2018 Spring Profiles

All aboard

Possible rail connection between Roosevelt and Colorado - pg. 6

Oil and gas legislation

Update - pg. 8

A new model for conservation

or an outdated one? - pg. 10

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IN THIS ISSUE Volume 10 Number 1 April 2018

6: All aboard; possible rail connection between 8: Oil and Gas Legislation Update 10: A new model for conservation, or an outdated one?

12: What is Gilsonite?

20: New Welding Tech building to help meet industry demand 22: Local option for FR Clothing 23: The history of Split Mountain 24: Brady Trucking emerged from humble beginnings 26: Kenworth Trucking is here to get you back on the road 27: History of Energy in the Basin 4 - ubmedia.biz

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All aboard; possible rail connection between Roosevelt and Colorado gaining steam By: Ryan Collins rcollins@ubmedia.biz

The Seven County Infrastructure Coalition adopted a resolution last month to make an application to the Utah Permanent Community Impact Fund Board (CIB) in the amount of $30,000,000 for the pre-construction costs for a rail line in the Uintah Basin connecting to a national rail system in Colorado.

In January, the coalition adopted another resolution to apply for $10,000,000 to CIB for pre-construction costs for the railway, but decided to go for the full amount of $30,000,000 in the Feb. 9 meeting needed for regulatory approval.

“The thought process being as Eric (Johnson) very well pointed out, we’d be getting $10,000,000 a year over three years to get to there,” Executive Director of the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition, Mike McKee said. “As we’re working with the legislature for legislative intent language, we thought probably the best thing is just put everything up front, the total amount we’re going to be seeking is $30,000,000. So, that’s what we are trying to do,

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essentially we’re seeking the $30,000,000 even though we don’t anticipate spending $30,000,000 this year. It would be over a several year period.”

The coalition is seeking up to $30,000,000 from CIB in grant form, but it is up to CIB how that money will be dispersed if approved, whether in increments or all at once.

“We felt it’s best for the legislature and everybody else to understand with full transparency what the total amount that we are seeking is $30,000,000,” McKee said. “I think that’s wise on our part here. The total amount we’re seeking is $30,000,000. The increments when we get it can kind of be worked out, whether it’s $30,000,000 at once or $10,000,000 this year, $10,000,000 the next year...We’re trying to say essentially, this is the total amount we are seeking at this time for this process,” McKee said.

A motion to approve the resolution was made by Carbon County Commissioner, and Seven County Coalition Co-Chair, Jae Potter. The motion was seconded by Duchesne County Commissioner, Ken Burdick. The additional seven board members unanimously voted in favor of the resolution, officially adopting the intent to ask CIB for $30,000,000 for pre-construction costs.

The coalition also adopted a resolution to approve a Requests for Qualifications (RFQ) for rail alignment, revenue, and regulatory and related matters.

Essentially approving the publication of a RFQ related to rail in three areas-alignment, revenue and cost, and regulation.

The deadline for the RFQ is April 5, at 3 p.m.

The scope of the three areas of the RFQ is broken down into three specific points: 1) “The Revenue and operating cost forecast would evaluate potential shippers and rail carriers including oil and/or mineral producers in the Uintah Basin and on Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Sante Fe rail carriers and interview the same, develop a forecast for oil and mineral production in the Uintah Basin with rail connecting to the national rail system as opposed to production without rail as an individual transportation alternative, develop a better understanding of global oil and mineral production and cost trends that would materially influence Uintah Basin oil and mineral production that could be economically transported by rail. Evaluate the economic impact of alternative routes for rail to connect from the Roosevelt/Myton area in the Uintah Basin to the national rail system. Establish cost estimates (such as fuel, equipment, staff maintenance of right-of-way, general and administrative costs) to transport oil, minerals and other products via rail to markets both inside and outside of Utah. Determine costing, including lane costs for routing for Uinta Basin crude oil to reach likely refinery markets with particular attention to the Pacific Coast and Gulf Coast Regions.

Identify traffic numbers for specific traffic to be moved by rail and conduct a competitive analysis between the proposed rail and other modes of transportation to determine the realistic traffic volumes on the proposed rail. Develop a revenue to cost ratio analysis to include both class 1 rail traffic and the short line rail traffic.

2) “The draft plan for regulatory, permitting, and construction is to consist of a plan for the proposed rail line’s regulatory, permitting, engineering, and construction, including alternative routes. This plan would include cost estimates for taking rail from the Uinta Basin to connect to the national rail system from concept through to commissioning, including ‘soft costs’ such as legal, design, and advisory fees.

3) “The feasibility-level engineering, alignment, and construction cost estimate is to evaluate three routes to each national rail network from the Roo-

sevelt/Myton area in Duchesne County, Utah. The intended routes should either connect to the existing Union Pacific rail line in Craig/Axial, Colorado areas or to the existing rail lines at or near Rifle, Colorado. The study should include terrain mapping to reduce uncertainty regarding earthwork quantities, verify private, federal, state, and tribal land interest that would be impacted, evaluate crossings, including water and roads, preliminary evaluation of environmental impact including wetlands, and reduce contingency or uncertainty in construction cost estimates,” the RFQ reads.

Uintah County Commissioner, Brad Horrocks said of the rail connection during the Feb. 26 Uintah County Commission meeting, “We’re proceeding forward with it, just looking at the options of doing it and getting Moffat County involved. They’ve proceeded with some interest,” Horrocks said.

“We’re looking at funding options to proceed forward.”

“If it goes forward, I think it will be a great thing for both states.” Moffat County Commissioner Don Cook said. “What I would say is that we are more in support of the seven county coalition, they are the ones that are leading the way on it and we’re just there supporting them until something definite can finally be determined.”

The next seven county coalition meeting was held on March 9, at 1385 South State Street, in Salt Lake City.

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Oil and Gas Legislation Update Submitted by Mike Hyde Community Development Director Duchesne County

The 2018 Utah Legislative Session saw two proposed bills associated with the oil and gas industry.

Given that this industry is critical to Duchesne County’s economy, county staff and elected officials took an active role in the discussions associated with these bills.

The first bill, Senate Bill 191, was sponsored by Senator Kevin Van Tassell. This bill clarifies the extent to which local jurisdictions may regulate oil and gas activities within their boundaries.

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The bill allows a local jurisdiction to enact an ordinance, resolution, or rule that regulates surface activity incident to an oil and gas activity if the municipality demonstrates that the regulation is necessary to protect public health, safety and welfare; does not effectively or unduly limit, ban, or prohibit an oil and gas activity; and does not interfere with the state’s exclusive jurisdiction to regulate oil and gas.

A local legislative body of a city or county is allowed to enact, amend, or enforce a local ordinance, resolution, or rule that regulates only surface activity that is incidental to an oil and gas activity; does not effectively or unduly limit, ban, or prohibit an oil and gas activity; and is not otherwise preempted by state or federal law. Downhole activity is regulated exclusively by the State Division of Oil, Gas and Mining and the associated State Board.

