Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-02-02
BY LAND AND WATER.
A Study Of the Industrial Conditions Of
the Central West.

The Iron Mines OF MlnnesOta---Thetr
Marvellous Wealth, and the wealth
and the Wealth which They Pour into
the Hands OF Their Owners---an In-
terestIng Account Of the Means by
which the Ores are swiftly Handled.
Near the eastern boundary of St. Louis
county, Minnesota, in latitude AT 3D.
Just south of Vermilion lake, is the com
meucement of the great Vermilion range,
which forms the divide between the waters
that flow south into Lake Superior, and |
north into the Rainy Lake system of waters |
that marks the boundary between Canada |
and the United States, and empties into the |
great lake nearly 100 miles northeast from
Duluth This noted range of mountains |
extend 80 miles in a southwest direction, |
the western part being called the Mesaba |
range. The entire range is fanked on
either side by interminable forests of valu-
able timber that are variegated by num-
berless crystal lakes, and contains within
its capacious, rocky crust the most valu-
able mines of iron ore that have ever been
discovered in this or any other country.
Prof. Henry NJ. Eames, a geologist, from
Philadelphia, with other gentlemen, spen
two years in st. Louis county, subsequent
to his appointment as state geoligist OF
Minnesota. In 1865 Prof. Eames made his
report showing, to a limited extent, the
value of the mineral deposits found in this
vast wilderness. There was no concen
trated and systematic effort made to de-
velop the mines until 1878.
The present ambassador to Russia, Mr..
Tower of Philadelphia, furnished the CAPT
tai that completed the Duluth and Iron
Range railroad connecting Duluth, Two
Harbors and the towns on the Vermilion
range, where the mines have been exploit
ed and the ore is sent by rail to the port of
Two Harbors for shipment. The franchises
real estate, railroads, piers at Two Har-
bors and all personal property passed to
the control of the Minnesota Iron company
in 1884, when the first ore was sent by yes
| sells to receiving ports of ore on Lake
| Erie.
Subsequently, in 1891, several western
capitalists formed a company to develop
the southwestern portion of the mountains,
known as the Mesaba range, but after
expanding all their money they learned
| that $50 miles of railroad with the equip.
ment necessary to transport iron ore 80
miles, and build pier, extending 1000 feet
into Lake Superior, could not be finished
on credit. Sanguine of ultimate success,
| the company would not entertain a liberal
| offer to purchase their franchises and agree
ment made with the state of Minnesota and
receive all their capital back with a sub
stantial profit, but decided to obtain q loan
by mortgaging their property for sufficient
means to complete the undertaking.
The Rockefellers of Cleveland had a
a special agent in Minnesota watching the
success of the Mesaba range company, and
when it became evident that the company
would require more funds to carry out the
original plans for exploiting the valuable
property in their possession, the agent Incl
dentally referred the officers of the com
pany to his employers at Cleveland. After
a month of suspense, purposely planned,
the Mesaba company received $500, 900
from the Rockefellers, giving a mortgage
of all their property and improvements
the company had expended over 81 900, 900
with the rights and franchises received
from the state of Minnesota, as security
for the loan. / will make this incident as
brief as possible by relating the sequel of
the transaction. The loan was not paid
when the notes became due, foreclosure
followed, and in 1893 the whole of the
Mesaba iron range properties including all
the railroads. rolling stock, piers and other
personal equipment passed to the possession
forever The widest dreams of the most
reckless adventurer never equalled the
result of this gigantic, one sided deal
Since 1894, when the Mesaba range became
the property of the Rockefellers. there
have been mined and shipped TO Chicago
and Lake Erie ports 81 1878, OPT net tons
| of ore, which being free of phosphorus is
in great demand for making Bessemer steel,
averaging for the five years so per net
ton in value delivered at the above men
toned ports. The cost of mining and de-
livering to the steamships at Duluth or
Superior is 25 cents per ton, and the freight
to the lower lakes Go cents per ton, which
leaves a net profit of $1.60 per ton, or q
total profit on all the shipments to date of
$35, 204 ,033 less one cent per ton paid as
royalty to the state of Minnesota. Experts
who have repeatedly examined the iron ore
deposits of st. Louis county report that tie
Mesaba range can yield 5000, 900 tons of
ore per year until the close of the Goth
century.
There have been shipped from the Yer
million range since the mines were opened
in 1884 to the present date, IS, 536, 56l net
tons, valued at Lake Erie ports at SIS, 615,-
6S3. The Vermilion ores are rated at so
cents per ton higher than the Mesaba,
owing to the excess of moisture in the lat
ter. The expense of mining and forward
ing to market is to be deducted, which is
81 per ton for the Vermilion Ores
When discussing the iron ore production
of Michigan l purposely deferred an ex.
PLANTATION of the mode of trans shipment
from cars to vessels until the particulars OF
the iron industry of Minnesota were
described There are 10 ore-shipping docks
located at the different ports of the Supe-
rior and Michigan districts. Five of these
are at Two Harbors, which receive all the
Vermilion ores; two at Duluth and one al
Superior furnish storage for the Mesaba
product. These ore-docks or piers, when
ready for service cost 5000, 900 each. TIL
longest one at Duluth which is typical il
1904 feet in length, commencing at 90 feet
depth of water, the surface is "a feet above
the water, the width is 81 feet, and con
tains 1884 pockets, with q storage capacity
of 81 900 tons, each pocket holding 15(
tons of ore. On the surface are tracks for
four trains of cars extending the entire
length, two trains being on either side
The pockets for holding the ore. 192 on each
side, receive the ore between the two train
on the port side of the dock, and tn,
same facilities for dumping the ore ar,
arranged on the starboard side. Til,
reader will perceive that by this arrange
ment four trains, standing side by side, car
discharge their freight simultaneously int,
a given number of pockets between the tw,
! | right or left side trains on the surfaca n