Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-12-22
BY LAND AND WATER,
A Study Of the Industrial Conditions Of
the Central West.

Since Is55---the Cost OF shIpment--- |
the InsxhaustIbie supply---the Pros |
porous and Attractive City OF Mar
quette.
Especial correspondence Of The PhBnix.l
There is no factor to be considered in
connection with the industrial development
of the Central West that equals in magni
tude, either In a local or national relation,
the iron ore industry of Michigan, Wiscon-
sin and Minnesota. The commercial sig
nifcance of this product has not only
changed the location of iron producing
states, but it has increased the sales of
the manufactured iron of this country in all
the markets of the civilized world. Lake
| Superior iron is now sold in England and
most of her colonies; large quantities are
exported to Russia, Turkey and Southern
| Africa, and 1t is patent to men who have
made this subject study, that American
iron products will very soon revolutionize
the commercial world. In 1916 was the
| first exploiting of iron mines in Michigan.
Samples Of ore were first sent to Detroit
and Cleveland, for experiments and analy-
sis, in 1850 These shipments went from
Marquette and the Marquette range was
then the only known source of iron in the
state. There were no shipment OF ore for
commercial purposes worthy of notice un-
til 1856, the year following the opening of
the 500 canal.
About this date high grade of iron ore
was located in the Menomlnee range, which
is in the southwestern part of the upper
peninsula and extends into Wisconsin. In
1916 another source of ore was added by
the discovery of iron in the Gogebic range,
situated near the shore of Lake Superior
in Michigan and Wisconsin. There was
no iron ore shipped from Wisconsin until
1880 and subsequent to that date to the
a Wisconsin port (Ashland) of large
amounts of Michigan production.
To make these statements and statistics
clear to the mind Of the reader have de-
cided to include in one statement all the
ore sent from Michigan since the first ship
ment in 1856 and all ore sent from Wis
consin since 1880. According to my con-
illusions, after examining a mass of re-
, ports and statistics, the Wisconsin product
has never exceeded 600, 900 tons in one
year, to January, 1899. Minnesota is not
included as l reserve her mineral resources
for a separate paper. These statistics are
given to show the amount OF iron ore
shipped, as above indicated, therefore,
: both rail and water routes are included In
one statement:
} Iron ore shipped from Michigan 1855,
: 1449 tons. (The following four years. to-
tai amount was $780, 900 tons) 1850, ia, :
, 4O1 tons; 1865, 236, POS tons; 1870, $780,
$40 tons; 1875, S91, 257 tons; 1880, $40.
} 600 tons; 1885 includes wisconsin,, 2, 456.,
54s tons; 1890, 1891, 900 tons; 1895
6, 400, 525 tons; 1900 (estimated), 1885, 29l
! tons. Total amount Of iron ore mined
e and marketed from 1850 to 1900, inclusive,
r 109,93S, OCT long tons. All rail lines con.
! tinue TO carry about six per cent of the
! above production, especially to furnaces
! located in Wisconsin and Illinois.
/. When the iron industry from Michigan
r was started in 1855 freight to any port wai
s SO per ton; 1850, 81 % per ton; 1865
$3.50 per ton; 1870, 81 90 per ton; 1875
:, $1.40 per ton; 1880, $2.37 per ton; 1885
e 81 20 per ton; 1890, $l,16 per ton; 1895
f SO cents per ton. Since then rates have
e been from So cents to 20 cents per ton.
have given semi-decade rate of freight tC
show the reduction of charges for freight
q ing this staple, made possible by the intro
duction of steam vessels, also by the
greater number and immense increase In
capacity of the craft engaged in the freight
ing service. The ports of shipment given
.. are arranged according to the relative i'm
portance of each. EscAnaba, Ashland
/ Marquette and Gladstone are all the ports
t from which ore is shipped, either by al
!. rail or lake and rail, covering the territory
/ previously specified.
}. By study of the foregoing statistics thu
, reader will observe that three fourths o.
the ore production of Michigan has beer
$ since 1880, and that there has been 4
= marked increase in almost every five year,
e to the present date. When we add to thil
: a rapidly increasing amount from Mime
n sofa, beginning in 1884, we shall see tina
the total amount of iron ore from the Lake
= district, which was about one-ffth of tn,
n whole production of the United States II
1880, has increased to three-fourths of thu
}. total production in 1900.
!, All mines in the United States produced
q in 1880, 7,12O,362 tons. Lake distric
(Michigan) in 1880, 100000 tons. United
D States production in 1900, 10000, 600 tons
e Lake Superior (all ports), 10, 600, 900 tons
: The production for 1900 is predicated oil
+, the monthly reports made the present sea
son, and if the reader will preserve my es
r innate for comparison, when the officia
s reports are received, June, 1901, they will
:. be found larger than the estimates givel
: above.
The increasing demand for Lake Super
. ior ores is caused by their special adaptation
y for Bessemer steel, the process of minin
q and the low rate of transportation to wher
d fuel is cheap and the furnaces are located
e The demand for Bessemer STEEL at tn
! present time, absorbs 81 per cent of GU
= total pig iron production. Ore suitabl
/ for this process must not contain NOR
, than a trace of nhosnhorus and the hama