ASPHALT. 
OZOKERITE  DEPOSITS  IN  UTAH. 
By  Joseph  A.  Taff  and  Carl  D.  Smith. 
LOCATION. 
The  only  known  deposits  of  ozokerite  in  Utah  are  located  in  the  north  end  of  the  Wasatch 
Plateau,  near  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad.  This  mineral  wax  occurs  here  in  three 
groups  of  localities — (1)  in  the  vicinity  of  Colton,  on  the  north  side  of  Price  River  Valley; 
(2)  near  and  to  the  east  of  Soldier  Summit,  where  the  railroad  crosses  the  crest  of  the 
plateau;  (3)  near  Midway  station,  on  the  north  side  of  the  canyon,  near  the  source  of 
Soldier  Creek  and  west  of  Soldier  Summit.  Colton  is  7  miles  southeast  and  Midway  3 
miles  west  of  Soldier  Summit. 
FEATURES  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 
The  Colton  and  Soldier  Summit  localities  are  in  Price  River  Valley,  which  trends  toward 
the  southeast,  and  has  here  a  rather  broad,  flat  channel.  On  the  southwest  the  slopes  rise 
gradually  with  the  inclination  of  the  strata.  On  the  opposite  side,  toward  the  northeast, 
beginning  half  to  three-fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  river,  the  ascent  is  more  abrupt  and  is 
made  in  a  succession  of  high  benches  and  knobby  spurs  to  the  crest  of  the  Roan  Cliffs. 
Midway  station  is  in  a  gorge  that  trends  westward  near  the  source  of  Soldier  Creek.  Ozoker- 
ite deposits  occur  in  the  gulches  making  into  the  valley  from  the  north  side.  The  surface 
of  the  country  is  clothed  with  sagebrush  except  in  the  upper  stretches  of  the  gulches  and 
valleys  facing  toward  the  north  and  west,  where  groves  of  aspen,  chokecherry,  service,  and 
scattering  pines  grow. 
GEOLOGIC   RELATIONS. 
The  ozokerite  deposits  occur  in  shales,  shaly  sandstones,  and  limestone  strata  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  Tertiary  deposits  of  the  "  Wasatch"  group.  The  mineral  has  been  found 
at  various  positions  through  a  section  of  about  500  feet  of  strata.  The  shales  are  friable, 
variously  tinted  purple,  green,  blue,  and  white.  The  sandstones  are  moderately  soft,  and 
j|  light  drab  and  brown  in  color.  The  limestone  beds  are  thin  and  brittle,  and  vary  from 
white  to  shades  of  yellow  and  blue.  The  limestone  deposits  occur  both  below  and  above 
the  section  containing  ozokerite. 
The  rocks  are  uniformly  tilted  toward  the  northeast  about  5°.  At  the  localities  inspected 
near  Colton,  Soldier  Summit,  and  Midway  the  strata  are  intersected  by  fissures  and  zones 
of  brecciation  and  parallel  jointing.  These  fissures  and  spaces  between  brecciated  rock 
contain  the  ozokerite,  usually  as  thin  films  and  sheets  but  locally  as  dike-like  bodies  several 
inches  thick,  and  it  is  reported  several  feet  thick  in  places.  The  faces  of  the  fissures  and 
also  the  brecciated  portion  of  the  rock  show  the  effects  of  movement  in  slickensided  sur- 
faces. In  many  instances  also  the  surfaces  of  the  ozokerite  deposits  exhibit  the  same 
phenomena.  The  vertical  displacements  along  these  fissure  veins,  so  far  as  could  be  deter- 
mined, have  been  slight  where  the  inspection  was  made  in  the  mines  and  prospects.     The 
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