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Message Board Post:
The information I have is that he was born in 1836 in Plainfield, Il. Samuel & James
went west in search of gold in 1850. By the 1860's they were raising livestock in
today's Nevada and contracted to supply horses for the PX. Both brothers served as PX
riders in Utah Terr. Afterwards Sam became a Deputy United States Marshall. In 1884, he
was hired by the US Attorney as a detective to enforce the anti-polygamy act in Utah.
While in Utah, he discovered a shiny black substance which scientists found to be
hydrocarbon. Today it is known as Uintaite or Gilsonite and is used in 160 different
products...dark printing inks, paints and etc. He died in SLC on Dec 2, 1913