The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-25
MINNESOTA
new RANGEA WINNER.
Discoveries Around Baraboo the
Most Important Since the
Mesaba Came In.
Explorations Reveal Increased Ton
mage All the Time Speoula-
tors Are at Work.
Special to The Journal.

r. !,
Duluth, Mimi, Sept 25.--Mining men Of Lake
Superior have invariably shown ultra conserva-
tism in admissions as to the possibilities OF any
miners would admit that the Mesaba was any
thing more than small series Of pockets that
amounted to nothing. and company after company
that might have made itself rich and have Sc
cured scores OF millions of tons Of fine ores
there did not do so, and has been put in very
precarious position as to ore supplies. by rea-
son Of this conservatism and ignorance.
To-day the same feeling is manifest as to the
new Baraboo ore range In southern WISCONSIN.
Without the slightest .exaggeration this range
Is the most important discovery since the Mesaba
came in. 1t Is less than two years since explo-
rations at Baraboo were commenced on an i'm
portant scale, and there are measured up to-day
more than 100, 100000 tons Of shipable ores
An extreme length of more than nine miles
the general width and dip OF the ore body in the
ferruginous rocks has been learned. The
quartzite outerOppings have been traced more
than the nine miles and there is reason to think
that the formation extends many miles and that
continued explorations will prove very much
greater tonnage than so far shown.
The average ore shown runs from so to 81 per:
cent In iron, and Is. generally speaking, a Bes-
ore so far will mine out about 81 per cent and
.O5O per cent phos. This is not regarded
as q high grade, but 1t is assisted by differen-
from Duluth to lower lakes, SO far as a market
at Chicago Is concerned, and is situated similarly
to Duluth SO far as the east is concerned The
fore, tho its physical structure is such that 1t
will ultimately take 1t to the east. 1t is es-
sentially Gogebic range ore, and is in geo.
logical position, both as to age and enclosing
rocks, that appears almost precisely similar to
the Gogebic.
For about three miles the new range has been
pretty thoroly tested by drills, and in this area,
most of which Is now under long time lease
to the International Harvester company there
is from 40,000,00O to 10000 900 tons Of ore
shown The rest of the section has been proved
" f0 alb
feet in extreme depth. and probably a score Of
diamond drills are now working in an effort to-
further prove and extend the range
What It Owes to La Rue.
The range may be said to be the result Of the
work of one man. W. G. LaRue, of Duluth who,
in $780, was sent there by the Joliet Steel COM
pany, and who made report advocating the ex-
ploraton of the region. Nothing was done, how
ore was to be found there, and in 1899 he inter
ested other Duluth men, and they bought lands
and began explora lions. The Following spring
s: gave 81 opon e E phy aas5r
company, which took the land, and last spring
closed it's option and made a lease.
This company is now mining and has hoisted
to the surface about 10000 tons Mr.. LaRue
has sunk nearly eighty. diamond drill holes and
more than seventy OF them have been successful
in finding ore, an unequalled record, for in other
Lake Superior ranges 1t Is the exception If one
sixth Of the holes sunk 60 into ore.
The IroqHots Mining company, a branch of a
new furnace company In Chicago, is sinking a
shaft and preparing to mine, and several other
concerns some Of them speculative, are at work
In various parts Of the new range.
The United States Steel corporation has made
numerous examinations Of the Baraboo range
and is said to have secured a large amount Of
favorahly located lands, tho it has done no
Work 50 fat as known Lending Pittsburg
area and will begin. explorations on a large
scale. Chicago and h1ilwaukee spectators are
drilling In several places on the range. y
- Outside Boats for Steel Trust. ~ Z
Contracts are being closed by the United
States Steel corpora ton for the delivery Of Its
ore for the remainder Of the year by outside
ships, the steamships, Of the corporation being
about all tied up under lockout and contest
with the Masters and Pilots association This
contest has extended to all vessels in which A..
.. Wolvln OF Duluth Is interested as manager
and part owner, and the Provident Steamship
company, the Peavey Steamship company the
Great Lakes and st. Lawrence Transportation
company and other boats either idle or will
be when present cargoes are out of them
viii cease moving By Nov T. Which IS as date ate
| for closing ore shipments it has for some years
attempted to reach. It Is a fact that ore ship,
certain and costly, and the Steel corporation has
| been showing ore down so fast that it Is able
| this year to answer the strike with lockout
| By that date it will have sufficient ore on hand
at lower lake ports to keep its furnaces well
into the early summer Of 1904. The past few
I
tonnage at the rate that has prevailed during
the summer, and will have enough in few days
to cover fully its ore requirements.
Steam Shovel Proposition.
Owners of the Commodore mine Mesaba range
have given contract for the removal of 1000.
| GOO yards of material from over their ore body
This mine has been operated for ten years as ar
| underground property, and that 1T is now to be
changed to a steam shovel proposition Is an
indication of the rapidity with which old methods
| are giving place to new, and Of the great ad
| vance OF the open pit methods in the past year
or -ll55sE'
For several years the United States Steel ha,
been looking for ore in the old Gibson expIera
ton, near Amasa, Mich. It has at last met
with success, and there seems to be an ore de
post Of Importance in sight A find of consid
cradle size has been made on the third level
and this probably connects with one made some
time ago the first. - lFEs 7lsh -
The International Harvester company hal
stopped sinking at its find at Crystal Falls
Mich, and Is to put down three diamond drill
holes. The ore so far found is too lean for the
company's use. = - -
At the Dunn mine, Menominee range, they
are down 800 feet In new shaft, and Will gc
| 300 feet more to the ore. The mine will be
| shipping from It's new workings another year
This will open new deposit opened into at the
time the old workings caved and the mine was
abandoned some years ago ~
GRANT CLOSED DOWN