The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-01
SALES OF ORE.
ARE PICKING UP
IMPROVED DEMAND ALSO FOR
MINING PROPERTIES.
Exploratory Work Going Forward on a
Good-sized Scale-Reports from New
District in Aitkin and Crow Wing
Counties Are More Encouraging.
Special to The Journal,

2
Duluth, Mimi, Oct. 1.-One local iron
operator has sold all his output for the
rest of this year at 1925 ton, another
has placed 900 tons at the same
Inquire, the last being an ore guaranteed
at 81 iron and .035 phosphorus. Other
sales at better figures than formerly are
currently reported.
There is a slight improvement in de-
mand for ore properties and some east
explorations with the view of buying
them. One explored nine, containing
about five million tons Of iron running
81 per cent and better has been put un-
der option recently for considerable
bonus bove the royalty. The price is
not, to be sure, as good as could have
been secured year ago, but that there
is any inquiry at all for these ores is a
very encouraging symptom. -.
Some exploration goes on, Indeed
tinue there has been far less cessation
of exploratory activity in the past
eight or ten months than might have
been expected. The large steel-making
concerns stopped work as soon as times
grew dull in the sale of their products.
The necessity of making a showing of
earnings Led them to cut off all expense
that was not considered Indispensable.
by the requirements of their exchequer
to cease work. The largest Individual
jobs on the Mesaba, Vermillion and Mar
quette ranges have not been inter
rupted. Some of these are meeting with
success and will soon be in position to
reap the reward to which their persist.
ence has entitled them. .
New District Prospects.
Popo-+e fro,, +bo -o1, .4,.;o4 =, A -
kin and Crow Wing counties, Minnesota
where some exploration has been under
way, are more encouraging, and ore may
be found in merchantable quantity ano
quality. At one exploration it is sale
! forty feet of 60 per cent ore has beer
cut with a drill, but this is not to be
taken without confirmation. It has
been stated recently in print that the
United States Steel corporation holds
acres and has recently taken 1000 more
to explore and that its work-holes have
shown. as much as 100 feet Of 81 PEI
cent ore. This is an error. The Stee
corporation has abandoned it's options
in that section and says. that it hal
found considerable quantities of ore run
ming as high as 40 per cent, but ittl'
field, and work may recommence shortly
but as to that there is no statement.
In all the section about Kimberle,
and Deerwood, Mimi, and between tn
two places, jasper and ferruginous cher
boulders are common in the maraini
float. Iron boulders, some hematite AM
,some manganiferous, are found scat
| tered about, but it seems hard to de
termine whether they have come iron
considerably further north and east
whence drove the glaciers that covere,
the region, or have been the product O.
nearer Lodges. Rock outcrops thru thi
section are very meager, consisting of
very few lodges of quartzite and dyk
Of diabase, indeed there are in tn
neighborhood of Kimberley and Deer
wood but one cropping of tach. In TIL
remainder Of the region drift is sprea,
as a universal mantle. The diabase i
probably an archaean greensboro. In cut
tings for roads and in wells these rock
have been encountered more frequently
and in general way the course of tn
greensboro has been traced. 1t is alon
this course that explorations have be
gun. 49,. d. ~ =
Necessarily with 50 slight a guide i
cover good deal of ground before tn
The theory that this field correspond
to both the Gogebic and Mesaba range
is general and has prevailed from, tn
two years ago. The succession of rock
but with the older Quantities lyin
south of the younger rocks, as in tn
Gogebic and contrary to the Mesaba.