah county,
ia Tie Fork, Indian Fork and other ad-
5acent localities. The city OF Salt Lake
owns q group of asphalt claims near
Thistle In the same vicinity, and the
product OF this group has been used
In paving several Salt Lake streets.
Near Vernal in eastern Utah, are
large deposits of a splendid sand as
phalt, OF the very best quality for
street paving. This asphalt is very
heavily impregnated. The deposits lie
about ten miles southwest OF Vernal, in
the hills which form the rim of the
Ashley valley.
Railroad Building In.
The St. Louis Gllsonite company has
built the Uintah railway from Mack, a
station on the Rio Grande Western,
across the Colorado line TO Dragon.
Utah, the scene OF its principal opera