Gilsonite mine -part II

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Upon inquiry, Mr. Ford tells us that his is the principal Gilsonite mine in the region and that the only mines of this sort in the world are in this vicinity. For a number of years prospectors saw the pronounced streaks of black material running in parrallel lines over these hills, but evidentally thought nothing of them. They had examned the shiny, brittle , outcroppings, but not untill 45 years ago had they discovered that it would burn. Then it was that Samuel Gilson, prospector from Slat Lake City made his fire nearon eof the black streaks. He placed some of the peculiar "rocks" by the fire and to his astonishment they ignited and burned. This happened near the present site of Gusher in eastern Uintah County, Utah. Soon after Gilson organized the Gilson Asphaltum compnay and began working the first Gilsonite mine known to man. The workings were deserted a few years ago, but the open can cut may be easily seen by anyone who wants to go there.
For a number of yeras minerologist and geologist referred to the nuw substance as Uintahite and such is its scietific name at present. But the nickname Gilsonite seems to be the more appropriate, and has come in to quite general use.
Work at Rainbow began in 1912 by the Barber Gilsonite company of Philidelphia. The company owns this vein and nearly all the others that are of any value. It began working the deposits in a very small way, but now has a number of mining crews employed. One of these crews consisting of twenty five men, is at work in the vein trench at which we are looking about on mile to the northwest and another crew is working in the same trench about a half mile in the opposite direction. It has taken sixteen years to mine this mile and a half of gilsonite and the crews are gradually gnawing the exposed ends of the vien and thus making the empty trench longer and longer.
The vein we are told is twenty five miles long. it begins a little this side of the Colorado border and extends in a straight direction thru valley, waaash, and mountain to the nieborhood of Myton, utah. It is of an almost uniform width, but of coarse varies in depth from the irregualr surface. In deep washs it is comparatively shallow, but measured from high elevations it grows to a depth of more than four hundred feet.
Our guide gives a signal and we follow him along the trail and railway track to the southeast......