Show 00 t 4A THE OGDEN STANDARD-EXAMINE- try which hasn't been thorough- R OGDEN CITY UTAH SUNDAY MORNING JULY 31 1S53 ONLY A FEW STRIKE IT RICH Grand Junction Is Capital Of Greatest Uranium Boom i By GORDON G GAUSS GRAND JUNCTION Colo (AP) — At the airport of this city of 30000 there is a lineup of private planes which has come to be known as Uranium Row The glistening craft are the mark of success in a search for radio-activ- e ore which has grown into the biggest mining boom of the 20th Century A year or so ago you could pick out the boys who’d made their stake by their high powered automobiles Today it’s the private plane Tomorrow the sky itself may be the limit For the government guarantees the price of uranium and production is spiraling steadily upward “URANIUM CENTER” A three-storbuilding here has been taken over by the Uranium Ore Producers Assn an organization of independents and been remodeled into a ’ y ' “uranium center” Men who used to sweat out now burning days on the desertcondicomplain because the air on tioning wasn’t completed schedule At theUraniurq Club Restaurant miners dine on platter-size-d steaks and laugh about the days they had to exist ' on “buckskin” —- another word for deer shot out of season There are enough such fortu-nate- s to make a big splash in this unofficial capital of uranium- land but their number is small indeed in comparison to the number of Americans who have been touched by uranium fever This is one of the most contagious afflictions in the nation j 7 today Thousands of persons ranging from tenderfoot city explorers to grizzled veteran prospectors are searching for uranium in the mountains and deserts from South Dakota to California NUMBERS INCREASING The number appears to be increasing despite some indications that the lone operator may have about had his day in the uranium business Many observ- ers feel that the big corporations are starting to take over the industry For example Lew Williams fwho has made his first million fand now 'heads a mining com pany opines that “the big fish are cornering the little ones” Kim Theobold secretary of the Uranium Ore Producers Assn - agrees that things are getting tougher all the time for the fellow who heads into the desert ’with his geiger counter and ? dreams of a luckystrike Sheldon Wimpfen the Atomic Energy Commission’s top man on the Colorado Plateau — now the nation’s busiest uranium hunting ground— concedes that this is a period of mergers even though he feels there’s still room for the small operator Wimpfen’s encouragement of small timers is tempered with words Of caution Living conditions differ on the — a forbidding 120000 j plateau mile area radiating out of square the Four Corners Area- - where Colorado Utah New Mexico and Arizona meet The mountains and deserts can be graveyards winter or summer Water is often scarce Gnats can poison old hands as well as amateurs And even a small time uranium search is bound to run into money Some of the most promising areas are impossible of exploration except through the use of such expensive equipment as the helicopter ' ly explored — if you can find it These are stiff requirements and the climate and terrain in which past uranium strikes have been made are hardly of such nature as to encourage the tenderfoot But is he intimidated? One straw to indicate the direction of the wind might be a night course in uranium prospecting oftimes that of three years ago fered last spring by the Univerand Wimpfen predicts it will be sity of Colorado Seven hundred five times the 1952 rate by the men and women eagerly paid to enroll end of this year Many of them are out In :he Ore was dug in 1054 mines last and deserts today mountains show AEC and year figures It’s even possible that some bonuses paid for production from new properties developed during lucky alumnus Will wind up on the boom approximate 5 Vz mil- uranium row lion dollars The bonuses are mounting weekly New finds are reported from ONLY 100 STRIKE Washington State to Texas and BUT IDLED from California to South Dakota BIRMINGHAM Ala (Ufj) although many are yet to be A strike by conductors in the proven commercially profitable Bv far the heaviest production transportation depar tment still comes from the four forced a complete shutdown corners area of the huge U S Steel Co AEC figures show that 24 comworks here yesterday and panies some of them operating threw 25000 persons out ' of several mines tujned out 77 per ' work cent of the nation’s ore during Arthur V Wiebel presifiscal 1954 A growing number dent of U S Steel’s Tenpes of the nation’s biggest and best see Coal andj Railroad known enterprises vision said less than moved into the field as big opmen were actually on strike erators IS MORE STABLE Some observers consider the in- Boy 'Accepts! Blame flux of such name companies to be a sign that the uranium in- For $500000 Blaze dustry is growing up and becomQUINCY Mass (AP) — A ing more stable Despite this apparent trend $500000 fire swept the Blessed however countless small timers Sacrament Church here Friday continue to rush in occasionally and police said