Duchesne County supported Senate Bill 191 in that it continues to allow the County to regulate surface activities associated with oil and gas development as we have since Ordinance #12-308 passed in 2013. Senate Bill 191 passed in the state house and senate and is currently awaiting the signature of the Governor.

The second bill, House Bill 267, was sponsored by Representative Scott Chew.

This bill would have given private property owners much more control over the location of oil and gas wells on their surface. Specifically, the bill would have required oil and gas operators to site their facilities in a manner that allows the surface land owner “the greatest possible use” of their property. This high standard was viewed by many as a detriment to oil and gas activity on private lands, which contains about one third of the oil and gas activity in Duchesne County.

The standards in House Bill 267 may have made it very difficult in some cases for mineral owners to access the underground mineral resources. The bill seemed to run counter to years of case law that has established the mineral estate as dominant over the surface estate.

This bill failed to pass out of the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee. There is always the possibility that this bill could be modified and presented in the next legislative session.

Duchesne County appreciates the efforts of our local legislators and we look forward to working with them in the future to ensure the continued viability and success of the oil and gas industry in our area.

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A new model for conservation, or an outdated one?

By: Ryan Collins rcollins@ubmedia.biz

At a Uintah County Commissioner meeting in late February, the commissioners were presented with a plea for help resolving an issue two landowners have with a conservation agreement. A pair of private land owners requested to be removed from a conservation overlay zone they claim is inhibiting them from selling their properties, or developing oil and gas on the properties.

The commission was presented with a history of the land and the owners complaint about the Penstemon Conservation Agreement Overlay Zone, which was put into place in the county on Sept. 22, 2014.

When the agreement was first put in place, it was looked upon as one of the first of its kind to prevent a formal listing under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) through local government protections and voluntary conservation efforts by private landowners.

Now, some of those landowners are claiming the conservation efforts were not all voluntary, according to the landowners attorney.

The 15-year agreement established nearly 45,000 acres of conservation areas on federal, state, and private lands, including five White River beardtongue core population areas on private property that would not have been assured protection under an ESA listing.

It’s easy to get lost in the details of the conservation overlay agreement, which was put together with the help of several federal and interstate agencies. Two

Penstemon species are protected from almost all things including grazing, and oil shale extraction.

A conservation team was put in place when the original agreement was implemented in 2014. Part of the agreement put in place was that the conservation overlay zones would be reviewed every one to three years after it was put in place.

“Under the conservation agreement, there can be modifications for the zones.” Uintah County Attorney, Jonathan Stearmer said. “What’s on private grounds is only parts of the puzzle because there are conservation areas on school institutional trust property and BLM property as well, so it’s just one piece of a much bigger puzzle.”

The two species of penstemon are not officially listed as an endangered species, and individual zones can be modified by the county commission if they choose to allow the modification.

Any modifications to the conservation overlay zone will also need to go through a vetting process that is approved by the conservation team.

The conservation team consists of federal, state and local representation.

There remain only a few members of the planning and zoning commission who were on the commission when the conservation overlay zones were put into place in Uintah County four years ago, and there are no commissioners who currently are on the county commission who were a part of the original agreement.

All of this may seem a little overboard considering personal property and BLM managed land cannot be used for many uses because of some flowers.

“From the prior administrations until now, they have been very aware in try-

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ing to protect the rights of private property owners through this process, understanding that private property in the areas are surrounded by a sea of federal land,” Stearmer said. “When you have severe restrictions on federal land, that can negatively impact private ground if they need access for a power line, or an air permit, or something like that. The county has gone to great lengths to reach out to private landowners to make sure they are aware of what is going on.”

The county has consistently treated it as their responsibility to protect private property because there is so little of it, according to Stearmer.

“All the county needs to do is to carry out its responsibility to take this, if it chooses to, to the conservation team,” attorney for the two landowners, Gayle McKeachine said before the commission.

McKeachine also said he has personally been made aware that there are other areas, since the agreement, that have been found with the penstemon species that are not apart of the zones.

The county commissioners ultimately decided to table the request by the two private landowners to remove their properties from the conservation overlay zone and will make a decision on the matter in the coming weeks.

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What is Gilsonite?

As Published in the Summer 2015 Outlaw Trail Journal “Uintah Basin’s Black Gold�

By: Karine Walker What is Gilsonite?

That is the question asked by people that do not live in the Uinta Basin.

Most people have not heard of this black hydrocarbon, the only commercial deposits of which are mined in the Uinta Basin. Other deposits are known to exist in Mexico, in the Middle East and elsewhere, but they lack the pure form we have here in the Basin.

Gilsonite is a naturally occurring, solid hydrocarbon. It is found in quantity in vertical fissures of Uinta and Green River sandstones and shales. These fissures strike northwest-southeast through the Uinta Basin, varying in width from a few inches to twenty-two feet. The outcrop of these veins may be traced for many miles. The workable depth of the Gilsonite deposits varies from a few feet in the eastern end of the Basin to 2,000 or more feet in the western end.

This mineral is like no other ever discovered in the earth. It is brittle, black, lustrous and has an appearance similar to coal or hard asphalt. It breaks easily into a fine chocolate brown-colored powder which melts instead of burning except at extremely high temperatures. It is solid but relatively soft and

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resembles obsidian.

Gilsonite has been mistaken for coal but has a much finer luster and smoother fracture. It further differs from coal in that when heated it can be stretched out in a long thread, very similar to rubber. In fact, it has been referred to as mineral rubber, possessing many of the wonderfully flexible features of rubber, but with a far greater life.

It is not solidified oil, though it has a petroleum base. Gilsonite is a light mineral being slightly heavier than water. It is completely non-toxic, even after prolonged exposure or taken internally.

Once a blacksmith for the Indian agency moved to Fort Duchesne. He needed coal for the operation of his forge. He described the material to the Indians and asked them if they had seen any in the area. The Indians showed him a mineral that resembled what he was talking about. He gathered a wagon full and when he got back to his place he placed a piece into his stove. It turned out to be Gilsonite and instead of burning it melted and made such a pungent, vile-smelling smoke that he came out of his shop using very expressive language.1 American Gilsonite Company describes Gilsonite as pure, uniform, water-

proof, acid, alkali and sun resistant. It has high insulating value against electric current. It contains no wax or greasy substance. It is stable and very hard. It has a very high melting point. It can be combined readily and thoroughly with all asphalts, bitumens, all the usual paint solvents, and is a perfect blender.2 Gilsonite probably originated with other natural hydrocarbons such as crude oil. It is also called asphaltite and Uintaite. But its most common name came from Captain Samuel H. Gilson—Pony Express rider, Indian scout and interpreter.

Contrary to common belief, Gilson did not discover the mineral, but he was instrumental in mining it and found uses for it. Ute Indians reportedly spread Gilsonite on their woven baskets to make them waterproof.3 However, not until 1884, when Sam Gilson became interested in what natives had referred to as “worthless” was Gilsonite actually “discovered.” You can blame it on ants.

