Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-29
Tur BrG BEssEMER POOL.
Practically Controls the Entire out
put of Irou-Orc.

put OF Iron-orc.
4 Superior CNls) dispatch OF sunday
says: The great Bessemer iron-ore pool
is complete. Although the Lake Superior
output for 1895 was the largest in history,
the product for 1895 has been fixed at
SIN higher basis and at an Increased
.rice.
by reason OF the high grade OK rs
ores the short and dOwn-hiil raii-sni2-
ments from the mines 70 the lake, anu
the extraordinary cneapness with which
mining can be carried on, the Nermlhon-
Mesaba range now conyrols the ore mar
ket OF the continent. Last year the entire
I.ake-Superior district sent forward ~
10000 tons Of this the Vermiiion-Mesa-
ba produced, or shipped. about 4'Wo'vW
tons The Nermilion ores l.Os5,eO tons,
were shipped from TWO HarbOrs, on the
north shore OF Lake Superior. and the
Mesaba ores from Superior and Duluth.
The outpn OF straight Bessemer pool
FOR this end OF the lake is thus: Pioneer
Mine, owned by RI. IA. Porter, Roswell
/ p. Flower John G. SpOoner. and one or
two others 22O.000 tons; Chandler, owned
by the Minnesota Iron Company, 6OorD
tons: Minnesota, also owned BIZ the
Minnesota iron Company. $4,000 tons.
Total. 900 900 tons
Chandler ore Is staudard-the highest
grade on tie Cortinent-running last
year. without inspection, 60 per cent
pure Iron. The Pioneer. less than quar-
ter Of a mile distant Is the same, and is
the largest pure Bessemer mine in the
world. 7 has been eight years IN process
Of opening, and this is It's first year Of
| commercial ACTIVITY. IL could nave sold
and easily produced 90o0 tons outside Of
the pool. bue q. induced to come Ia on
"A basis Of ZZ0009 tons
The Minnesota, few miles distant, pro-
dlc-5 three grades Of ore. Nooe OF II Is
Bsssener without crushing but after it
has been treated an output CT 10000 tons
nets $4,000 tons OF Bessemer, the remain
der-No. ard No. 5-mXabie with Besse-
mer.
taias more THAI 250o00,00O tons or ore IN
sight. Some OF 10 Is Besaemer, but most
OF 70 falls just a little below the limit.
OF This ore the members Of the Bessemer
pool own 4 considerable quantity. IL IS
mixed with the high-grade ores, which are
controlled wholly BY the pool, comprising
the iron masters Of Pittsburg, Cleveland,
and Chicago. Thus, Bessemer ? per cent.
above can bs mixed in almost equal parts
with non Bessemer that IS > per cent. be-
low the limit. Whel. therefore q custO-
mer comes 70 the pool for Bessemer they
will not sell 70 him unless he viii take
as much as MS purchase viii stand OF
their non Bessemer.
The Minnesota Iron Company owns the
Duluth and Iron Range railroad. which
hauls the VermiliOn ores 10 the docks at
Two HarbOrs. IL owns one Of the largest
and finest lines OF steel freight steamers
in the land owns the five great docks az
Two Harbors. and owns the Chandler and
4 10 H. Er rrr| ion
several new mines on the Mcsaba Range-
ali reached by its own railroad. The OWL
ers charge 81 per tor for hauling ore 20 the
docks. and when hey wish TO do so re-
fuse 10 haul any but their own ores. When
attemnts are made 10 interfere by au-.
thority they say the road is not common
carrier. but q private line FOR the trans
acton Of their own business. Thus far
that subterfuge has been successful not
withstandns the road is long line' run
ning also % Duluth. and carrying crowded
trains u passengers, lumber, coal meat
and merchandise.
The Rockef-lefs. who own the Lake
Superior Consolidated mines, on the
Nesaba range. play the same came. They
own the Mesaba and Northern railroad,
which brings ore % Superior and Duluth
the Rockefeller docks being at the latter
city. When pressed FOR living rates by
othe- mine owners they refuse 20 grarc
them. saying they are not common car
riers. Thus. While ore can be brought 20
Superior. Two Harbors. or Duluth for 80
cents. the charge is 81 per ton. It might
be s. or s. per ton. so FAR as those are
concerned who own both mines and rail-
ways. but IL kills competition, Is death 90
all other miners save those on the Duluth
and Winnipeg railroad. which IS owned
By the Canadian Pacific That line s
railway pure and simple having ore
docks in Superior. and makes rates on
ores. as on all other freight, upon some
thing ike an equitable basis. IL Is re-
ported that this line viii bring lgocl)
tons Of ore to Superior this season. Hair
OF il will come from one mine, known
as the Wright & Davis, IN which ZO,gCoOo0
tons are In plain sight
ore from the mines on the Duluth and
Winnipeg IS barely below the Bessemer
limit IL IS therefore worth almost AZ
much as Bessemer. and Will find ready
sale and be immensely profitable TO pur-
chasers. For instance. if high grade
Bessemer is worth 81 and Wright q Davis
$50 per ton, and three tons or
the latter mixed with one ton OK the
former still remain at Bessemer grade,
the saving Is an average OF N.E Il per
ton. Four tons OF straight Bessemer at
8, per ton would cost SIS and produce
scarcely more and no bette. iron than
the mixture az S2.Sl per ton.
This is the reason that the Bessemer
POOL people have extended their railway
lines into the non-Bessemer districts.
When a consumer comes for straight
Bessemer they can offer him the re-
quired amount Of nom Bessemer for the
mixture from their own mines. Indeed,
they can force him 10 buy their low
grade or refuse to sell 10 him their high
grade ores, and he is powerless 70 break
the combine, because no one outside OF
the pool has the real Bessemer.
Sometimes this power IS carried TO ex-
trcmas Last year the West Duluth fur
naces and the West Superior Steel-W orks
wanted 20 start up having secured some
contracts. The pool refused 10 sell ores
to them. using A pretext that they
had everything contracted. The truth is
that the pool had contracted, not only
for a certain output. but had agreed also
not 70 mine a pound beyond the stipu-
lated amount Therefore, the furnaces
and mills mentioned could not start. This
year the situation is the same, eX-
cept that the West Superior Steel-Works
are falling. or have already fallen. into
the hands Of the Rockefellers, who are
members OF the pool, and own their own
railways docks and iron-mines; and
also their own lake feet, being the
principal shareholders In the American
Steel-Barge COMPANY whose great works
are In this city. II, therefore. they
shall decide 10 open their steol-works.
they can secure ores, and can also fur
nsh the cheapest transportation known
for the business OF supplying the Great