The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-08
SOLVING COAL PROBLEM
Mt. Pleasant Citizens Trying to Ana
lyze Cause for Short
age.

Mt Pleasant, Feb. MANY people Of
this city have been wondering why it
was, during the coal famine which has
prevailed in this section for couple of
months past, that the towns of Spring
City, about eight miles south of Mt.
Pleasant and Fairview. as far on the
other side, have been able to get all the
coal that was needed there, while in this
city the demand has been about ten car
leads ahead OF the supply all the time.
They have wondered why tons and tons
or the article have been hauled through
the railroad yards n this city, taken on
to Spring City, where it is not needed.
unloaded there and then hauled back by
team ton at a time and sold at an adj
WINGED price to the consumers in this city.
There has been heavy shortage here all
the time and the local agents have done
their best to have coal shipped hero.
v hIle generally at the other towns men-
tened the supply has been at ali times
about up to the demand, and, notwith-
standing those towns have been given
more carloads than has this one. 1t has
been cause for wonderment.
Some Well-tnfOrmed gentlemen of the
town have been doing a little thinking
and investigating with the result that the
fact that work is under way at the local
may have had something to do with this
peculiar situation.
Men who are qualified to speak on the
subject say that work on the oil well
located near this city, will demonstrate
the fact that the entire basin of the pre-
historic lake, Bonneville, covering the
greater portion Of Utah west of the Wa
Satch range, is underlaid with a rich de-
pCsit Of high-grade fuel oil, unless the
corporation most interested succeeds in
stopping the work before that flow is
reached Evidence that can be consid-
cred conclusive has been brought to the
notice of your correspondent that the in
terested corporation will go to consider
able trouble and expense and resort to
means that are not entirely above QueS-
discovery
the Sanpete valley.
About the time work was resumed on
the well this last time. the coal famine,
with its alleged discrimination against
this city, began The gentlemen who are
Investigating the proposition put the two
together and conStrue the meaning to be
that this corporation is taking this means
Of saying to the people here that a flow
Of oil in this valley would be detrimental
to their interests and that they want it
stopped.
Other deductions can be drawn. Some
half-dozen biologists, including members
Of the United States geological survey,
have examined this locality, and all con-
cur In saying that oil can be found here
in paying quantities, except the oil eX-
pert Of this corporation above alluded
to. who makes what is apparently an in
teHuOnally misleading and contradictory
report, the tendency of which will be to
discourage further development work.
That report was made two years ago,
after the expert in question had made
quite a thorough examination Of the
country. Later, last year in fact, he re-
turned and on the quiet, SO far as can
be learned. spent three days in the coun-
try Immediately surrounding the well.
When this search for health Gn barren,
sagebrush country had been concluded,
he left as quietly as he came not troubling
himself TO visit this city, other than TO
pass through it His first report was
positive to the effect that oil could not
be found in Sanpete valley. It is certain
there is no coal in that particular por-
ton Of the valley. Then why this second
visit to the spot and presumably a sec
ond investigation.
The well is still going slowly down, not
withstanding all obstacles, and those who
are acquainted with conditions assert
that startling results in oil and gas are
almost a certainty if the work is not
stopped before the necessary depth is
reached.