Washington Paper - The Brown Coals of Utah and Adjoining Territories

The very extensive development of a brown coal formation, in the region of the Rocky Mountains, is well known to all of yon. The existence of these coals was known years ago, but they were of no practical importance until within a few years, when the mineral wealth of that country began to be developed and railroads were built. As their qualities became better known, their adaptability to domestic manufacturing and metallurgical purposes was more appreciated. They are still much undervalued, although they are mined at some points on a very extensive scale. A large portion of this coal formation is of cretaceous age, while it appears to extend into the tertiary epoch; but whatever difference there may be in the ages of these coals of different localities, they all have some common characteristics which distinguish them from our Eastern stone coals of the