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URANIUM PROSPECTING

Uranium Prospecting is a documentary promoting the everyday fortunes that may be made hunting for the rare element uranium-235. The film shows the methods of amateurs, hobbyists, and vacationing families who manage to supplement their income and explore the great outdoors at the same time. The opening titles of the film have a distinct Mid-Century look with glowing animated letters that zoom in over a globe. Following dramatic music the viewer is introduced to uranium as unrefined particulate. Shots follow which show tools for detecting radioactivity including a scintillator (0:44), and skirt the outside of a nuclear power plant (0:58). A scale holding two ounces of uranium-235 is compared to a speeding train carrying 800 carloads of coal. With the narrator’s pronouncement that "luck favors the amateur," a scene opens of a family hunting for uranium together (1:45). An outdoorsman loads the trunk of his car with prospecting equipment, giving friendly looks to his female partner. Pamphlets from the Atomic Energy Commission and the U.S. Geological Survey are shown (2:23), along with a tagged sample to be sent in for assay. Compensation for ore and claims and transport are discussed, trucks hauling ore are shown (3:05). A woman hugs her dog in joy while her husband shakes hands over a deal (3:29). An older man in a hunting jacket kneels down to hoist a rock in consideration and then stands by his mailbox, happy at the delivery of a scintillator. Shots of the man unwrapping the raygun-like device and putting it to use are set to suspenseful music (4:17). "A grandmother in Arizona remembered some petrified trees," intones the narrator, shots of petrified wood and rising gauges follow. A load-in to a helicopter and takeoff are shown (5:24). The film briefly looks into a neighborhood club of prospecting enthusiasts. Details on how to correctly stake and maintain a claim are explained and shown. The last sections of the film mostly consist of staged scenes intended to seem candid. A family takes a picnic break from prospecting, goofing around with an apple and sandwiches. Three men working at a garage examine a scintillator and cross their fingers for a uranium hunting vacation (8:27). A secretary on lunch break peruses catalogs and a Mining Record newspaper (8:56). She and her boyfriend go out on a prospecting date, the narrator cornily mentioning the potential profitability of "merging their assets" (9:45). Various people are shown prospecting in scenic locations. An old man with a dowsing rod is shown illustrating the wrong way to hunt for uranium (10:26), a bookish youngster with proper gear is shown in contrast. Brief animation shows a globe covered in glowing pockets signifying undiscovered uranium ore (10:47). A family is shown prospecting and then suddenly at poolside, yet another "Cinderella story" (11:18). As the camera closes in on a man with a splashy shirt "John Q. Public is making our country rich with uranium." End titles fade in over a globe. Directed by Tom McGowan, narrated by Truman Bradley.
Complete catalog record
Uranium Prospecting is a documentary promoting the everyday fortunes that may be made hunting for the rare element uranium-235. The film shows the methods of amateurs, hobbyists, and vacationing families who manage to supplement their income and explore the great outdoors at the same time. The opening titles of the film have a distinct Mid-Century look with glowing animated letters that zoom in over a globe. Following dramatic music the viewer is introduced to uranium as unrefined particulate. Shots follow which show tools for detecting radioactivity including a scintillator (0:44), and skirt the outside of a nuclear power plant (0:58). A scale holding two ounces of uranium-235 is compared to a speeding train carrying 800 carloads of coal. With the narrator’s pronouncement that "luck favors the amateur," a scene opens of a family hunting for uranium together (1:45). An outdoorsman loads the trunk of his car with prospecting equipment, giving friendly looks to his female partner. Pamphlets from the Atomic Energy Commission and the U.S. Geological Survey are shown (2:23), along with a tagged sample to be sent in for assay. Compensation for ore and claims and transport are discussed, trucks hauling ore are shown (3:05). A woman hugs her dog in joy while her husband shakes hands over a deal (3:29). An older man in a hunting jacket kneels down to hoist a rock in consideration and then stands by his mailbox, happy at the delivery of a scintillator. Shots of the man unwrapping the raygun-like device and putting it to use are set to suspenseful music (4:17). "A grandmother in Arizona remembered some petrified trees," intones the narrator, shots of petrified wood and rising gauges follow. A load-in to a helicopter and takeoff are shown (5:24). The film briefly looks into a neighborhood club of prospecting enthusiasts. Details on how to correctly stake and maintain a claim are explained and shown. The last sections of the film mostly consist of staged scenes intended to seem candid. A family takes a picnic break from prospecting, goofing around with an apple and sandwiches. Three men working at a garage examine a scintillator and cross their fingers for a uranium hunting vacation (8:27). A secretary on lunch break peruses catalogs and a Mining Record newspaper (8:56). She and her boyfriend go out on a prospecting date, the narrator cornily mentioning the potential profitability of "merging their assets" (9:45). Various people are shown prospecting in scenic locations. An old man with a dowsing rod is shown illustrating the wrong way to hunt for uranium (10:26), a bookish youngster with proper gear is shown in contrast. Brief animation shows a globe covered in glowing pockets signifying undiscovered uranium ore (10:47). A family is shown prospecting and then suddenly at poolside, yet another "Cinderella story" (11:18). As the camera closes in on a man with a splashy shirt "John Q. Public is making our country rich with uranium." End titles fade in over a globe. Directed by Tom McGowan, narrated by Truman Bradley.
Transcription

