The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-21
MINNESOTA GIVES A
new METAL TO
THE WORLD
Smelling Test Made in st.
Paul Proves That Titanic
Ore From Northern Part
of State Exceeds in Value
Best Of Swedish Iron.

Minnesota has given new metal
to the world" says John Grant, of the
Valley Iron works. 'In one way it is
an old metal, but in another it is a
very new one, and will practically rev.
olutioniZe the armor plate business.
1T is no longer necessary to refine
the best of European iron into what
has been known for several centuries
as Swedish steel, and for which an
enormous price has always been paid,
for-the North Star state gives a bet
ter article to the builder direct-save
for the ordinary smelling which all
ore requires, and 1t may be that the
cost will be but little more than the
cost of ordinary steel or iron. We
made a test of this titanic ore here
at the shops, in fact, we have made
two, and it was proved that it is the
thing, and more than all, the great
question of reducing it was settled for
all time
Ore Is Tested.
The test which proved this was made
at the Valley Iron works. West side,
on Sunday, before an audience of per-
haps 100 persons. 1t has long been
known that this ore existed, but it has
also been thought that the cost Of
smelling it would be so high that it
would be practically valueless to the
builder of armor plates and to others
who use such steel.
This Minnesota article is not a steel
steel is a peculiarly treated iron
but it is better for the making Of armor
plates than the very best steel that
has ever been made. The United
States Steel COrnOT9fiOn which he
also known of the existence of this
mine, which they do not control, were
chief among those who endeaVored to
discourage the owners. The agents of
the United States Steel company, after
looking over the ore and after testing it.
gave it as their opinion that it could
not be satisfactorily smelted at all, as
suredly not in an ordinary smelter.
They said that the cost of reducing it,
providing that it could be reduced at
all, would place the cost of production
of the article SO high that it would
never be used.
Owners Were Confident.
But the owners were a little more
sanguine than the United States Steel
company's men, they thought that it
was worth at least trying, hence the
test made on Sunday. A carload of the
ore was brought to st. Paul and placed
y
Valley Iron Works, used for melting the
common pig-iron. No special care was
taken with it, the heat was provided as
usual with coke, and the ore fluxed
with lime.
The result was better than expected.
Some bitches had been looked for but
the stream which burst from the cupo-
la when tapped was clear and white.
Will Build Smeter.
Men shook hands with themselves
men who surrounded the cupola and
who, in the aggregate, represented
$40, 600, 000.r Before the day was done
it was decided to build smelter at
Duluth to cost 100000, with a capacity
of 200 tons a day. Yesterday the plans
were all, completed and it is possible
that in six months time-the production
of an iron 'excelling in every way the
best Swedish steel will be established
-s~ The mine from which this ore is OBJ
tanned is practically ineXhaustible and
is located in Cook county within easy
rail distance of Duluth.