Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-19

tro1c,,in liz equivalent IN lieat-producing
effect TO between one -fourth and one
third OF a ton of coal; hence the value
of fuel petroleum must finally adjust
itself to the cost OF one-fourth to one
third CT q ton of coal at the point
OF consumption. With great coal mines
in Utah, the competition would be keen.
IF the Juab oil fields prove to be
success, Nephi, the land of infinite OPP
portunity, will be one OF the most
fourishing cities on the globe.
STONE QUARR1Es.
Among the many resources of Neph
none are capahle Of creator develop
ment than tho stone uuarries -one Il
red sandstone taken from Dog valley
10 miles west, the other Il reddish
brown stone taken from the vicinity OF
Mt. Nebo, the latter being the quarry
that furnished the stone OF which the
Deseret News building of Salt Lake is
constructed Both of these quarries are
at present being utilized for local con-
sumption, and though for some years
there was a railway to the Mt. Neho
quarry 1T has for some unaccount-
able reason been torn UP. There is,
therefore, great room for judicious in
vestment III this respect for the Mt.
Ncbo rock is very hard and excellent.
in fact 1t is considered the best build
ing stone in the state where cost is
not the first consideration.
SALT SPRINGS.
Salt Springs containing pure salt in
solution are situated in Salt Creek cam
yon II miles northeast of Nephi AT
one time Il 100000 company was organ
lied to promote the industry and
though a refining plant was erected and
an excellent quality Of salt produced,
the salt syndicate bought the property
and tore the building down. This was
on account of no demert III the spring
itself but rather merely. a. maneuVer
iii the fight for control of prices The
salt ilnpregnated water still issues in
profusion from the spring awaiting
only the hand of willing capital.
Samuel Coulson i'll the same neigh
borhood also owns Il salt spring, though
it is so small that the total product is
only two OF three tons day. This
spring, however. is being utilized.
There are large deposits of rock salt
six miles east of the city. 1t is very
fine for cattle and about 1900 tons OF it
are taken out every year.
GYPSUM
Probably the largest natural resource
in the vicinity of Nephi is the large de-
posits of gypsum in the mountains just
east or the city. Gypsum is q hydrous
sulphate of lime, made up of one mole
cule of lime sulphate combined with
two molecules of water Commercial
gypsum is not usually so pure as this,
often carrying high percentages of
clay, limestone, magnetism limestone
and iron oxide. Pure gypsum is white
and, when III the crystalline form,
translucent. The impurities which it
commonly contains usually destroy its
translucency and affect its color, so
that the mineral as mined is an OPAQUE,
fine-grained mass, varying from white
to reddish. gray or brown in color.
readily be distinguished from other
minerals by its extreme aoftness for
even when in the crystalline form it
can be scratched by the finger nail.
The gypsum found at Nephi is of
massive rock variety. Alabaster. itself.
Is merely a pure, While, tine-graincd
massive gypsum; and as 1t is used ex-
tensively in statuary the commercial
Importance of the Nephi deposit can
well be estimated.
The rock gypsum at Nephi, occurs
in the form of beds, associated with
beds of rock salt and interstratified
with thin beds of limestone and thick
err beds of red shale. Tho gypsum beds
vary in thickness from six to 60 feet
tIJS7 At tNtplil HNlt IttbSSA w VIC
gradual evaporation of Lake Bonne-
vile, which carried much lime sui
phate in solution. In fact any water
carries as its three conmonest consti-
tutents, lime caronate. lime sulphate,
and sodium chloride; and when evap-
Grated deposits of limestone, gypsum,
and common salt are the results.
From gypsum. several varieties of
plaster are produced. The celebrating
of pure gypsum, no foreign materials
being added either during or after call
cination, produces plaster of Paris,
The calcinating of gypsum contain
inb impurities or by the adding 10 n
calcined pure gypsum certain mater
.ilas which serve to retard the set of
the product produces cement plaster.
The celebrating OF pure gypsum at
temperature exceeding 400 degrees i.
produces flooring plaster and the cal
cinating at red hot or over, of gypsum
to which certain substances CASUALLY
nlutn or borax) have been added, pro-
duces hard finish plaster. These are
all plasters OF great commercial value.
In Utah last year gypsum was ship
ped out to the value of about $4,000.
There is an unlimited quantity of the
crude product near Nephi ana though
only one plant is at presenet working
there is ample room for capital and
new works.
MINES OF MT. NEBo.
Still another thing is attracting cap
ital TO Nephi--the mines. A great min
eral belt is being opened up in til.
Nebo range. which is 50 rich that many
declare that Nephi will DO 4 second
Leadville. In fact the ore zone has
been traced from Park City to Mt.
Nebo, and has most favorable char
acteristics. Hard carbcnates arc
found between the walls of granite
and porphyry, u feet in width to be-
gin with, the disposition changing 10 .
sand carbonate as the veins are PEN
etr;tted. The veins dip into the noun
tain at an angle of 30 degrees. Here
tofcre the veins have been worked to
a limited extent by farmers who knew
little of methodical mining but now ex-
perts are investigating the district.
The mineral carries gold. silver. lead
and iron There Is aundaut water