The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-30
THE IRON MINES
News of the Ranges of the Lake Su-
periOr Region.

I'LL JuON WINIS
News of the Ranges of the Lake su->
perior Region.
Duluth, Mimi, May 30.-Up to June the
amount Of iron ore shipped out of Minnesota
for the season will be about 100000 gross
tons. This is far above the record. There
has been IA large amount of ore-buying by
scattering Independent consumers in the east
and central west and this is "a strong indf"
cation of what they think Of the continuance
of present conditions. Most of these buyers
have already covered all their ore require
ments up to Jan. l next, and would not be
in the market unless they had practically
made sales of finished products that assured
steady business well into the early summer of
1908. Many actually state that they are sold
up, in lines of heavy tonnage, until May,
1903.
I There will be shipped from Minnesota this
year a larger tonnage of low grade ores than
|, IL any preceding year. Ores that four or
I five years ago would have been thrown away,
used for railroad and highway surfacing,
mixed with the clay of stripping, or other
wise disposed of, are now being shipped
Many Of the explorations are finding these
lower grades, and they are accepted by buy
| ers and even eagerly sought for. Most OF
| these ores are silicious and -bessemer,
| though some carry so small percentage Of
| phosphorus as to make them fit for the con-
| verter The demand for these ores is an
| accompaniment Of the present activity in
| steel-making and the consequent enormous
| consumption of iron everywhere.
A new Canadian iron mine. the Wagner;
about sixty miles north, of Sault Ste. Marie,
| has been opened and will be shipping to the
Algonaa- Steel company of that place in few
weeks. A road is now being built to 1t.
The ore is hard hematite, much like some
of that mined upon the Marquette range.
! On the Vermillion range the Oliver Iron
Mining company has so developed its Savoy,
| Zenith and Sibley mines during the past win
ter that they will be large producers. The
| Zenith, which was SO serious development
that it sent two concerns into bankruptcy
Is now reckoned one of the finest mines OF
1t is very deep, and the original operators
| never had the sand or the money to go down
| for The ore. It is now a property Of the
highest grade. -, :-.-.,.: Z -.zA.5t...
The new LaBele mine at Mckinley on the
Mesaba, belonging to one of the new indie
pendent steel-making concerns, has com
msnced shipment "A steam shovel has been
put into the stock piles that accumulated
during development last winter and is put.
/ ting the out fast. = ,.. - ---e - -
l. Several options have been taken on lands
on the west Mesaba range, whose Ores ii
any, are of very sandy nature These ores
| are low enough partly to make up for this
silica, the latter being free and washable in
part at least. It is estimated that the wash.
ing can BIO done at a cost Of not to exceed
IL cents a ton, and the royalties demanded
are low enough party to make up for this
additional cost. The ores once washed ara
good and are usually hard lhematites It is
expected that a material addition to the gross
tonnage of the Lake. Superior district will be
secured by the development and use of these
ores. So far the. washing process has beer
merely experimental and difficulties ma,
| arise. in connection with furnace use of the
ores that will defy solution. 80 -
| The old Saginaw mine few miles Wes
of 1shpeming, on the Marquette range, has
been taken by the mining branch Of the
| Union Steel company, one of the new indie.
pendent steel-making companies. The Sagi
nav was operated in the seventies and
few years ago to a small extent, but is sup
| posed to be of value In the same neighbor
l*hood Pickands, Mather G Co. have taker
the old Portland and the United States Stee
corporation is at work near the Spur. These
with the taking by large steel-making com
-pany Of the Dexter and Niagara, two othe
old mines of the same range, will maxi
things very different around some of tn
once active towns of the interior Marquette
Il IA. considerable area exists here that will b.
explored thoroughly at once, and 1T is be
lleved by many mining men that results o
magnitude will be encountered. AT any rate
thousands OF dollars will be spent there tn
coming few months.
The Chicago & North Western road is dali,
, receiving about forty car loads Of timber TO
!, new ore dock at Escanaba. The dock will
) be a large one and of the most modern line
and height. 1t is claimed that the new doc'
will be the largest on the lakes, even bigge
than the Great Northern latest dock at Du
} luth; but this is improbable.
On Steep Rock lake, north of the Vermil
lion range, the Clergue syndicate has dia
, mond drill at work, Mackenzie & Mann hav
another and the United States Steel an
, Marks & Wiley another. The finds there ar
3 reported to be of ore much like the Mesab
$ / in structure. These lands were located 70
ore a long time ago by Professor r. PUN
pelly and others by no surface information
but by pure geological reasoning, and if or
is found there in quantity 1t will be a grea
\ victory for the theoretical geologist.