The story goes that Gilson was watching a bunch of ants carry a shiny black material. He became curious and followed the ant trail to a vein that was buried under a few inches of sand. In unearthing this Gilsonite Asphalt, he gave the world one of the purest minerals ever found.

The hydrocarbon maintains a constant average of purity ranging between 99.5% and 99.9%! This means it is entirely free from foreign matter and so provides an asphalt of the greatest durability.4 How Gilsonite got its name is not really recorded. At the founding of the Gilson Manufacturing Company, Sam Gilson offered a silver dollar if they named the asphaltite after him. Obviously, it worked. He deserves to have the mineral named after him, though, because he is responsible for its early development.

Not only did he buy up claims and locate others himself, but he sought uses for the mineral and cleared up mining right complications. He also had the insight to involve C.O. Baxter, a St. Louis mining engineer.

Gilson and Baxter were in Vernal in 1887 and 1888, checking original locations, buying these where possible, and locating new claims in their own names. They formed the St. Louis Gilsonite Company and in 1889 the Anheuser-Busch Company became interested in the venture. The company had been importing rock asphalt from Sicily to line their beer barrels and saw

Gilsonite as more available and cheaper. They bought out Gilson’s share of the St. Louis Gilsonite Company and renamed it the Gilson Asphaltum Company.

Transportation Before Gilsonite could be mined in quantity, two problems had to be solved.

First, almost all of the Gilsonite was found either on the Ute or the Uncompahgre Indian Reservations. Second, was the need for an economical form of transportation. The nearest railroad was a Union Pacific line in Wyoming, a distance of at least 150 miles. The shortest route was to go over the Uinta Mountains, but this was far too expensive and hazardous to be economically feasible. These problems were solved in different ways from 1886 to 1910.

The transportation problem appeared to be solved in 1886 when the Denver-Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) completed its main line through Price, Utah, thus bringing the railroad within seventy-five miles. Since a serviceable wagon road existed from Fort Duchesne to Price, transportation of the ore was now feasible and economical.

Gilsonite on the reservation Since Gilsonite veins were mostly located on Indian reservations, federal Indian Agents notified Gilson and Baxter they were trespassing and ordered them off the reservations. Gilson and Baxter decided, with Bert Seaboldt, they needed to convince Congress to remove some land from the reservation.

They raised $25,000 to fight for the cause in Congress and on 24 May 1888 Congress removed a triangular strip of about 700 acres from the eastern end of the Uintah Reservation. This Act of Congress included a “preferred right of entry” recognizing claims filed prior to 1888.

Soon the first Gilsonite mine in the world went into operation. It was named ‘The St. Louis,’ after [Adolphus] Busch’s hometown. By solving one problem others were created. The triangular of excluded land still lay within the borders of the Ute Indian Reservation. Therefore, the territorial government could not enforce the law there.

The same thing applied to the peace officers of Uintah County. The Indian agencies at Whiterocks and Ouray had no jurisdiction except in Indian country. The excluded tract was no longer Indian country.

The federal marshal could enforce the law on the triangle but his authority went only to the violation of federal statutes. There were no federal statutes in

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those days covering gambling, liquor, prostitution and all the common varieties of crime. The triangular strip, as a consequence of its location, was, literally lawless.”5 Nevertheless, ownership of the land was in the hands of the Gilson Asphaltum Company, and development of Gilsonite mining on a large scale became possible.

Mining Gilsonite Mining was not easy at first. The original veins were quite narrow and a miner often did not have enough room to break out the ore with his pick while he stood facing the vein. He, therefore, would enter the vein sideways with a short-handled pick strapped to his forearm.

With this pick he would painstakingly hack the mineral loose, kicking it back down the slope with his feet. When enough ore was chipped away, he scooped it into a sack held between his legs. Even where the vein was wide enough for the miner to face the ore, he would hold the sack with one hand and use a short-handled shovel with the other.

It is amazing that miners were able to produce as much as two tons per day with this system. Since the bags were pulled to the surface by a rope pulley, the depth a miner was able to go was limited. At the turn of the century, the maximum depth was only about one hundred feet.

Full bags were piled on wagons, which were pulled by horses from Fort Duchesne to Price. A four-horse team transported as much as three-and-a-half tons in ten to eleven days.6

Transporting Gilsonite with Railroad As more uses were developed for Gilsonite, Gilson Asphaltum Company was not able to handle the demand due to transportation limitations. The closest railroad to the new, and much richer, deposits of Gilsonite around the White River was still the D&RGW. This was partially solved in 1903, with the construction of a direct rail link between Grand Junction, Colorado, and the Gilsonite veins in Dragon, Utah.

During that summer, crews built wagon roads from the Gilsonite properties to the north side of the Book Cliffs Mountains. Other crews built a road from a point on the railroad west of Grand Junction to the south side of the mountains.

The next fall and winter a route was surveyed across the mountains through Baxter Pass, and on 5 October, William Banks and a crew drove the first stake in the pass. Laying of steel for a narrow gauge railway began almost immediately. The line was completed the following September, 1904.7 “The original fifty-three-mile railroad was constructed through rugged country in less than a year. It featured some of the sharpest curves and steepest grades in railroading history. For several miles going over 8,500-foot Baxter Pass the grades reached an astonishing seven and one-half percent!”8 The Uintah Railway Company was organized by the Barber Asphalt Company, which shortly before had taken control of the Gilson Asphaltum Company. They constructed the railway at a cost of $175,000. The relatively low cost was due to the Uintah Railway purchase of Denver and Rio Grande rails, ties and the rolling stock of an abandoned narrow-gauge line.

The Uintah Railway met the Denver and Rio Grande at a point twentytwo miles west of Grand Junction at a town called Mack, for John M. Mack, president of the Barber Asphalt Company. The railroad proceeded from Mack in a northerly direction at a distance of only 28.3 miles and crossed thirty-six bridges over washes and creeks from Mack to Atchee, at which point the steep climb over Baxter Pass began.

The road rose more than 2,000 feet in just six miles, then dropped 1,500 feet down the other side in just seven miles. From there to the end of the line at the Gilsonite mine in Dragon, it traveled twelve miles and crossed thirtyseven bridges. In 1911 the line was extended nine and one-half miles to Watson and four miles southwest from the Watson terminal to the Gilsonite mine at Rainbow.

The new railroad was far superior to any other means of transportation in and out of the Uinta Basin. It quickly attracted substantial passenger traffic as well as freight. Uintah Railway constructed modern hotels at each line end to accommodate passengers. Each hotel had twenty rooms with bath and dining facilities.

Connecting roads to carry freight and passengers were constructed between the centers of the Uinta Basin population in Vernal and Fort Duchesne. Tolls were collected at several points on these roads. However, the roads from Jensen to Vernal and from Ouray to Fort Duchesne were toll-free.

