The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-02-24
OF the Upper Peninsula-FrOm
the Pen OF j. Nj. LOngyear,
of Marquette.
sUPPLYOF HIGHGRADE ORE
May Diminish, But Poorer Ores
Will Be Utilized-Other
Industries Predicted.

The Milwaukee Journal which has
been paying special attention to up
per peninsula interests of late, had
this from ]. M. Longyear, of Mar
quette, treating of the mineral and
other resources of the peninsula,
which contains much that should
serve to encourage the people of
this richly lowered portion of the
great commonwealth of Michigan, in
it's number for Tuesday: O
Il have no idea that the IRON ore
deposits of the upper peninsula OF
Michigan are likely to be exhausted
in the near future. The deposits
now being operated will probably
be exhausted in few years, but
there are extensive tracts of unex-
plored territory which will undoubt-
edly yield large quantities OF ore.
Explorers are now at work on some
of these tracts and during the com
ing year will probably reveal new
deposits.
1T is doubtful, however, if the ex-
plorers will find new deposits of first
class ores rapidly enough to take the
place of such deposits which are be-
coming exhausted, but it is safe to
say that before the frst-class ores
of the upper peninsula become eX-
hausted, the iron and steel makers
will have turned their attention TO
the lower grade ores,pf which there
are unlimited Quantities in this re-
gion. Mining operations will an
doubtedly be carried on for the pro
duction of iron ore in the upper
penin<"la OF Michigan for ut least
several generations to come.
AT present, indications strongly
point 10 the possible early erection
of steel ma anufacturing plants near
the mines. Recent improvements
in the saving Of the by products
created in the process Of reducing
wood to charcoal make charcoal the
cheapest fuel Of any now in use. I'm
rnense regions near the mines are
covered with Il heavy growth OF
hard wood timber, making this de
sirable point for manufacturing the
ores near the point of production.
This will also make it entirely prac-
ticable to use ores which would not
bear the cost of transportation to
distant furnaces. These ores can be
had at prices that are very much
less in proportion to the iron con-
tents than the prices for the So
called tirst-class ores.
"With immense bodies of ores
richer in iron than those mined in
Alabama, Pennsylvania, etc, lying
near cheap fuel supply, there S no
Likelihood of any early cessation OF
iron ore mining in this region. 1t
is, however, very likely that many
changes in the manner OF manipula-
tion Of the iron ore and the produc-
tion of iron and steel will take place
in the near future. There are none
of these changes, however, that
seem to indicate any decrease of in
dustrial activity in the upper PENN
sula In fact, the indications all
seem to point the other way.
There are many other industries
now gaining foothold in the upper
peninsula of Michigan. Woodwork
ing establishments are increasing
and will ultimately employ more
men than have been employed in the
cutting of the pine timber, the end
Of which business is plainly in sight.
All the immense timber resources OF
the region will be drawn upon ex-
tensively in the near future, and
while there are large areas Of good
soil which yield satisfactory returns
to the agriculturist, there are other
extensive areas which are undoubt.
edly adapted to nothing so well as
the production of wood, some va.
rieties OF which grow quite rapidly.
In time, some system Of intelligent
and practical forestry will undoubt.
edly be inaugurated which will in