[Music] [Applause] this is uranium the radioactive rays from this or move the needle of a scintillator to the maximum reading uranium is the basis of atomic power it is vital to the National Defense and a health and industry as a source of commercial power 2 ounces of uranium-235 can produce as much electrical energy as 800 kernels of pool the atom has opened a vast new horizon to the world this is a Geiger counter this is a scintillator a far more sensitive instrument than the Geiger counter these are the two principal types of uranium prospecting instruments in hunting uranium luck favors the amateur many families spend their weekends prospecting to thousands this spare time hobby has proved extremely profitable putters fishermen vacationers are making uranium detection instruments a part of their outdoor equipment because uranium is a hundred times more plentiful than gold and has been found in most of the 48 states the uranium hunter does not have to be a geologist or mining engineer nor does he work alone the Atomic Energy Commission and US Geological Survey are eager to furnish information that will aid in the uncovering of new or bodies they will even tell the prospector exactly where to look these samples will be sent to the Atomic Energy Commission for free a say if the ore is promising the Atomic Energy Commission will help this prospector in many ways the Atomic Energy Commission pays a bonus of up to $35,000 for uranium the bonus is in addition to the price paid for the ore grade premiums are paid for high-grade uranium ores millions of dollars in bonuses have been shared by thousands of people the mine owner receives a mind development allowance of 50 cents per pound of uranium the Atomic Energy Commission will also pay a haulage allowance of 6 cents per ton-mile up to 100 miles to help meet the cost of hauling the ore to the mill the prospector who is not interested in developing his claim personally can find a ready market for it fortunes have been paid for undeveloped uranium claims Blanton Burford of Dallas Texas another amateur prospector made four million dollars in one year on the sale of some of his claims this man did not have to go far to find a fortune he decided he would survey his own property he ordered a scintillator from a Los Angeles manufacturer and eagerly awaited the arrival of the postman [Music] [Music] [Applause] this man can forget the farm if he wants to he has a fortune in uranium a grandmother in Arizona remembered some petrified trees she had seen on a hiking trip she learned that uranium is often found in petrified wood amounts of high as forty thousand dollars have been paid for a petrified tree the simplicity of operating uranium detection equipment makes prospecting possible for anyone capable of turning a switch young and old alike there is no limit to the number of claims an individual can stake many big strikes have been made by making surveys with a helicopter or small plane the helicopter is capable of going anyplace it is ideal for prospecting inaccessible places many small plane owners are now prospecting for uranium from the air this sensitive scintillator will indicate desirable areas to stake today prospecting is often a family venture and can be a lot of fun the day of the lonely prospector is gone groups have been formed in many localities friends meet to discuss uranium hunting and to compare or samples and the latest equipment for prospecting claims may be staked on public lands or in national forests 562 million acres of the land area of the u.s. is open for claiming prospecting on privately owned land can be done with permission of the owner a single claim may not exceed 1500 feet by 600 feet there is no limit to the number of claims and individual mistakes to properly stake a claim a stake or post is placed at each corner and a rock monument containing the location notice is erected in the center [Music] a claim notice must established by survey or landmarks the exact location of the claim a copy of the location notice should be filed immediately with a County Recorder in the county where the discovery is made the fee is usually about one dollar after a location is filed the claim can be held indefinitely provided at least $100 worth of work is done each year for the first five years this investment of $1 and the required annual labor gives the individual ownership of his claims plus the value of all minerals when the boys and the garage heard that Jim was going on his vacation the three of them got together and bought a scintillator they appointed Jim official prospector and cross their fingers Jim spent all of his vacation time prospecting he never did come back to the garage from that vacation his two friends are also missing they are all in the uranium business this is Betty Betty works in an office as a secretary she loves the outdoors [Music] she read about uranium and sent for further information she read the Atomic Energy Commission booklet prospecting for uranium a commercial catalogue and some mining publications [Music] any inner boyfriend decided to go prospecting her steady date supplies the transportation she the prospecting equipment the merging of their assets has every indication of being profitable prospectors also discover the untold beauty that is America there are vast areas in the US that have not been prospected for uranium [Music] many valuable uranium deposits have been overlooked by individuals without the right kind of equipment properly equipped even a small boy can locate uranium deposits the earth has revealed only a small fraction of its store of uranium [Music] fortunes are made overnight this family has struck paydirt the Cinderella story is repeated again and again thousands of people are becoming rich almost overnight the United States is now the world's second largest producer of uranium it may soon be the first uranium has been discovered in most of the 48 states new strikes are being reported daily equipped with modern precision uranium detection instruments John Q public is making our country rich in uranium and at the same time enjoying a new healthy national pastime [Music]

Sources

  1. YouTube channel: PeriscopeFilm · video ↗ — title, format, description, catalog record, video

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