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Regular stagecoach service was established from Dragon to Vernal and Fort Duchesne. The stage, with stops en route for meals and to change horses, took some ten hours to make a run of about seventy miles. This may well have been one of the very last stagecoach systems to be operated in this country.9 Freight hauling was established in 1905 when the federal government awarded a mail contract to Uintah Railway after the toll roads were created. It may have been less spectacular than the stagecoach operation, but it involved many more animals, wagons, and employees.

It also proved an advantage for Basin residents who shipped supplies, so much so, in fact, that the Bank of Vernal was entirely built with bricks that were shipped over the rail and toll road system, becoming the only “parcel post” bank in history.

The railroad itself, due to steep grades and sharp curves, presented some very unusual and difficult operating problems. Fortunately, coal was found at Carbonera, twenty miles north of Mack along the route, and the company operated its own mine there.

The original road was laid out to accommodate a Shay engine, noted for its pulling power and ability to negotiate sharp curves. Later, the original curves, many of which approached 76-degrees, were actually reduced to 60-degree curves in order to accommodate a big Baldwin Mallet locomotive.

A few 64- or 65-degree curves remained, however. When going around one of these sharp curves, the locomotives’ boiler tank projected over the side of the mountain and it looked as if it were going to tip over.

Before the development of good highways, the Uintah Railway was the primary means of transportation in and out of the Uinta Basin. In 1931, there was a daily schedule between Atchee and Wendella over Baxter Pass, a distance of only twelve-and-a-half miles, but with a climb of more than 2,000 feet.

The railroad also operated a passenger-freight train round trip three times a week. But, the railroad, novel for its time, was soon outdated by the development of modern truck transportation. The line was abandoned in 1937.

Mining Gilsonite Fine, chocolate-colored Gilsonite dust created significant problems for miners. Since the dust softened with body heat, it penetrated into every pore of their skin. Since it was not soluble in water, it was removed with great diffi-

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culty.

Many amusing tales have been told about Gilsonite dust.

“One is that miners on the St. Louis vein near Fort Duchesne used a lath to pry their underwear from their backs. Another is that a Gilsonite miner could be identified long after he had stopped working because, as the dust slowly worked out of the pores of his skin, his shirt collar would be regularly stained brown.”10 The dust caused problems for more than just the miners. It also gummed up mining tools such as compressed air drills. For several years the only effective tools were the pick and shovel.

Under certain circumstances, this fine dust can be highly explosive. Early miners found this out the hard way. There is a record of an 1893 explosion from the use of candles in an early-day mine. The Parriette Mine was closed about 1900 by an explosion.

In October of 1894, an earth-shaking explosion in the St. Louis Mine killed Isaac C. Cook. Two years later, Cook’s relatives sued Gilson Asphaltum Company for $25,000 in damages, alleging that the company was negligent in failing to sprinkle the mine with water to prevent the accumulation of the highly explosive dust.

A federal court ruled in favor of the defendant, however, saying that “the plaintiff had failed to prove that the defendant company was aware of the explosive nature of the dust.”11 However, the company, then aware of the dangerous nature of the dust, did little about it.

While Bert Seaboldt and Tom Taylor, the mine superintendent, and foreman, were returning from the trial, another explosion occurred. When they arrived at the Strip, they found two men were dead, several injured and the mine a raging inferno.

Express details mine explosion The 26 November 1896 Vernal Express gives this account of the explosion: Another Explosion at the Gilsonite Mines. Two more victims added to the list. The accumulation of explosive dust supposed to have been the cause.

Timbering is thrown 500 feet heavenward. Charles Anderson and Andy Garns cremated in the burning mine and other employees on the outside wounded— The mine still on fire.

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The former case settled in the courts—Verdict for defendant.

Tuesday afternoon between three and four o’clock the people of Vernal and the entire valley were startled by the rattling of windows and doors and a rumbling noise like the cannonading of distant thunder, and many a heart turned faint at the thoughts of another explosion at the Gilsonite mines near Fort Duchesne.

Within an hour word was telephoned over from the post that another explosion, far greater than any yet known in the history of gilsonite mines, had taken place at the mines of the Gilson Asphaltum Company, a distance of 24 miles from Vernal.

The timbering of the shafts was thrown 500 feet into the air and the flames were leaping to a height of 200 feet. Two men were missing, [Charles] Anderson and Andy Garns, and others were wounded.

Intense excitement prevailed in Vernal all evening and groups of men could be seen everywhere on the streets discussing the terrible event. J. T. McConnell, who is agent for the company at this place, immediately made preparations to go to the scene of the explosion as both Bert Seaboldt and Tom Taylor, manager and foreman respectively, of the mine, were away in Salt Lake as witnesses in the case of Cook et. al. vs. Gilson Asphaltum Company.

The stage arrived at about six o’ clock but the driver could not enlighten the people any as he was at the halfway hollow at the time of the explosion. He could see the flames and smoke and as he came over the ridge into the valley about sundown, said he could see smoke rolling heavenward as high as the eye could see.

Between eight and nine o’ clock in the evening the Express representative, accompanied by Sheriff Pope, took a single rig and started for the scene of the explosion. The night was cloudy and very dark until about 11 o’ clock when the moon would occasionally shine through the clouds and make it more easy to follow the road.

When within seven miles of the mines a huge cone was seen which looked like a distant mountain peak, but by close observation, it was noticed that the cone changed in appearance and we came to the conclusion that it was smoke from the burning mine.

Gaining the top of the sand ridge two gigantic columns of fire capped by a

dense cloud of black smoke was seen issuing from the mine, looking much like the craters of two volcanoes in active eruption. Arriving at the mine at 1:15 am chilled to the bone, Messrs. Taylor, Davis, Bennett, and Goff were found awake watching the burning mine. Our tired horse was soon cared for and some good strong coffee disposed of and we proceeded to take a nearer observation.

It was a grand and awful sight to look upon and left an impression on the mind of the writer that time cannot obliterate. Great tongues of fire which took upon them all of the colors of the rainbow, shot up through the dense black smoke, sometimes to the height of a hundred feet, coming apparently from the bowels of the earth, crackling and roaring like distant musketry, made one think they stood at the mouth of hell and the doomed souls were having a battle among themselves. The burning air shafts were near the top of the hill and the lower shafts furnished a drought through the eighteen and one hundred foot levels that fanned the flames to a heat like a furnace.

While standing within about thirty yards of the largest fire a loud crash was heard and immediately following the air was filled with burning particles of gilsonite. It is needless to say that the pencil pusher and his companions fled to safer quarters and came to the conclusion that distance lent enchantment to the view.

For hundreds of feet about the mine, the ground was strewn with the broken and blackened pieces of timber that was thrown with terrific force from the mine by the explosion and the windows in the buildings belonging to the mine were nearly all broken by the shock.

At the spot where the two men were at work when the explosion occurred, tons upon tons of debris had fallen in, caused by the intense heat melting the gilsonite and it is doubtful if a trace of the victims will ever be found.

