The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1895-08-28
our GROWTH.
Ely Shows the Largest Gains in Population
OF Any City In the State.
1 1859 GAIN IN FIVE YEARS.
Our Resources Such ~ to Attract the
People to the City of Promise.

Our Resources Such ~ to Attract the
People to the City of Promise.
The state census of 1890 gave Ely
a population of 901. The returns of
the late census just coming in, give
Ely population of 2,26O showing
net gain of 1859 inhabitants in five
years. Barring the Mesaba range
towns which were not in existence at
the taking of the last ceRsus. Ely has
distanced any other city in the state.
This remarkable increase is due to our
renowned mineral and timber resOurc-
es which cannot be excelled in the
United States.
The Chandler mine has long held
the reputation of being the best pro-
ducer for it's size of any mine in the
world and employed at the time the
census was taken, about 400 men,
mostly men of families. The Pioneer
had at that time something like 25O
names on the pay rolls, also mostly
leu DiClis IC WdSOo pulu w
these companies have been the in
centive that drew the miners and
their families to this city. Our pop
ulation is of the resident kind and
not the floating kind, met with in the
newer Mesaba range towns.
The figures given above only include
the city of Ely and not the outlying
districts. The town of Morse, village
of Winton and surrounding districts,
yet to be heard from and added to the
population of Ely, our growth is some
thing remarkable. The village Of
Winton alone will show up something
like 300 souls.
"What has Ely to do with the out
lying districts?" some ask. Every
thing. The supplies for these are all
purchased in this city, the postOffice
is located here and all the financial
business is done through Ely in
stitutions. The Duluth & Iron Range
terminus is here and the express and
freight business is done in the city.
Thus it can be seen that in fact the
population of these districts should
be counted into Ely's list.
Had the census been taken two
years ago, we would have shown up
considerable better than at this time.
The population today is slightly over
half of what it was when the univer-
sal financial depression set in. In
place of the Chandler mine employing
300 men as it does now, it at that
time employed something like 1,3OO
men. The Pioneer also had more
men than it has now and besides
crews were working at the Anderson,
425'', 1897, Zenith and section 30
properties.
Our increase in the past five years
is nothing compared to what it will
be in the next five. With the sur
rounding country constantly opening
ND and new industries daily coming
in, Ely has future such as no other
city in the state can show. Lumber
companies are longingly casting their
eyes our way and no doubt as soon as
money gets little easier, we will see
new saw mills put in, new iron prop
critics developed and other industries
will crowd one another to get into the
city of promise.
No one can dispute our advan-
tages over other cities. The Mesaba
range towns are bowling about their
natural advantages, which we fail to
see During the summer months they
are alive with men, but as soon as the
chilly blasts of winter set in, they
seek fields where underground mining
is carried on. Virginia is credited
with population of 3,647. Consider
ing the place is only four years old,
Virginia can rightly boast. Take
the census three months from now
and considerable less population will
be the result. Hibbing shows LOSS;
Biwabik 1,G1l; Tower 1885, a gain OF
1856: Two Harbors 1850, gain 1856.
These places are all head over heels in
debt, while our little city owns it's
own electric and water plant and is
not indebted for improvements. We
are bound to grow. We are located in
such manner that it can't be helped.
Keep your eye on Ely.
watch for Them With Club