, 1890-10-24
DEEELoP TIE IRON ore

The question has been frequently asked:
IF Wyoming possesses iron ore of such
richness that it is only equAlled by the
celebrated Lake Superior ore, why isn't
something done to develop it?'
Wyoming is no more behind hand in
this matter than are the various other
states and territories in the west which
abound in iron ore. The main supply of
iron in the western hemisphere is secured
from the Lake Superior region, although
a larger supply Of the cheaper grade for
general foundry purposes comes from the
South.
Mr.. J. W. Nesmith, the president of
the Colorado Iron and Steel company,
who is acknowledged to be the only
practical iron man in Colorado, recently
read a paper before the Denver Manu-
featuring and Mercantile bureau. In that
paper he called attention to the fact that
there had been practically no development
OF the iron resources west of the Missouri
river. 1t has been established beyond
perAdventure that the quality of the ole
found in this Rocky Mountain region is
in no wise inferior to the very best ore
discovered on the continent. 1t is believed
that this supply is i~nexhaustible but
sufficient money has not yet been spent to
prove it so. In development work Of this
character the midwest has been excess
lively backward, ITS own manufacturing
enterprises being supplied with Bessemer
pig iron brought from the Lake Superior
region while It's own deposits lie undevel-
oped.
The.reason for this is not quite apparent
from the figures produced by Mr.. Mes
NTH. Bessemer pig IRON was never much
lower than at present, he says, and is now
quoted in no market lower than $ls a ton.
At a most liberal estimate he believes that
ore produced supposedly IN Colorado
(which would, Of course, apply just as
distinctly to Wyoming) could be laid
down at a suitably located furnace for 50
for a maximum. and perhaps for IS a ton.
Add to this 81 for freight to a manufac-
turing point Che selects DENVER with 81
for labor and 81 for general expense and
repairs, and We have $l4 as the probable
cost. From this he argues that the Bes-
semer ore could be sold for SIS a ton at a
fair profit.
He holds that all of the country west
of the ninety-ffth meridian would, with
proper development Of the iron industry,
be forced to rely upon this region for its
iron and steel. Continuing he says: "If
the question is asked. Where is so great
n market west of the Missouri river2 Who
will buy such vast quantities Of iron and
steel commodities2' an answer is the sim
pie suggestion that the state Of Kansas
alone has more miles of railroad than the
state of New York, and more than any
other state in this Union, except Illinois,
and is up within a thousand miles OF that
great state. The Missouri Pacific system
has $4,000 miles west Of the Missouri
river, the Union Pacific 5000, the Santa
Fe 5000. and what other roads we have
IN our assumed territory tributary, and
what other great industries have already
developed, and still what others are devel-
oping, aud what the possibilities of this
great region are, and we hold the key to
the situation. and we may produce the
iron material for all this vEst and rapidly
developing region, and by reason OF being
the great blacksmith shop to which all
must come, our general trade and traffic
interests will realize their full proportion
OF increase
In this same connection be calls atten-
ton to the fact that the ore from Lake
Superior mines is carried by water and
rail from 500 to 1000 miles to smelling
points and that coke is hauled from 200
TO 400 miles to smelt the ore. Ore is now
being imported from Cuba to supply
the Eastern manufacturing points while
the entire country west of the Allegheny
mountains and some points still further
east is being supplied with Bessemer steel
manufactured from Lake Superior ores,
This therefore leaves the Rocky Noun
tain region a base of supplies for the en-
tire trans Missouri section.
He recommends, first, that the iron ore
be developed to such an extent as will
justify the vast expense necessary in es-
tAblishing manufactures, and second that,
should the development justify it, a steel
plant be erected at Denver with a capital
stock of IS, 900. 900 back Of it..
A reporter of THE LEADER had a con-
yersation with Mr.. Nesmith n few days
ago, in which most of the foregoing facts
were developed. he ther said that he
had been shown various samples of the
Hartville ore, and that they were equal to
the best Superior ore that had yet been
produced. When informed of the discov-
cry OF coking coal st Newcastle, he said
the time was now ripe for a movement III
the West to develop our great iron re-
sources, which he believed would soon in
Colorado alone, if all indications did not
fail, surpass in monetary value the output
of all her gold and silver mines. What
was now most needed was that the
iron ore veins of both Colorado and Wyo-
ming should be developed, so that their
extent and value would be settled beyond
peradventure. The manufacture of steel
requires q heavy investment of capital,
and nobody was disposed to put a great
deal Of money into such an enterprise I'M
less he was positively convinced that the
ore supply was practically inexhaustible.