asphalt began leaking out of his furnace.  Samuel Gilson began exploration of the region in 1886 and opened the first Gilsonite mine in 1888.  He was a tireless promoter of Gilsonite as a wonder product, and it has a myriad of uses: A) it is distilled and heat-refined to produce high-octane automotive gasoline, diesel fuels, LPG, raw naphtha, lubricating oils, road oils, and asphalt paving products; B) Saturates roofing and building construction papers (tar paper); C) Base for paints, varnishes, anticorrosive coatings; D) Component of battery boxes; E) Insulating and waterproofing jackets for underground pipes; F) Stabilizer in non-smearing inks; G) Additive for oil-well slurries; H) Binder for wood fibers; I) High-BTU component of explosives; J) Can be heated and calcined to produce metallurgical grade carbon coke, and high-purity carbon electrodes for the nuclear power industry.