The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-06-10
LOTS In COOK COUNTY.

Johnson Nickel Mining Company
Said to Have Made Discovery
in Interest of Iron
Concern.
No longer ago than 1866 there was
widespread impression that the Lake Su-
perior country contained supplies of iron
ore past all probable demands of the
furnace men for an indefinite period.
These deposits were described briefly
as 'inexhaustible." The Mesaba range
dazzled the iron world with it's immense
deposits, whore iron ore was as common
and unlimited, seemingly, as the black
loan of Dakota prairie. But a great
and important change has come over the
situation. During the past year or two
the conclusion has been forced on the
iron and steel interest that the. supplies
OF Lake Superior are not of such ex-
traordinary extent as to be described as
'inexhaustible."
y X
In all this discussion by iron ore
authorities there has never teen one
word said about Cook county, MINI.
There is a tradition that there ia no
merchantable iron ore in that county.
but this idea ID gradually dispelling.
The Mesaba and Vermillion range in
terests have always been unfriendly to
the iron prospects of Cook county. It
was said that the ore found there con-
tanned SO much titanium that the pro-
perties could not be successfully worked.
This report has been repeatedly con-
frmed. and it appears to be fact that
the ores of the northern part of that
county, which are known as magnetic,
do contain large amount Of titanium.
There seems, also to be considerable di.
yergence Of view as to the extent of the
ore deposits in Cook county. The re-
ports made on the point are, undoubted-
~ influenced in large degree by the
interests of the person giving the inform
alton. One mining man OF Duluth, who
Is known through the iron industry, and
who is regarded as an authority, says
that the ore deposits of Cook county
exist largely in tho imagination. He
says that he explored the country for
ore very thoroughly several years ago,
and that he is convinced they are un-
important as to extent. and not desir-
able at that. Despite this bearish re-
port on the iron ore resources of Cook
county, there certainly can be no mis-
take that there are extensive deposits,
but how extensive and how desirable is
matter for the future to tell.
It is certain that the iron ore interests
are beginning to move in Cook county,
but who is behind tho movement is 4
matter Of more speculation. The John
son Nickel company hss acquired large
tracts OF iron property in that county,
near the Gunaint range, and it has two
diamond drills at work, and has had for
more than year, ascertaining the extent
and character of the one deposits. It
has been popularity supposed that the
johnson people were after nickel ores,
without any thought, except in an
incidental way, of the possibility of
deposits of black ores. Now it transpires
that they are after only black ores, and
that nickel ores constitute the side issue.
A man in position to know great
deal about the Johnson Nickel company
said yesterday:
Il do not know who is behind the
johnson Nickel company, but it Is some
exceedingly strong factor in the iron and
steel business. It is popularly supposed
that they are after nickel ores, Of which
there are some in Cook county, butt
learned not long ago that the nlckel orc
proposition is secondary to the real
search, which is simply for iron ore. I
was quite. surprised, myself, when I,
learned not long ago that the company
was searching for iron ore, for it has been
widely published that it was nickel ore,
and nickel ore only, that it was after,
and was all that they expected to get,
Much has been said about the titanium
that has been found in Cook county
ores. I wish to say that there have been
important developments in the know
ledge on this subject. The titanium
gradually disappears from the ores as
depth is attained. This fact is not gener-
ally known and it was the johnson
people that discovered it. There un-
questionably large deposits Of iron ore
in Cook county, and the fact that the
titanium disappears from the ores at q
considerable depth below the surface is
Of the utmost Importance at this time,
when iron ore properties are in demand.
II is my opinion that some Of the big