Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-07-15
Why Stand Ye Idle
An Honest Woman wants to know
What our Iron Co. Is Doing.
BEAVER, july Z, 1881,

What our Iron Co. Is Doing.
BEAVER, July Z, 1881.
EDITOR STANDARD:
Sir: have been wanting to have
little plain talk with some of you
Olympia folks for long time; some
time ago, the papers stated that an
Iron Company had been organized
and the Transcript stated that iron
ore had been found in sufficient
quantities to justify the investment of
large capital. l enquired of an
Olympia man where the ore was
found. Tue location, he said, was
near the Lake, north of Fsrguson's.
Shortly after, l went with Jesse
Ferguson to see the ore-bed. There
is some good bog ore there, but l
did not learn who owned the land.
The ore deposit is situated some 40
rods north of the little lake north
of Ferguson's.
At time perhaps $40 or 1000
years ago, when the lake had no
outlet, the water leaked or drained
through the sand and gravel and
the deposit of iron ore was formed.
From present appearances, there can
he no new deposit there. The ore
is going back, dying out. and from
what We could see, 1 should think
one hundred tons might be found
there. There may be other deposits
about there. The water from the
lake falls off north. Quite likely
there is ore. l want to ask you,
MIR. Editor, what the Iron Co. are
doing, in the hope to have, through
your paper, something on the sub
ject. We in the country would like
to know whether the company in
tend to operate and develop the iron
interest of the county, or whether
they only intend to put the thing to
a quiet sleep for few years till other
parts of the Territory get the start
of Thurston Co. Now there is but
one question to decide in this matter.
Is there enough iron ore to warrant
the expense Of building an air furn-
ace. If we have the iron, that is
enough; we know we have the coal
and lime. l presume no one has
prospected the hills for metallic ore
and it is not likely they will be pros
pected for a long time. Persons
holding claims not proved up had
rather not have iron found on their
land. 1t is said that, under the land
laws, il ore is found one hour before
the claiment proves up, that he loses
all his improvements and is barred
from proving up. There has been
but little prospecting done and but
little is really known yet. In my
opinion there is great abundance
of bog ore, and Of the best quality,
and l have no doubt but there can be
found within the distance Of FIVE
miles plenty Of bog ore and quite
likely the hills when we'll prospected
will turn out metallic or rock ores.
1t is impossible to lay down special
rules to govern in the iron business.
L think, as a general rule, however,
you will find bog ore in low, wet
land, about the lakes and marshes,
and the rock, metallic, or hermatite
ores in the bills. Sometimes, how
ever, rock ore is found on level land
but in thin layers and generally
needs a great deal of roasting. Now
allow me to say few words to pros
psctors in testing bog ore. You
need to heat it red hot for ten min
utes at least, fifteen or twenty is bet
ter, then pulverize and try it with a
magnet-a common horse shoe mag
net. If the iron loads on the magnet,
all right, if it does not you may know
it is dead, or not good. To test rock,
metallic or hermatite, roast longer.
If tho rock is heavy you can gener-
ally determine whether there is iron
in it. Pulvsrize and try the magnet.
If it is iron ore, some will load to
the magnet. Some ore needs roast
ing long time, several days. Don't
be afraid of iron: We never have
iron humbugs. You will never see
one. We have gold and silver hum
bugs but never iron.
Yours, G. p. JUDsoN.