yesterday an striking it rich but much more boy has admitted he set often winding up broke or in tragfire the ic even comic circumstances accidentally His name For example one tenderfoot was withheld raced into the local AEC office Lt Edward G Riley said the sure that he had uncovered a bonanza The area didn’t look youngster told questioners he right but experts checked They went to the church to light a vigil found their geiger counters candle and walked down the aisle clicked wildly all right — but carying the lighted candle The the reaction came from dust boy said he turned around at a confession box near the door of blown off passing ore trucks Well remembered too is the the church and the curtain over couple who pulled up before the the door caught fire Uranium Ore Producer’s Assn in a shiny new car and demanded: “Tell us where to locate our claims We’ve got two days” MANY GO BROKE The touring prospector who wants to trade his spare tire for gasoline to get home is an old UV story to filling station operators in this area Many county officials are concerned over the prospect of broke prospectors swelling relief and welfare rolls Ranchers have watched the invasion of stock territory with Colorado irritation mounting once required discovery cuts for the staking of claims on public land The cuts aren’t required any more but they’re still dug occasionally Often they have formed graves for cattle or sheep AEC executive Wimpfen feels strongly that there’s still a place - -- RUN OUT OF MONEY Prospectors who run - out of money can’t expect to get rich working for the big mining firms A miner gets about $2 an hour or a little more A mucker’s pay - is from $175 lip Despite all these drawbacks however and in the face of countless misfortunes the number of amateurs engaged in the hunt continues to rise And some of them are still making strikes There is the case of Mrs Muriel Gould a young- - housewife with two children who spent long days prospecting while her husband worked the family ranch and sawmill All last summer and fall she searched the vicinity of their home near the Continental Divide in Colorado STAKED CLAIMS Finally Mrs Gould staked eight claims each the regulation 600 by 1500 feet Now although (Editor's note: The biggest mining boom of the 20th century is a uranium hunt involv- ing cowboys and housewives as well as corporations Here's the story of a search on which many go broke a few strike it rich and the nation's welfare and even survival may depend) look small if the title is cleared The dream of such a fortune affects not only the prospector who takes to the hills but countless other persons who are confined to the farm or office This fact is attested to by the number of people who have invested in uranium stocks often at the poor man’s price of a penny or a dime -- per share Some of these stock ventures Too are perfectly legitimate often however they have been the work of sharp operators who take advantage of uranium mania by selling “shares” in or purely speculative mines To protect the public against such operators the Securities and Exchange Commission has set up a new series of rules dealing with small stock issues INDUSTRY CONCERNED Industry spokesmen have been particularly concerned over the penny stocks because fear the public reaction they might hamstring the industry when there is a legitimate need for new capital The continued expansion of the industry is a matter of importance not only to the individuals involved it could mean progress and perhaps even survival for the nation in the Atomic Age That is why the government has guaranteed prices ranging upward from $150 a pound and pledged to purchase all ore containing as much as two pounds of uranium oxide per ton PRODUCTION IS SECRET How much uranium is the nation now producing? Total figures are a defense senon-existe- so-call- ed cret but Colorado’s Commissioner of Mines announced a year ago that the annual value of uranium to the state exceeded all the gold silver lead zinc and copper ever produced in a single year Back in 1900 the output of these metals topped 50 million dollars Could the present output sustain a major war effort if outside supplies were cut off? “I simply don’t know” said Wimpfen manager of the AEC’s Grand Junction raw materials office “I doubt if anybody outside the armed forces could answer that if he would” The refining process has hampered the industry in the past but the AEC hopes that new milling facilities all expanded from their original size now are in operation Three are under construction Seven more are being negotiated with private industry which runs all excetp some pilot Dead Stock? Utah By-Prod- V £ tC i 10-fo- s o Entire Stock Grade-Wome- n’s STAXS8 FCEX 44 281 LBS OS Jf f i k 2 "VS v Jcrv I1 T-- rHT V - j Is-- I 3 A i K J V 5 V J fiuw-- v We have come a long way on the farm front since as grandfathers 5Q years ago for an output “so largeFed-The was is now twice what in those it nearly days put pictures below tell the stories of some of these ‘ Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson praised our l to be beyond any