The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-29
ONE.THIRD LESS
THAN LAST YEAR
MINING MEN FIGURE ON DE-
CREASED ORE PRODUCTION.
Wages Will Be About the Same and
Miners Generally Will Have Plenty
to Do-Much Activity in Stripping
and Diamond Drill Work-Reports
from the Districts.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Two Harbors. Mimi. April 29.-Well- in
formed mining men believe that the pro-
ducton of iron orc upon the two ranges
in Minnesota will this season be but H.
600. 600 tons, or falling off of about one
third from last year. The market price of
ore has been reduced approximately one
dollar a ton. This. the Independents as
sert, Is a loss to them. and that the United
States Steel corporation will not suffer,
being its own producer and consumer.
According to information received from
numerous stripping contractors and steam
shovel engineers, the wages of engineers
and cranesmen will not be changed this
year The minimum wage of the cngin
GERS will be Sl20 q month for twenty six
days Of ten hours each, and the cranes
men $50 month. In addition the latter
who remain turnout the season will re-
ceiVe a bonus of from so to SIS month
Common laborers on the ranges will this
year receive from $1.75 day up. There
will be no shortage of labor of any kind
and on the other hand no idle men. Mer-
chants of the ranges are now more hope
full Of a good season than they were some
time ago.
Regardless Of the curtailrnent of the
production Of iron ore, stripping and eX-
DlorinS going on at unusually rapid
rate on both Of the ranges. E. j. Long
year. the mining drill contractor, has
twenty six drills at work on the Mesaba
range alone.
Three diamond drills will soon arrive
at the r. J. Walsh property near Tower
on the Vermillion range, and the work of
prospecting on that property will COM
menCe at once. This iron find was first
discovered in 81 meadow last fall by the
men who were clearing the ground. At
that time space about 25O feet square
was stripped to the depth of three or four
feet and fair jD1ipa tinDe of
body were then discovered. The Lee mine
In the same district, which has not been
oWrked for fifteen years, will soon be
reopened
The largest shaft in the United
States. with a height Of 1855 feet and a
base 3OXll4 feet in size, now under con-
struction for the ''B shaft at the Pioneer
mine at Ely, will be finished in about two
weeks The skips will rise to a height
Of JOB feet before dumping the ore, and
there will be six pockets and twelve spouts
on the side. 1t will contain 301 tons of
steel.
BY next week the Hibbing district will
have begun to take on its old air of pros
perity. Work has been started on the
stripping contracts at the Stephenson and
Leonard mines by the Drake e. Stratton
company Between 500 and 500 men will
be employed.
At the Leonard mine only one shovel
wac 9t''lt leu ILLS Wcth' Out TWO more VIII
soon be added This contract calls for
the removal Of 1900 900 cubic wards of
earth, which is but 100, 600 yards short Of
the largest stripping contract ever let
that of the Fayal, at Eveleth, which in,
cludes stripping to the amount of 2,O0O-
600 yards. The same firm has the contract
FOR stripping the Fayal, where four steam
shovels will be used.
The Mahoning mine. at Ebbing will
soon be the scene of active operations both
In removing ore and stripping. Next Mon
day one shovel will be in operation on the
stripping and an additional shovel per-
haps two will be put to work soon after
wards.
Preparations are under way for the
stripping of the Burt mine also in the
same district
A large force of steam shoves and men
are at work stripping the Hawkins mine at
NashWauk.