The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-01-05

next season double the quantity OF
ore they have produced this year.
Such improvements are going OH at
the mines Of the state that it will not
be difficult matter for them TO win
in 1898 80 per cent more ore than they
did during the year just closed.
Costly improvements, made with an
eye to- the distant future, have
brought their reward this year, and
the traffic of the lakes has been won
derfully benefited. An addition OF
about 33 per cent has been made to
the capacity OF every one Of the larger
ships plying the upper lakes. and the
average rates Of freight have been put
at a lower figure thereby. The aver
age weight OF cargoes shipped this
year from Two Harbors a representa-
tive port was 3,410 net tons against
2777 tons in 1896, and the largest ore
cargo OF the year was Ills tons great
er than anything that had been car
ried on the lakes in any preceding
season With the growing proportion
of vessels of the larger size aud the
recognized ability to Withstand the
stress OF winter weather and ice for
Il longer period than was everbelieved
possible, navigation on the 9@kes is
changing its character in eammon
with the change in proportions 60 the
bust mess to be done. It has thrown
off its swaddling clothes and stands a
giant.
There are now seven mines of the
steam shovel class on the Mesaba
range. where alone they flourish. Two
of these are the product Of 1897. the
Sparta and the Aetna, the former
lying in an ore zone that
bids fair to have future Of vast inn
portance and the latter q portion Of
the deposit of the Mountail Iron.
the seven have contributed a. little
less than half to the total Of Mime
sota's production, and only one Of
them has exceeded in production that
of one underground niue CT the Min
nesota Iron company. While predic-
tions are rash, it is almost sat to say
that the number OF these mics will
fLob be Increased By more tiff ssgoesg
three in the future. Explorations
have not been particularly active dur
ing the year, and have consisted
chiefly in filling in short spaces be-
tween acknowledged deposits with a
better knowledge of the trend OF the
ore bodies. Thus there have been
some discoveries west of the Mountain
Iron mine, and also west OF the group
at Hibbing, but nothing so satisfac-
tory as earlier work has been accom-
plisled. Indications are that. the
future does not promise great success
to explorers on the Mesaba outside of
ore deposits now IN more Or less
careful way discovered aud TO some
extent proved. For the explorer and
seeker for Investment In mines, the
Vermilion range Is the most promis-
ing Of all on Lake Superior. It's I'M
lportance has never been fully realized
but In the future, as new finds are
made along its trend, new towns
spring up, supported by deep under
ground mines Of high-grade ore and
new fortunes are made. the Vermilion
will be seen to be one OF the most re-
liable and permanent OF all the lake
ranges. During the year the United
States geological survey has begun It's
work on that range, going at IL In the
same painstaking manner as has char
acterized its operation on the Gogebic
and from this survey results may
spring that will surprise all.
The year closes with labor at the
mining towns we'll paid compared
with late years, and we'll satisfied, for
the lake mining companies are more
humane toward their employees than
similar concerns in almost any camp
in the world. At Mesaba range towns,
outside two, at Tower and Ely on the
Vermilion, at Ironwood and Bessemer
on the Gogebic, at Ishpeming and Ne
gaunee On the Marquette and at Iron
Mountain on the Menominee, the
present condition OF affairs has never
been surpassed so far as labor is con-
cerned, and it bids fair to grow better
as the year advances.
Since mining began on the Mar
quette range, more than forty years
ago, there have been to this date
about TO. 1000, 900 tons sent to market,
a total 80 vast that it if beyond COM
prehension. But OF this sum, all but
10, 600, 900 tons have been consumed
in the past ten years. The product
for this year has exceeded by a mil
lion tens that, Of the combined prior