The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-12-29

building trans-continental railroads,
ana IN all ways planning and working
Tor the development of the great nat
ural resources of their country. 1t
would indeed be surprising II no at
tempt were made to manufacture with
IN Canad dian borders at least portion
OF the wealth Of iron ore found north
or the United States boundary line.
1t mas apparently been generally felt
that there was no danger of q shortage
OF high grade ores in the Lake Superior
Held, and even two and three years ago
owners OF high-grade mines sold their
properties or leased at nominal prices.
AS matter OF fact, there Is every like
lihood OF dire shortage OF Bessemer
ore. not in the remote, but in the i'm
mediate, future, and 1t would scarcely
be an eXaggcratlop to state that such
shortage is already making Itself felt.
tor the past two seasons the mines
producing good Besscmer ores have
been unable to produce as large guam
titles as could have been marketed with
ease. The demand for ore must In
crease, and 1t is difficult to figure
where the Bessemer ore Is to come from
to meet Legitimate requirements. De-
spite the great activity In exploratory
work, and the location and opening OF
many promising new deposits, there is
not as much Bessemer ore in sight now
on the older ranges as there was two
years ago. and the GIesaba Bessen1ers
are scarcer than was believed even as
recently as two or three years ago. The
Independent owner OF Il good mine of
bessemer grade who gives away his ore,
or sells 1t without q handsome profit
Is. remarkably deficient. In business
sense. Despite the power of the com
binations, the owner of such n mine has
the whip-hand, II he will only believe
1t. II would be wiser for him to close
MS mine, II he be able to pay taxes,
than TO sell his ore except at n good
profit. There are few safe investments
for the profits from his mining opera
lions equal To that derlvable from
merely leaving the ore In the ground
for few years. -
Carnegie Company the Master.
AS matters now stand, the Carnegie
Steel Company. Limited. has so much
the strongest stratcgical position, MS n
maker of steel. miner of ore and owner
and lessee OF high grade mines. TINT n
may be said without danger OF cxagger-
alton that this concern is absolutely
master OF the American IRON and steel
INDUSTRY, and perhaps also Of Cie iron
trade Of the world. The Federal Steal
company undoubtedly occupies second
position. and the third place Is SO far
oehlnd that 1t Is scarcely worthy Of
mention In the same paragraph.
me year 1900 was n profitable one to
the mines and n prosperous one with la
oor. Wages are again good, and prom
Use. 10 remain so. with steady EMPLOY
ment to mine-workers for the year 1901
me present prospect is for q slightly
larger output next year than has been
secured In 1900, but In all likelihood tha
increase viii not be large. The antici-
pated danger from lack OF vessel capac-
ity 10 transport ore has been proven II
bugabeo. The hike shippcrs nrc one.
lily Keeping up with the demand for ore
carriers II is many years since II has
oeen possible, mt the close OF II season,
to look backward ut so good n year
while looking forward to n wear of such
excellent promise for the iron ore trade.
HORACE J. STEVENS,