The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1903-11-14

ious qualities and sizes Of deposit, in
many cases reaching into million of
tons. The deposits are irregular in
shape, occurring here and there
throughout the contact. covered with
a surface Of varied depths. from three
TO goo feet and in some cases covered
by quartzite and iron. better known as
taconite. name adopted by the early
explorer for convenience.
In the early days few people had
faith in the existence of understandable
deposits of iron ore one the Mesaba,
the geological features differing so
greatly from those of the older ranges,
and il was almost impossible to pro-
mote explorations or interest capital
even after large deposits had been
developed.
The physical structure OF the ore
was was considered detrimental and
capital was skeptical. But few
explorers and mining men PERSISTED in
the belief that the Mesaba range would
some time prove TO be the greatest
producer of iron ore in the known
world and at moderate cost. With
abundant faita AMI energy they con-
tinued to search for the hidden treas
ure, and. with mparatively few
exceptions. these energetic men were
successful. Through the discovery Of
the Mesaba range riches were brought
TO hundreds Of Duluth people, and the
range proved TO be a valuable resource
during the panic from 1898 to 1896.
But the time is not far distant when
the unparalleled activity and hustle
that once existed in the way of ex-
ploratory work on the Mesaba will be
but memory. The once useful drill
and bucket will be discarded, and the
future development will be through
the SOW process of mining by follow
ing narrow leaders or stringers from
one deposit to the other, as depth is
obtained.
Among the pioneers of the Mesaba
were George c. Stone and Captain
Griffith of ST. Paul, and Frank Hib.
bling. the Merritt brothers, David IT.
Adams. Judge J. T Hale, Louis
Rouchleau and John Mailman of Dull.
nth.
The first merchantable deposit Of
iron was found by the Merritt brothers
in section 3-5s-lS in 1891, and another
in section 3-5s-16, now known as the
Mountain Iron and the Biwabik mines.
To these men, also, in company with
A. s. Chase and X. d. Chase, belongs
the credit of promoting and building
the Duluth Missabe 81 Northern rail.
road to the range
David I. Adams was the next man
to strike merchantable ore, in section
2 cater and founder OF the townsite OF
Virginia. Mr.. Adams also personally
located and promoted the Adams group
of mines, the Fayal, Fowler, Spruce
and C.oquet mines at Eveleth, and
was the founder and promoter Of the
thriving city of Eveleth. The Chem.
ung. Weed and Meadow mines are
other iron properties located by him.
l.. Ronchleau closely followed,
developing and promoting severa
mines. and was the organizer OF tn,
} Bouchleau- Ray Iron company and tn,
Rouchleau Ray Mining company.
Frank Hibbing was the FIRST to hnt
iron Of merchantable value on tn,
, western Mesaba and was the locate
and promoter OF the Lake Snperio
mine and the founder OF Hibbing, tn
metropolis OF the western Mesaba. Mr.
Hibbing also explored and found
large quantity OF ore on what is know
az the Kinney and Hawkins, in sec
tions 81 and 80, 1922, which wa
abandoned by him as being of no com
mercial value in the early days. an
was latter ..re-explored by o. d. Kin
ney, Senator Hawkins, George II
Crosby and Captain J. II. Pearce, an
sold by those men for handsom
figure.
John Mailman, the veteran explorer
was the first to explore on the east en-
OF the Mesaba. and the Mailman mine
in section i1-59-14, bears his name.
Captain Griffith was the first 10 OK
plore on the extreme western, end Q
the range. on sections 10 and 30. 1924
which explorations are now known
the Diamond mine, owned in fee b
the Steel corporation
Judge Hale was also an earnes
worker. promoting several mining en-
terprises, and was among the first I
fnd merchantable ore in section 2-5s
l6. To his energy may be attribute
: share OF the first developing boom 0
the range. creating an intense excite
ment for about eighteen months, whic