The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-03-01
OWNS THE EARTH.

OWNS THE EARTH.
That's About What Rockefeller
Does Now.
Iron Mines. Railroads, WhAlebAck Fleets,
barge Works and Steel Plant.
Nothing in recent years has so
thoroughly awakened public in.
terest in this city as the result
Of the annual meeting of the
American Steel Barge company.
says Superior dispatch to the
Pioneer Press. The Rockefel.
lerS have been in nominal con-
troll of that corporation since the
annual meeting Of the previous
year, but they arc now in full
and open control of it. root and
branch. In the barge company's
fleet on the Great Lakes are
twenty.ei vessels, represent
ing a carrying capacity Of about
20, 600 tons. II is quite general.
~ believed in this city that tho
requirement of the barge com.
pany by the Rockefcllers is per.
haps the final step in a grand
consolidation of mining. manu-
featuring aud transportation in.
terests to control the market for.
iron ore. There arc many sig
niticant features which leave
this impression as the most prob
able of any thus for advanced.
The Rockefellers now hold
sway over many OF the principal
iron mines of Northern Minneso.
ia; the Duluth, Missabe & North
ern railroad, which is the prin.
cipal outlet of Messba ore, the
West Superior Iron & Steel CON-
pany's plant in this city and the
American Steel Barge company.
That is the consolidation as it
now exists, and it is regarded
here as power for the utmost
good. 1t is looked upon as one
of tho greatest and far reaching
consultations so far as future
results are concerned. ever made
in the Northwest. The Rookie
fellers will be III q position to
make the price on Mesaba ore
and make transportation rates to
suit their own sweet will. Capt.
G. S. Barker. speaking of the
subject said:
The Rockefellers control the
iron mines, they control the rail
roads to convey the ore TO the
steel plant in this city to. bc m;iu-
ufactured or to meet deep water
transportation; or, to put it an
other way. they can dig their
own ore and deliver it as far east
as Buffalo over their own rail-
roads and in their own vessels at
Superior. Cheap fue! is of course
an important consideration N
the manufacture of iron products.
There is already large coking
plant here for producing coke.
I think the time has nearly come
when Superior will begin to
realize in q substantial manner
her dreams regarding the manu-.
facture of iron products. It will
take 4 little time to get start
ed, for I am told that many ex.
pensive and important changes
will have to be nude in the steel
plant"
1t is predicted by a gentleman
in a position to make q good
guess that the Rockefollers will
within one year add to their
great consolidation thu Duluth &
Iron Range railroad, tie Mime.
sots Iron company and the
Minnesota Steamship company,
Already they have some interest
in these properties. 1t Is posi-
lively known that this idea is, or
at least Was, cherished by the
Rockefellers. It is not so very
long ago that Mr.. Rockefeller
sent representative to this in
the person Of Mr.. Gates, osten-
sibly for the purpose of obtain
ing the cost of manufacturing
iron and steel. He received
statements from three persons
competent to figure on this prob.
lem, and though each result was
reaches by a different method, it
was found that the cost was
about Is cents a ton less than the
metal can be produced for by the
Illinois Steel company, which
cornorati0n annearS to he tha