The Glenwood post., 1914-02-28
,oIoaADo oDs9D
o. RADGUlG YIEI.D0
by Charles l.. Parsons, in Rocky
Mountain News.)

In MOntfose ana San Miguel counties.
Colorado, and in Utah, northwest of
these counties. The Utah deposits arc
1t Green River, Table Mountain. Rich
ardsons, rruita, Moab, and some six
teen miles southeast of Thompsons.
The ores of these depos Is are of a
lower grade than those of the Paradox
valley, but they are nearer to the rail
roads and transportation costs are mucn
less. The Green River deposits have
apparently become regular producers.
In Colorado, prospects have been open
ed 1t Coal Creek, fourteen miles north
Of Aeeker, and At Skull Creek, sixty
five ailes west Of Aeeker, but the
richest of all American carnotite 10.
calities and, indeed, the richest known
radiun bearing region in the world is
that II tAs Paradox valley, extsndin.
from Hydraulic on the north to the Ne
Intyre district ON the south.
Geologists are now in the field max
ing . special study Of these carnotite
orss with special reference to their oe-
curence and origin, of which alto
gether too little is now known. In the
Paradox region, the deposits seem to
lie invariably just above the fine
grained La Plata sandstone.
This rock is usually exposed high on
the sides Of the canons, some of whicn
are excelled in extent and natural beau,
ty by only the Grand canon itself. Iu
few instances, rs Long park and Club
ranch, the deposits are only few feet
under the surface, the higher forma
tions having been eroded; but for the
main part, the stratum in which the
carnotite occurs, when entirely erodel,
is deep below the surface of the mesa
Accordingly prospecting is main.y
carried on along the sides of the can
ons, and where vanaiium and unranium
stains are seen upon the rock the pros
pector blasts his tunnel in the hope of
developing pocket of the ore. The
fact that the ore occurs in pockets rem
ders prospecting uncertain, and there
appears to be no present hope of insur
ing successful search for pockets that
are not exptstl. or do not happen to be
near the surface.
Although it is probable that manv
other pockets Of carnotite occur at the
same geologic horizon, Their discovery.
except where the ore-bearing stratum
has been exposed by erosion, appears
at present to be an almost hopeless
task
The eroded sides of the canons hav.
been prospected again and again, bu.
new cliims still are being opened and
are being sod by the prospector to
the larger companies or operators who
mine the ore. In such sale the prog
pector and purchaser both take a de-
cided risk, for At present no method is
used to determine the extent of the ore
in the pocket other than the "prospec.
or 3 hole.''
As few of the prospectors of tn.
west are acquainted with carnotite and
pitehblende, the following description
of the ores has been issued from tho
Denver office of the bureau of mines
and is sent to all who make inquiry:
"Radium is found with uranium
minerals only. Wherever uranium cx
lists, radium is also found in the min
eral and where there is no uranium,
radium has never been found. Urani-
um and therefore radium is found in
this country in carnotite and its asso-
eiated minerals, and in pitchblendr.
Carnotite is a lemon-yellow mineral,
deposits.
The mineral may be in the form of
light yellow speeks disseminated
through the sandstone or as yellow in
crustations in the cracks of the sand
stone; or may be more or less massive,
associated with blue, black or brown
vanadium ores.
Pitchblende is . hard blue-black ore
that looks something like magnetic,
but is heavier. 1t is found in pockess
and veins in igncous rocks. This min
eral is not nearly ~ widely distributed
rs carnOtite. Occasionally it is found
associated with an orange minersl
called gummite-
"The best way to test these ores
is to wrap, in the dark, = Photographic
plate in two thicknesses Of black pa
per. On the paper lay = key and then
just shove tho key suspend two or
three ounces Of the ore. Pressure of
the ORC on the key a.d plate should be
avoided. After three o. four days de-
velop the plats in tie oedinafy way;
and il tAs orc y sppreeiably radio
nefivA ~ i.a> ~ 49, k~~ ~sll "a