When daylight appeared the parties who were at the mine when the accident occurred, were interviewed and a list of the injured taken. Two men, Andy Garns and C. M. Anderson, were in the mine and were killed as it would be an impossibility for them to escape death. If the explosion did not kill them the fierce heat from the burning timbers and gilsonite would in very few seconds leave no trace of them.

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There were seven men, mostly freighters, standing near the mouth of one of the air shafts. Walter Carloss, an employee noticed a slight puff of smoke issue from the shaft and cried “run for your life” and started to run but was knocked down by the explosion which immediately followed the smoke he saw issue from the shaft.

He got up and started again and was knocked down the second time when he crawled to a place of safety on his hands and knees. The others also started to run at the same time, but were knocked down by the shock and four of them were badly burned and bruised about the head and face. Dave Bennett and Newton Stewart were working in another shaft not connected with the one that exploded and the shock hurled them from side to side of the shaft like straws. They were badly frightened but not injured. The list of the injured are: Thomas Goff, of Siggard, Utah, eyes burnt not thought to be seriously burned.

Peter Francian, of Castledale, face, and eyes seriously burnt.

Frank Warren, of Price, head, and face burnt.

Joseph Draper, of Wellington, eyes burnt.

Nearly all the seven men had their hair singed and faces blackened by the flash of fire from the shaft when it exploded.

Miss Eliza Wall and her sister were in the kitchen of the boarding house several hundred feet from the mine and when the shock from the explosion tore the windows from the building, it frightened them nearly into hysterics and they had to be taken to the Post.

The explosion was seen and felt for miles. At Ft. Duchesne, which is two miles distant from the mine, the shock was distinctly felt and as the mine is in plain view of the Post, a great many saw the explosions.

Those that were eyewitnesses of the explosion, said that each shaft exploded, one after another in rapid succession, making a noise like the firing of heavy artillery, and the flames shot up hundreds of feet into the air, followed by a dense column of jet black smoke which seemed to pierce the very heavens.

Dishes and furniture rattled in the houses at the Post and a great many thought it was an earthquake shock.

What caused the explosion will never be known, as the only ones that could

possibly give an explanation are killed. It seems though that the mine had given silent warning that it was in a dangerous condition. Bennett noticed that the dust seemed to be in a condition to explode at any time and warned the men of his fears. George Erickson, who had been working in the mine, but happened to be in Vernal on a visit when the accident occurred, is said to have told some friends that it was nearly impossible for him to keep awake while at work in the mine, a symptom of the presence of carbon acid gas.

A mass memorial and funeral service was later held in the Uintah Stake Tabernacle on 9 November 1953 for five of the dead men—Glenn Jackson, John Orval Smuin, Jay Var Timothy, Hal L. Cook and Ulis Harper. The other three bodies were found in March the following year. All but three of the men had served their country in the Armed Forces and the American Legion was asked to participate in the services as well as to conduct rites at the cemetery.

Gilsonite Uses The first use for Gilsonite was actually to pave roads. Salt Lake City officials later decided it was less expensive to transport asphalt from Trinidad than it was to mine and transport Gilsonite. The 3 March 1892 Vernal Express states: “The gilsonite is too expensive for ordinary paving and is used in the manufacture of insulators and as a covering for underground telegraph or telephone wires. This is the only mine of the kind in the world and the company sets its own prices.”

In the early days, poor mining methods left rock and other impurities in the product. For many years, F. J. O’Neill was in charge of sales for the Gilson Asphaltum Company. He recalled one time when a customer complained about finding a rock a foot long in his shipment of Gilsonite. “‘Did you save it?’ asked O’Neill. When told ‘No,’ O’Neill replied: ‘Oh! Too bad. We’re giving a prize to the customer who got the biggest rock last month.’”18 The greatest potential for Gilsonite was originally in varnish, particularly for metal preservation. It gave the varnish a hard, durable, lustrous surface. Other uses in the early 1900s soon developed. “Run-of-mine grades were used in roofing material for wear-and weatherproofing. Gilsonite was mixed in rubber in making buggy and coach tires. It was used in various types of ink. Because Gilsonite is not affected by acids, it was used to preserve iron pipes from corro-

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sion and to acid-proof the lining of chemical tanks.”19 The uses for Gilsonite are constantly changing. “In the early 1920s Gilsonite was an essential part of the black enamel baked on automobiles with up to sixteen coats. It gave a lustrous, durable finish.”20 Multicolored, quickdrying lacquers eliminated this market, but even though uses were eliminated, Gilsonite’s unique properties made it widely versatile.

Gilsonite’s high-resin content, heat-insulating qualities, high electrical resistance, solubility in turpentine, alcohol, carbon bisulphite, heavy oils, and fats, yet its insolubility in water and its imperviousness to acids, give it great value as a waterproofing, wearproofing and weatherproofing agent. All this has made development of new uses possible.

Today, Gilsonite is used in a variety of products such as floor tile, inks, paints, electrical insulation, brake linings, caulking material, storage battery boxes and molded products of various kinds. It is used in some fibre building board, as sound-deadening material, in treating various textiles, and for insulating tape. Most markets are domestic, but in recent years about 20 percent of production has gone overseas.

One of the newest uses, constituting a substantial market, is Gilsulate, a trademarked product developed and patented [by American Gilsonite Company]. Gilsulate is an insulation for underground steam and hot water pipes. For this purpose, it is ideal, because it has low thermal conductivity, resists attack by acids, alkalies and electrical corrosion, and is waterproof as well.”21 Gilsonite is used increasingly by utilities, railroads, schools, housing developments, and in institutional and governmental projects.

Could Sam Gilson have had any idea the impact his find would have on the economy—or the world for that matter? This “worthless material” has traveled an interesting and productive road. The future holds promise for many new developments. So we can thank our little insects and Sam Gilson for their discovery.

Endnotes 1. Major B. H. Roberts, unpublished paper delivered at 24 July celebration in Vernal, Utah, in 1919; copy located in the Uintah County Library Regional History Center.

2. American Gilsonite Company, Gilsonite Guidebook (American Gilsonite Company: Salt Lake City, Utah, 1969), 2.

3. Herbert F. Kretchman, The Story of Gilsonite (American Gilsonite Company: Salt Lake City, Utah, 1952), 27.

4. American Asphalt Paint Co., The Story of Gilsonite Asphalt (American Asphalt Paint Co., Chicago, 1931), 4.

5. Kate B. Carter, Our Pioneer Heritage, (Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1971) Vol. 14, 133.

6. Herbert F. Kretchman, The Story of Gilsonite, 32-37.

7. Ibid., 39-40.

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid., 44.

