The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-30
WHARVES ALMOST
BARE OF COPPER
STRONG COMMENTARY ON THE
METAL SITUATION.
First Lake Steamers Will Have but
Little Copper to Carry. as the ALL
Rail Movement Has Been Heavy
Michigan Smelter at a High Stage of
Efficiency at Last. ~.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal. s@Gf -.@
Calumet. Mich, March 30.-With the opening
Of navigation ut copper country ports close at
hand. the rail shipments Of refined copper from
the Michigan mines continue heavy and there is
very little metal of any description on hand at
the wharves Of the smelling plants. This is a
strong commentary on the metal situation and
denotes the urgent demand for supplies from the
consumers. -E. EEts.
Every indication points to an early opening of
navigation at local ports this spring, but the
first lake steamers will find comparatively little
copper awaiting shipment, The Quincy Mining
company has begun to accumulate supplies, but
rail shipments from its smelter also continue,
some orders being on hand which necessarily have
to be filed. -
The difficulties which retarded operations at
the plant of the Michigan Smelling company have
been entirely eliminated and the service is sat
isfactory in every detail. The entire production
of the Copper Range Consolidated mines-Baltic,
Trimountain and Champions being trea ted and
upon the expiration of the contracts of the VOL
VERNE, Mohawk and Atlantic companie5 with tile
Calumet & Hecla corpora ton the output from
those properties will be handled. The present
capacity of the Michigan plant is 720O0OO
pounds year. but the management has under
consideration plans for additions which will
largely increase the capacity. Eventually the
Michigan smelter will treat the product Of the
Champion, Wolverine. Baltic, Trimountain, Mo-
hawk, Phoenix and Winona, the last named as
soon it resumes production.
Owing to the withdrawal Of the mineral ship
ments from the Copper Range Consolidated
mines, which necessarily shipped there
during the period of repairs to the Michigan
| smelter, the Hancock plant Of the Lake Supe-
rior Smelling company has been closed. Wheth.
er permanently is uncertain, but it Is not likely
that the plant will be operated again, unless the
conditions absolutely require such procedure.
The Hancock plant, known the Portage Lake
Smelling works, was the first built in the Lake
Superior district and began refining copper in
1861.
Work at the Franklin mine is still suspended,
owing to the strike Of the trammers. There has
been gratifying improvement in the grade OF
rock shipped to the stamp mill from the Mohawk
mine the last few weeks. The refined copper
| average last year only 17A pounds to the
ton, but it is fully 1919 pounds.
Arrangements for the erection of permanent
steel shaft and rock house at No. 2 shaft Of the
Baltic mine have been entered into by the COM
pany, contract having been awarded the Wis
consn Bridge & Iron company Of Milwaukee.
| The structure will be built the coming summer.
Work on the Osceoa branch Of the Calumet
& Heca mine is going ahead steadily. Opera
| lions are confined to No. 10 shaft the southern
most opening that bed, where twenty drills
are in service. This shaft is nearly 1900 feet
deep and penetrates good stretch Of cupriferous
ground. No linking is being done, but drifting
| is in progress both north and south from the
shaft all levels from the second to the elev-
enth inclusive.
| Development work at the Centennial mine is
being pushed with all possible speed. No. shaft
is sinking below the twenty-ffth level at an
approximate depth of $500 feet. The character
of the ground coming into the bottom Of the
shaft is god and additions depth should bring
the opening into the shoot of rich copper ground
which makes southwark from the Wolverine
| mine.
| The March production Of the district has been
| curtailed by labor difficulties which, while not
| serious at any mine, caused few days suspen-
| sion at several properties.