The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-07-13
RADIUM-B EARING ORE
IN UTAH AND COLORADO
PROSPECTING FOR cARNoTITE
LIKE LOOKING FOR NEEDLE
IN A HAYSTAcK.

CIV A. Seyffert in Dupont Magazine)
The existence of a yellow substance
in the sandstone area of southwestern
Colorado and southeastern Utah was
possibly known to the early settlers
before 1880. as undoubtedly the Ute
and Navajo Indians, as we'll as the
cliff dwellers used this yellow ore as
a pigment for the making Of paint
long before white settlers knew of its
existence Almost conclusive evil
dence of this is found on the Navajo
reservation among the present Nava-
10 tribe
1t is rumored that as early as 1881
a prospector sent home some of the
yellow ore, at that time unknown as
to classification, to an assayer in
Leadvllle, Colo. who reported that
the mineral contained gold and traces
of silver which undoubtedly was not
the case. other attempts were made
to definitely determine or isolate the
elements in the mineral without sue
cess, until 1898, when some of the
yellow mineral was placed in the
ianuH VI a IAtiAtA AliNllinAf wiz an -
nounced that it contained uranium in
commercial quantities. 1t was 1899
however. before an approximate an
alysis of the mineral was determined
and named "carnotite" i'm honor Of
the French scientist. Adolphe Car
not, then in charge of the French bu-
reau of mines.
The real interest in these ores was
first manifested with the discovery Of
radium by M. and Nine Currie. which
in turn led to the discovery Of the ele-
ment radium. in uranium
The first shipment of carnotite ore
was made by Gordon Kimbal about
1897. from the Paradox valley region.
and consisted of about 10 tons of very
high grade carnotite ore. After this
first shipment of ore it became gen
orally known that the yellow ore was
of value. and claims were located in
various localities Since that time
mining operations have been carried
on intermittently Within the last
few years well organized and well fin
anced companies have made invest
ments of millions of dollars, until the
mining and recovery of the values
from carnotite ores has become a we'll
established industry. Ninety per cent
of the entire worlds production of
radium is secured from that area en-
bracing southwestern Colorado south
eastern Utah, the extreme northeast
corner of Arizona and the extreme
northwest corner of New Mexico.
The term Paradox valley. as far as
mining operations are concerned, is
rather misleading, because the mining
operations themselves are carried on
in the valleys and canyons, on the
rims and on the mesas adjoining Par
adox valley, over a wide range of ter
ritory covering approximately $500
square miles. The vicinity adjacent
to the Paradox valley, with a ship
ping point of Placerville. Colo. and
the vicinity southwest of Grand juno
ton Colo. with a shipping point of
Whitewater. Colo. are at this time
the bases of practically all operations
with the exception OF some operations
in Utah and on the Navajo reserva- /
ton
Carnotite mining is a prospecting /
industry and probably always win be /
With a few exceptions all known car /
hottie ores are found in what is /
known geologically as the McElmo /
formation The mineralized zones are /
very cratic as the ore bodies seem to
follow no law of deposition There
seems to be no consistent association
with the surface or underground ge-
ology. A given local area may be
thiclSly dotted with individual pockets
Or an ore body may be isolated, thou
sands of feet from any other deposit.
The flat irregular blanket veins will
dip. swell, pinch out or stop entirely
within few inches or a foot without
warning. Besides the blanket veins
there is the log or tree type of de-
posit These log or tree deposits are
even more cratic than the blanket
veins. Undoubtedly the most inter-
ssting occurrence of this ore is found
IN these log or tree deposits in the
form of petrfed trees which as
-ule produce the highest grade ore
hat is found. At times apparently
,nly the bark surrounding the tree is
IRE and the balance solid silicihcation
while at other times an entire portion
If the tree is ore while the adjoining
portions are silicihed Single trees
nave been known to produce as high
is $4,000 worth of high grade ore.
The general early mining scheme
consisted first of the examination of
he outcroppings of the canyons and
-alleys and then drifting in from the
inns on the outcroppings. Later
when the large companies came into
he field. it was recognized if the in
Iustry were to survive. it would have
O be placed on a more substantial
'asis than merely prospecting the ore
lodies that We're exposed by erosion.
30 to determine the extent and loca-
ion of the ore deposits the surface is
rilled with jackhammers and dia-