10. Ibid., 51.

11. Vernal Express, 26 November 1896.

12. The Life History of Daniel Quentin and Clara Birchell Price (Dana Price Gull, 22 March 2003), 617-620.

13. Herbert F. Kretchman, The Story of Gilsonite, 52.

14. Vernal Express, 12 November 1953.

15. Uintah County Oral History, Marvin Jackson (Uintah County Library: Vernal, Utah, 2004), 111.

16. Herbert F. Kretchman, The Story of Gilsonite, 54.

17. American Gilsonite Company, Gilsonite Guide Book, 7.

18. Herbert F. Kretchman, The Story of Gilsonite, 60.

19. Ibid.

20. Ibid.

21. Ibid., 61.

Bub Meeks: A Photo Journey Bill Betenson In the Summer 2003 Outlaw Trail Journal, my article on the outlaw Bub Meeks, was published. Since that time, I have gathered further information and photographs. I would especially like to thank Bub’s nephew, Jack Meeks, for his generosity in sharing information on his uncle and for his friendship.

Jack and I have something in common, being nephews to outlaws.

ubmedia.biz - 19

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Concept art of UBTech’s welding tech building.

New Welding Tech building to help meet industry demand By: ViAnn Prestwich Even before the first ceremonial shovel breaks ground for the new Welding Technology building at Uintah Basin Technical College (UBTech), there are more than enough students to fill every future welding booth.

Groundbreaking for the 12,500-square foot, state-of-the-art facility will be held Thursday, March 15, at 2 p.m. at UBTech’s Roosevelt campus.

“We’re overflowing now,” said welding instructor Kevin Mitchell. “We have four students per booth. Ideally, we should have one student per booth.”

The crowded conditions don’t appear to have negatively impacted the quality of education received by welding students. UBTech President Aaron Weight chuckled when he described conversations with people from across the nation, aware of the award-winning welders produced at the college.

“They might not know where we are located,” said Weight, “but they know who we are and what kind of welders we produce.”

UBTech’s welding program has a history of turning out students who have claimed top honors in the nation and even on a global scale with Chandler

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Vincent taking 5th in the world in welding at an international competition in Abu Dhabi in 2016. Welding student Jordan Wynn has earned the right to compete at the national welding trials in Alabama this year.

The proven quality of education provided at UBTech and the nationwide shortage of welders are two critical reasons funding for the $4.5 million facility was approved so quickly during the 2017 Legislative Session.

Unlike other Uintah Basin building projects, which have taken up to ten years to fund, state monies for the new welding building were granted by legislators on the first request, Weight detailed.

Another important plus when lawmakers considered the funding request was a dedicated partnership between UBTech and two well-known welding companies, Miller Electric and Norco, Inc. Miller Electric Regional Sales Manager Jim Truett is excited about the contractual relationship. Every two years the equipment from his company will be rotated out and students will receive the “latest and greatest equipment we have to offer,” Truett said.

“This kind of program will be a big draw for people to come to the program and for potential employers to hire from this program,” the electrical sales

manager said.

Finding a job should not be a problem for welders who have any degree of proficiency. According to Truett, by the year 2024 there will be a need for 400,000 qualified welders across the United States.

Mitchell agreed. “Nationwide the shortage is presently about 300,000 welders. The average age of a welder is between 54 and 56 years old. There is a major shortage coming.”

“There is such a need and going to continue to be a need for welders, pipefitters, structural engineers,” said Weight. “And not just a ‘man’s’ game. We have companies recruiting the female welders. They often have such incredible abilities and precision. They are very methodical in their approach.”

UBTech’s welding programs in Roosevelt and Vernal are currently serving more than 500 students each year. The new welding technology building will help the college meet industry demand.

Mitchell’s ultimate goal for the welders he trains is “to teach them to run their own company.”

UBTech offers a wide variety of business courses to assist students in making any career dream a reality.

Mitchell recognizes he will be busier and “running harder,” once construction on the new welding building is completed in 2019 and additional students enroll.

“It’s okay,” he said. “I have the opportunity to change people’s lives.”

Mitchell appears to have the same mindset as described by President Weight.

“I go to bed thinking about technical education,” said Weight. “Thinking about it wakes me up at night, and I get up in the morning still thinking about technological education. Most of my faculty and staff suffer from the same problem, but it is so enjoyable to have the opportunity to change the lives of our students. It’s very energizing.”

To celebrate, not only the addition of this 12,500-foot building to the college, but also the 50th anniversary of the college, several past directors and presidents of the college will join President Aaron Weight at the ceremonies.

The public is invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, March 15, at 2 p.m. at UBTech in Roosevelt, 1100 E. Lagoon.

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Local option for FR Clothing By: Liberty Best Mike Weldon started Rocky Mountain FR Clothing Outlet as a way to help fill the need to clothe the men employed with his construction company.

After working with flame resistant clothing companies, Weldon said he saw a great need for other companies to have FR clothing available for a decent price, as well as having a wide variety of options for style and weight of the clothes.

During the most recent local economic downturn, Weldon included the clothing outlet to share the building of George T. Weldon Construction, at 1050 S. 1300 E. Opening the store in September 2016. Weldon, president of the clothing outlet, said he has seen business improve as the oil and gas industry opens back up.

“I figured opening at the bottom of the cycle would be the best time as things got busier. The industry is going to lose a certain number of people that don’t want to come back, they don’t like the cycles and new people coming in and they need to be clothed,” Weldon said. “I studied it probably since 2012 and just felt like it was the right thing to do.”

Weldon said business is picking up and growing every month recently.

“I think number one, people have confidence that things are coming back so they are willing to spend a little of their money on new clothes,” Weldon said.

According to Weldon, he has been working with many of the local oil and gas businesses and he is seeing a good response to his business because stipend for clothing, given to employees can go farther at his store.

Weldon said people like his clothing because they offer a large variety of price points in a variety of styles and sizes. The clothing at Rocky Mountain FR Clothing Outlet has a large range of style that can work for people that work in the field, in an office or want to go out to dinner. Weldon likes that

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there are finally options locally, whereas before there was only one brand or so and only dark blue or khaki to choose from, and the clothes were too hot to really work in.

Weldon said the store sells name brand items in a variety of price ranges.

“We use name brand brands. NSA was our first (National Safety apparel) then we took on Rasco because NSA is mid-range and we wanted another price range, so we took on Rasco, and then we found that Ariat jeans were very popular so we took on Ariat and that’s more of an upper end,” Weldon said.

“We are currently working on getting Wrangler.”

Store Manager Janece Kenney said she sees so many people on a daily basis get excited that the business is there, not only with a store locally for jeans, shirts, boots, and coats, but will also ship online free anywhere in the Uintah Basin from Duchesne, Utah to Rangely, Colorado, www. Rockymtnfr.com.

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The history of Split Mountain Kevin and Jeanie Kuhr started a heavy haul trucking company in 1996. The company caters to the oil fields in the Uintah basin and North Dakota. With great demand from the oil production industry and a lot of hard work on our part, our trucking company grew year after year. As the oil industry grew, so did the fleet. Today our company operates 25-30 winch / rig moving trucks, trailers, cranes, forklifts, and more!