rational comprehension” Farm out-erstate and private research have played a big part al advances THEY'RE BIGGER AND BETTER THANKS TO RESEARCH I" vWjAvm j Ww t W -- & A ' 'fAr’i i f v' ' y V S' - J 4 4'mff v ' J & yX's 6 p w r'i 1943 a u v J - " 1953 X v ' 'r - V ' W a 'v AkA V 4 BEEF CATTLE— In 1943 cattle raisers could put two pounds a day on growing steer Ten years later they were getting gains of 2xh pounds a day Yearling steers shown here illustrate results of tests at U S Range Livestock Experiment Station Miles City Mont Steer at left represents average weight of 904 pounds Other represents average weight of 1064 pounds Feeding period in both cases in the same j Highway Proposal Out This Session WASHINGTON (AP) — The lasf glimmer of hope for any action at this session of Congress to expand the highway program apparently went out yesterday told the Sen) Sen Case ate after conferring with mem (R-SD- bers of the House Public Works Committee that he had abandoned the idea of trying to amend a minor bill to 7provide for a in spending on the sharp step-uinterstate highway stystem He said he was advised by the House members that they would “not entertain a vote” on such an amendment even if the Senate adopted it 45 other train passing below The victims were identified by the Alameda coroner’s office as Kathleen Letai 12 and William L McGeorge 12 both of Hayward Witnesses said the children were so absorbed in watching the train passing below they apparently did not hear the approach of the California Zephyr as it thundered over the tracks at nearly 60 miles an hour Calif (UP)-- -A speeding Western Pacific streamliner snuffed out the lives of two children yesterday as they lay between the rails on a trestle playfully dropping rocks on an HAYWARD j Phone 2-85- cow per cent more produces milk than one 40 years ago Per cow yield is up 1697 pounds Streamliner Kills Preoccupied Pair Playing on Tracks p NATE MORGAN'S Today’s average dairy TOMORROW 26 2 tpttd eftetrh tfctfuieUy o BVlT A to sett for Stest Catting Sat 1JS0 mm cam m w any $2005 mpmssmM & r 77 tx m x4 lt?50 StetWJfe yJ Dovtj to cia VA CASUAL SHOES go at this one low price regardless of cost O Leathers O Straws O Fabrics AIL VALUES UP TO Narrow to Wide this Widths Sizes up to 10 Terslcn V Adjustment 895 State Tax 6c Total 300 a Pair No Pennies -- FJotcr You will want several pair of these finer quality shoes at this very low price but hurry! 1 Bdlt-l- o i No Fuss 110-11S- Blower V Ceded 50-C- 3 Cyde-A- Sl C v CHILDREN'S SHOES MEN'S CASUALS Values to (Ml 395 Carry it Anywhere J T 93 0-8- I ' i Stet Tax 4c Total 200 You'vb always wanted a professional power band saw set up and readTo saw anything It's yours now in the BURGESS — with built-i- n motor — at the lowest price ever and on credit terms Built of cast aluminum and steel for extra strength without extra weight Weighs only 15 lbs for job to job buiit-i- n with blower-coote- d motor Saws portability Completely — — thick thin or anything plywood or lumber even 2 x 4's wall board — plas— tics any kind of metal — even up to 12 Inch solid steel Order yours today while they last — at this $1150 saving pin-mon- ey ilnside or out k 'Cast aluminum 300 200 599 i and steel Heavy base for bench mounting k Built-i- n motor 1F0-M- 5 k v — 50-6- 0 eyee—AC—3400 RPM Bower cooled Positive chain drive Adjustable safety Ways to Buy COME Telephone 2262 Washington Blvd A Thickness capacity under guide 3'J Saws straight or curves NATE MORGAN Beer AM Underwriters laboratory Approved Cord end switch k Overalfsize 21 x 10 x 19' 5T 2321 Washington Blvd tnd ma the BURGESS preftmionol Rower Bond Sow with built- motor at your tolo orico of $2995 1 endow $1 and will pay the balance $1 a week j I I i PRINT Noroel — PRINT Addren — -- City L'jz A 4 Pitot BN 2-85- 26 2 Saw blades for wood dr mefat kBig IQ" a 10" top k Savfi to center of pieces 24" wide any length guard and guide J C I V self-contain-ed - RISER 57 - LEJCI 210 21? ‘ Summer Ideal to Start Back to School 25-742- - V 0CDEM CAUJIK9 IM MM 4 IMm 189 LBS 1854 RATION j RATION 'Title CAIIi!LlLATDlMI 49 LBS 1948 - I l§fiA ' j V WOMEN'S CASUALS ta 695 MEN'S WORK SHOES T'” er 162 - f'7 1938 RATION w SavtClei Values CUT NATION ot I Short let SALT LAKE 'V - Professional Leather “Moc’s” HURRYj w- V IF IMS Better MALES V I 'V' Jf industrial Also Davy Crockett picks up in a WEIGHTS EK - ) O Leather Sandals O Denim Oxfords ucts 8-WE- - Our Entire Stock of— Call Collect! f sV v-v-- 25000 for the amateur prospector but he stresses the need for common sense To the greenhorn with a geiger ’counter Wimpfen urges: Know the rudiments of miner-olog- y and geology and get a working knowledge of the' mining laws of the state you intend to enter You should have $10000 to support yourself for a year and to purchase equipment If you make a strike you’ll need $50000 to $100000 for drilling plants The milling rate now is three Your chances are better in coun ’ litigation still surrounds the property she’s getting a four figure check every month from a conditional sale This amount may nt i AVERAGE' ) Zone State-How — long N v i 1 i i |