The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-15
MICHIGAN SHOWS
A BIG DECREASE
STRIKING DECADENCE OF IRON
MINING IN ONE COUNTY.
Elsewhere Properties Are Generally Pre-
pairing for an Active Season in 1906
Discoveries in the New Aitkin Dis
trict Are Not Of First Importance to
This Time.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal
Duluth, Mimi, Oct. 15.-The annual
reports of the various mine inspectors
of Michigan counties where iron mines
in the number Of operatives from last
year. In Iron county, for instance,
there are now but SIS men employed
in mines, against 1850 a year ago. The
production for the year has been only
100000 tons, compared with 100000
for f., the preceding corresponding period.
The decrease in Marquette and Dickin-
son counties is not SO noticeable. Iron
county shows a greater diminution of
active mines than either of the others,
with only seven working out of twenty
three in the county. In that county
there were fatal accidents during the
year at the rate of II per 1000 en-
ployees about the works..
active season in 1906 and companies
are enlarging, their requirements. De.
velopment underground and stripping. at
open pit properties will be extensive
the coming season.
Falling Off at the Fayal.
Faval mine, Mesaba range, is to ship
less Ls thar N 100000 tons this year. most
These will be cleaned up before winter.
This mine last year made a product of
more than 100000 gross tons. No. 4
shaft at this mine is now down more
than 200 feet and is being connected
with the workings Of other parts of the
property It is sunk in rock the entire
distance, and is the first, shaft at the
tons of ore that should and must ulti-
mately be removed. A large steel
shafthouse is to be erected at this shaft,
placed on concrete piers and modern
in every respect. This shafthouse will
have capacity for about one million tons
a year and will be the main hosting
avenue at the mine.
Shipments for the past week or two
have been less than expected and less
than furnace men atthe eastern end of
the lakes have desired. This has been
because shipping has been punched and
tied up and has not been able to work
to advantage. It is probable that the
barges of the Unite d. States Steel cor.
poration, forty-one in number, will be
retired from service in about twenty
five days, and the rest Of the fall the
company will depend on it's steamships
and chartered vessels for all ore to be
moved on It's contracts and to its fur
| naceS.
Prepared for Larger Outputs.
At the Negaunee mine, Marquette
range, development has been carried
along with the utmost speed all summer
and the mine is prepared for a fa1
larger output than it has ever accom-
the Cleveland Cliffs Iron company ant
! in part by the Lackawanna Steel com
pany and shi ps large share Of it's prod
uct to the latter.
The Buffalo & Susquehanna Iron com
pany is preparing for a much increased
tonnage another year. Its Iroquois mine
Mesabi range, is to be a large open pi
property, while its Susquehanna is to b'
developed largely underground. IT.
Baraboo mining purchase is closed: Thu
company is to build large ore ships, 81
that it will control transportation OF
the lakes for its own ore: +
| Ore Anomaly.
One Of the largest steel-making con
Germs outside the United States Stee
corporation, owning several large an'
clSeaply operated mines, has found tina
this year it has been able to buy or
in the open market at prices below wha
it considers it's own ore worth, and be
low what it cares to compete with, an
so is buying most Of it's requirement
and letting it's own mines wait till a yea
when purchases cannot be made at s
low a figure. This is one of the anomalie
of the year that will disappear. with ar
, other season and with the return o
more evenly balanced conditions.
! In the .Aitkin county district, Mime
sofa, where several small companies ar
exploring, a large amount Of paint roc
8 and soft, low grade hematite have bee
! found, but nothing Of merchantabl
i: value. This paint rock runs from 20
Il IS per, cent iron, and is useless exceI
for making mineral paint. Its sui
d posed that, with 50 much lean ore in tt
a district, there may yet be found iron {
Higgins mine, of the United State
Steel Corporation, Mesaba range, h;
= just commenced shipments. 1t has bee