In 2007, the Kuhr family decided to share their knowledge of fleet maintenance with the public by opening Split Mountain Truck Service. Kevin and Jeanie’s daughter, Nikki, has since taken over management of the shop. Nikki has built a great reputation for Split Mountain and for herself. Nikki and everyone at Split Mountain strive to offer the best service and expertise possible. We

go above and beyond by giving back to the community through donations to schools and city functions. Owners/operators and fleets alike trust her to keep their trucks up and running. Split Mountain is a family business with high standards and the knowledge to get any job done.

The Kuhr family values are tried and true! We have a strong foundation built on honesty, hard work, and respect for our fellow man. Whether we’re moving rigs with our fleet of 30+ winch trucks, cranes, and heavy hauling equipment or fixing trucks in our 8000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art repair facility, our values extend to our business and to our employees. We’ve been building our business and earning our good reputation for 20 years. We want to earn your trust and business too!

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Brady Trucking emerged from humble beginnings Brady Trucking company was established by Larry Brady in 1980 and incorporated in 1996. Brady Trucking, Inc. has provided quality trucking services for more than 30 years. Industry reports show that Brady Trucking, Inc. is considered one of the safest and most reliable truckload carriers in the United States.

Brady Trucking, Inc. currently owns and operates more than 250 Peterbilt trucks and more than 300 trailers at transportation facilities strategically placed throughout the Rocky Mountain region and the Bakken Oil Field. The company operates terminals in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and North Dakota. Brady Trucking, Inc. is able to provide ample truck capacity to customers without sacrificing service value.

The company specializes in providing customized transportation solutions to haul whatever their customers need with exceptional service. The top-of-

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the-line fleet includes pneumatic trailers, low boy trailers, flatbeds, drop deck trailers, side dump and belly dumps, storage silos, trans-loaders, and nitrogen transports. They have recently added commercial tow truck services.

Brady Trucking, Inc. is able to offer such exceptional service because they operate using the most advanced high-tech systems available. Qualcomm ensures their customers 24/7 truck tracking accessibility, as well as in-cab satellite communications. Our TMW dispatch software allows for optimum utilization guaranteeing the best customer service.

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History of Energy in the Basin By: Kevin Ashby Local farmers and ranchers observed for years waxy, oily seepage coming from the ground and rock ledges in the Uinta Basin area. In fact, they used this waxy oil to grease the wheels of their wagons.

Little did oil men visualize the millions of dollars, the great depths and the enormous equipment that would be involved during the next half century in search for oil in the Uinta Basin, or even in the state of Utah.

At the time, discovery of oil at 350 feet were hailed with enthusiasm, depths of 1,000 feet were considered astounding, and rotary drilling was a long time in the future. So, the history of oil in the Uinta Basin is one of slow development which can be divided into two stages: First, the long, slow and costly step of exploration and then finally the stage of production.

To many people, the word oil frequently creates a mental picture of a black gushing well, immense wealth, or high adventure, as depicted in movies.

People in the oil industry however know that every big discovery is offset by many bleak disappointments and that true oil wealth consists of putting back into the business most of the money that comes out.

But there is an aspect that does qualify as adventure. It is called exploration, or in other words, hunting for oil. ( The history of oil exploration in the Uinta Basin began at the turn of the 20th century. It was reported in the Vernal Express in 1899 that William Caslin and Jesse Henline were involved with an oil spring located near the White River which reportedly ran about fifteen barrels a day.

Two years later John T. Pope of Vernal began his oil venture when he purchased half of the rights to an oil spring near Whiskey Creek in the Bookcliffs just over the Colorado border, in possibly this same seep.

Mr. Pope stated, “There was 100 gallons of pure oil in one of the tanks when I was there and only a rickety trough was used to collect the stuff.”

“It has been used by the White River ranchers for their machinery for two years, and the machinery in the Express shop has been run for the same length of time and we can say with them that it is superior to any other oil we ever used. There is a fortune in the spring, a steady stream of money flows from it,” said Pope.

Outside interest begins Beginning in 1901 outside companies from other parts of the country began entering the area to explore the oil possibilities. People rushed to file on property with the county recorder.

The Vernal Express stated that sixty-seven oil locations were filed on in just one day, making a total of two hundred in a two week period.

Companies were formed for oil exploration in Eastern Utah and Western Colorado. The Utah and Colorado Oil Company of Salt Lake City was organized to develop 540 acres in Western Colorado and 640 acres in Eastern Utah.

The Vernal area was on the verge of a boom that would bring oil excitement to the area for many years.

A boom is coming In Rangely, a small isolated town near the White River approximately 30 miles from the border of Utah, petroleum could be smelled in the air and was seen floating in the White River.

James Rector observed an oil seep coming from a rocky ledge located on his ranch near the White River. Word got out about potential oil near Rangely with actual visual evidence of oil seeps appearing to be a better indicator than previous geological evidence, oil men came from Denver, California, and the

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Eastern States to explore the possibilities of oil wealth.

In 1901 the California Oil Company came to Rangely and examined an area called Raven Park. They noted that the surface indicators for oil were greater than they had ever seen. The company put down a test hole but the following year it was abandoned.

The Meeker Oil Company also drilled test holes in the same area. The first deep test well was known as the Pool Well was drilled from 1901 to 1902.

Three companies, the Requina Oil Company, Meeker Oil Company and California Oil Company, all with equal shares, formed the pool.

In the early days, drilling was done with cable made from using manila rope. Rigs were made of wood and were run by steam using water and coal. Local people were involved in hauling the necessary supplies from the river and nearby coal mines.

To check the bottom of a hole, a bailer bucket was sent down the hole and drawn up hoping to see oil in the container.

Bud Covington explains a little about how early rigs were moved. “In those days, the moving of the rig was done by a cowboy sitting on a horse with a line tied to the rig, wrapped around his horn. Of course, the rig itself was put on a wagon, or skids, and hauled that way.”

In the summer of 1902 William O’Neil returned to Vernal from the Rangely oil field. He brought some samples of the oil. It was a very light oil and smelled strong of kerosene.

He also brought a piece of wax which he found about a mile south of the oil wells. It resembled a piece of old dried up homemade soft soap. A small piece of wrapping twine was put in the waxy substance for a wick and when lit, burned as nice as any wax candle. These items were on display at the Vernal Express for those interested in viewing for themselves.

Two years later in 1903 the California Oil Company brought in the first producing well in Rangely with three barrels a day. The following month the Meeker Oil Company brought in a producer with five barrels a day. By the end of the year thirteen companies had been in and out of the Rangely oil field and there were six producing wells producing from two to ten barrels a day.

The unfortunate truth about this handful of producing wells was the fact of a lack of transportation and a good local market. These factors diminished the

importance of the early Rangely Oil field.

The Tunnel Oil Company was incorporated and filed by the Uintah County Clerk in October 1906. Local stockholders in the company were James Richardson, John T. Pope, J.M. Roseberry, J.C. Hainline, John W. Pope and Marcellus B. Pope. John T. Pope was vice-president of the company and later became president. At the time of incorporation the company had about 10,000 gallons of oil on hand.

