PROSPECTING FOR URANIUM--A SUMMER JOB

by Richard Drake, guest writer

            During the 1950’s finding summer work for a college student was a big problem.   I would do any kind of work that was available, but in the summer of 1954 the country was in a recession.  I worked for a few weeks on a construction job at the Cannon Air Force Base.  It did not last long due to a government spending freeze.   Just as I was about to give up hope and devote my time to a summer tan, I got a call from one of my college friends.  He had two uncles in the oil business and they received an early release of some information that might lead to finding uranium.

The government was doing everything possible to spur domestic uranium production to reduce the country’s reliance on foreign supplies.  The Atomic Energy Commission had contracted with aviation firms to fly over the western Unites States with radiation detection equipment.  The theory was that a significant deposit of uranium could be detected from altitude. The two uncles had been able to obtain data from one of the firms before it was to be released to the general public.  The data suggested that there was a possible find in New Mexico north and east of Las Vegas. 

            A fraternity brother, Pete, was a geology student and was hired by his uncles to go take a look.  Pete called me and asked if I would like to work with him for the remainder of the summer.  Of course, the answer was “yes” so I grabbed the first bus to Las Vegas to join him. New Mexico was in the middle of a very bad drought and the country into which we were heading was not a friendly one.  So off we went with our camping gear, the food we could pack into a jeep, surveying equipment, and a Geiger counter.  We had heard that the ranchers in the area did not take kindly to people coming onto their property without permission.   Once we introduced ourselves and told them what we were doing, we were made to feel at home.  The ranchers would call their neighbors who were along the path that we were surveying and pave the way for us.

 The ranch wives were very happy to have company and someone new for whom to cook and, more importantly, someone new with whom to talk.  Company was very welcome.  Remember there was no television or talk radio so company was a very valuable thing.  One of the women was a war bride from England.  She had a delightful British accent and was a great story teller.  She was a wonderful hostess.  We hated to leave her.

Pete and I were both big young men and, at that stage of our lives, it was almost impossible to fill our stomachs.  The women loved cooking for someone who really appreciated their cooking.  We were in cattle country so beef was served at every meal, a roast or steaks.

 It took us about three weeks to find the “hot” area.  We located a deposit of uranium in a 50 - 60 foot layer about half way up a 300 - 400 foot mesa.  Finding the deposit was the easy part.  We now had to do a survey to locate the finding in order to file a claim. The major problem was that this part of the United States had been surveyed in the late 1870”s and 1880’s and all of the section corners had been carved into limestone rocks.  After 70 plus years of wind and sand erosion it was impossible to read the makings.  The nearest bench mark that we could find and read was about 70 miles away.  So we had to survey our way across those 70 or so miles of dry, desolate New Mexico in temperatures of around 100 degrees each day.  I was the rod man and Pete worked the transit and away we went day after day.

On occasions we would come to a ranch house but most evenings we just camped out in the open near a windmill fed stock watering tank when possible.  The clank, clank, clank of the windmill would put us to sleep.  I remember one evening we camped by the Canadian River which was just a good trickle.  We were able to dig a hole in the river bed to create a place in which to take bath.  Boy!  We did need a bath.  The water felt so good. I did learn that Pete was a pretty good cook over an open camp fire. The evenings were something to remember.  With no street lights the sky was brilliant with millions and millions of stars.  It appeared that the sky was paved with them.  The sun rises and sunsets were beyond description.  They were the most brilliant reds that I have ever seen.  We were serenaded by coyotes every night.

As the rod man, I lead the way out in front and had to be on the lookout for rattlesnakes.  They were plentiful and I was scared to death of them.  I armed myself with a handgun at my waist and an M1 over my shoulder.  Pete also had a hand gun.  At my age my memory is not what it once was but when it comes to snakes, I will never forget them.  When I say that I killed over 40 snakes, I will be able to look the good Lord in the eye when the time comes and make that claim.

It took about three weeks for us to reach the uranium outcropping and complete the survey for the claim.  We took a break on the top of the mesa because it was cooler.  We then noticed that another surveying crew had arrived but were on the opposite side of the mesa from where we had found the deposit.  With our field glasses we determined that the people were from a particular oil company.  Pete became concerned because that company had the reputation on being very aggressive and would “jump” a claim if possible.  It was very important to get to Santa Fe and file our claim before the intruders had time to destroy out surveyed corners.  It was decided that Pete would take off in the jeep for Santa Fe and I would barricade myself and defend our work.

I found a good spot from which to watch the intruders and, of course, rattlesnakes.  I had no idea of what I was going to do.  I certainly was not going to shoot anyone.  For three days, I just waited.   Nothing happened except for one fright when a mule deer came along and took off in a panic when he noticed me.  The loud noise the deer made scared the “willies” out of me.  The oil company crew did not appear to be in any hurry to look for uranium

Upon Pete’s return from his successful trip to the land office, we informed the oil company crew about the filing of the claim which put an end to their efforts in that area.  We checked the calendar and I realized that I had three days to get home, pack and get to Albuquerque for the start of football preseason.  I dropped Pete off at the bus station in Tucumcari for a ride to back to school. I headed to Clovis to get my clothes.  As I neared the town I could see a mammoth bank of dark clouds headed directly toward the city.  A major storm and I arrived at about the same time.  Clovis had not had a big rain in some time so it was welcomed.  However, the streets could not handle the amount that fell.  Major parts of the town flooded.  The jeep that I was driving came in handy in that I was able to drive into the flooded areas and help rescue several stranded people.  

After a brief visit with Marcia and a goodbye kiss, I left for Albuquerque and my sophomore year.  It was going to be a long year without her.  She had decided to not go back to the university but to stay in her job at KICA radio station to earn and save money.  We both wanted to get married as soon as possible and her savings would get us off to a good start.  We were able to marry the next summer.

When I think back at the experience, I readily recall the stars, the wonderful meals around the kitchen tables and “yes” the snakes.

for Mil's Place

----30----

by Richard Drake, CHS Class of '53

7-16-13