Oil described in article

The following is told by John T. to the Vernal Express: “In drilling to the depth of 500 feet we went through three oil stratums. We had just penetrated the fourth stratum and had more oil than we could handle, when we discovered that by going into a nearby canyon that cut the formation we would without a doubt tap the first stratum with a tunnel. We expected to drive the tunnel in 500 feet before getting results, but when it was in 340 feet the oil burst from the breast of the tunnel like a stream of water. We were unable to proceed farther on account of the flow. The inside of the tunnel was patched up with concrete, but fully 1,000 gallons a day escaped besides what we use.

“With the oil running to waste we set about to find a market for it and found that the surest way to do this was to build a refinery of our own. We set about it quietly because we didn’t care to stir up opposition from the Standard Oil Company. The refinery was built last spring. It has a capacity of 2,000 gallons a day. The oil is the highest grade lubricating oil ever discovered. It contains only a trace of illuminating oil. From it we make everything from axle grease to the finest quality of sewing machine oil. We produce four different grades of the finished product—a boiler compound, an engine oil, Arctic oil and paint for metal. Our boiler compound and engine oil are now in use on four different railroads.

“I honestly believe that the field will prove to be the greatest ever discovered.

We haven’t tapped the best of it by any means. There is a chance for much larger producing wells in other parts of the field. I have seen outcrops of oil sand 150 feet across. Thirty miles northwest of us is found fuel and illuminating oil. Some of it is so high grade that the crude oil will burn in a lamp as it is taken from the ground.

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“My associates and I have about 20,000 acres of land in different parts of the field and two standard rigs. Within another month or two there will be no end to the excitement in that country, or I am very much mistaken.”[viii] Oil, Native Americans, medicine It was believed that the oil was known to Native Americans long before it was discovered by prospectors. Indian relics were found near the site of the oil spring, such as utensils, vessels, implements, and old fashioned firearms. It is possible that they used it for medicinal purposes.

A new company was formed, the Oquirrh Oil Company, to promote the oil for such purposes. It was said to have cured rheumatism and other skin disorders.

Expensive transportation costs Although the Tunnel Oil Company thought it was very fortunate to be in the close vicinity of the Uintah Railway for shipping purposes, they soon found the cost to be unreasonable.

The Tunnel Oil Company claimed that the Uintah Railway charged 50 cents per hundred pounds to ship from Dragon to the D & G Railway Company in which the D & G charged 85 cents to ship onto Salt Lake City, the total cost of $1.35 per hundred at a distance of 320 miles.

They also claimed that the D & G hauled oil from Denver to Salt Lake City, 742 miles for 57 cents per hundred and that the Southern Pacific Railroad hauled oil from California to Salt Lake, 1,000 miles, for 46 cents per hundred.

Mr. Pope and his associates claimed that the Railroad companies discriminated against his company making it difficult to transport his oil product.[x] Oil comes to Ashley Valley At the end of 1910 California oil men began to look to the Ashley Valley for new oil prospects. The California Capitalists organized the Uintah Development Company. S. W. Curtis and James Richardson were hired by the California men to travel by stage to Dragon where they loaded an oil rig to bring back to Vernal to be used in test holes.

In the beginning of 1911 W. E. Reed of the Uintah Development Company brought in rigs via Uintah Railway. The first shipment brought in was 48,500 pounds and took seven teams and five trailers to transport the rig. The Star Portable Machine was of the largest size capable of drilling 2,500 feet or more.

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Mr. Reed told the Vernal Express that his company had so much faith in the Vernal Oil Fields they had installed the most expensive and best equipment on the market. His oil equipment was set up on the oil belt west of Vernal where he said it was expected that oil would be soon flowing from the Vernal Oil Wells.

The Ute Indian Tribe bought the three portable oil rigs from Mr. Reed several years later and began to drill on the reservation south of the Green River.

As the Vernal area began to be a focus for exploration in the oil industry, Rangely continued moving forward.

In August 1911 great excitement was felt in the Rangely field. The following telegram was sent to the Colorado Paraffin Oil Company out of Denver about the excitement.

“We celebrated Colorado’s birthday by bringing in the finest oil well ever struck in the Rangely field. Had we not made proper provisions for safety several weeks ago the entire rig would have been blown up under the great pressure encountered when we pierced the cap rock at nearly a thousand feet deep. As it was we saved the well and drilling rig.”

John T. Pope’s company became the Urado Oil Company. In May 1917 it was stated in the Vernal Express that a new refinery was complete and ready to begin processing the oil. There were 100,000 gallons of oil on hand in fifteen large storage tanks. The oil refining process was now at twenty-five barrels a day. Mr. Pope was assured that he would have the total business of the Uinta Basin and be in competition with the Standard Oil Company.

Later in the year it was noted that approximately 300 wells had been drilled in the Uinta Basin. The work being done at this time was principally for the purpose of validating the claims. They were mostly shallow wells but many of them would give five to fifty barrels a day.

Twenty miles west of Vernal Dr. P. S. Coke encountered a rich saturated oil sand. Samples of the sand were sent to the University of Utah and found to contain a very high percentage of oil. One oil man reported that, “All eyes are centered on Uintah County and that businessmen are watching every new phase of the local oil situation.”

B. H. Gustaveson, one of Utah’s leading oil men and one of the original organizers of the Uintah Oil Refining Company, visited Vernal in December of

1917 and gave a little oil advice to the locals.

He said, “People are going oil mad and many of them are placing investments in properties of which they know nothing and which may have little or no merit, while others are growing wealthy ‘over-night’ from their oil investments. The thing this section needs is unity and a good loyal spirit on the part of the community.”

Gustaveson goes on to say, “Have faith in the oil industry and get behind good legitimate movements calculated to encourage its development. The chicken hearted doubting Thomas man should keep out of the oil game for only courage and stick-to-itiveness coupled with good horse sense count.”[xv]

Rotary drill rig comes to the Basin

A patriotic ceremony was celebrated with stars and stripes flying on the 94 feet derrick of the Uintah Oil and Exploration Company near Moffat (Gusher, UT), the first rig to be placed on this property in October 1918. A luncheon was served by the superintendent’s wife, Mrs. Rowen, from the new cook house. The cook house was prepared to serve a full crew of men at the rig.

The great thing that interested and pleased those attending the ceremony and many from the Basin was the new type of drill rig, a standard rotary, this being the first drill of its type to be used in any oil field in this part of the country.

The rig was of Oregon pine and was completely fitted with all riggings.

There were two water pumps of first class with a 200 pound pressure on each.

The drill was different than the old type which kept up a continual pounding sometimes breaking the earth for a distance of twenty feet.

The new drill did not pound, being of a rotary movement, continually boring through the earth. As the bit or drill bores itself into the earth, the top of the three inch pipe is connected with the water pipe and a continual 200 pound pressure of water is forced through two one-inch holes at each side of the bit. The movement of the bit, and the water with its heavy pressure from above, gives this drill the power that no other drill can possess.

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