The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-01-20
THE IRON FIELDS IN 1904.
Particularly Bright Outlook for
Prosperous Season to Come.

Dwight E. Woodbridge of Duluth,
who enjoys the distinction of being
tue most comprehensive writer of
matters pertainingio mines and min
ing, has prepared the following re-
view of operations covering the year
1904, with glowing prediction for the
coming season:
Developments in the Lake Super
ior mining region for the past year
have been chiefly confined to the
Mesaba district and to the new region
about Baraboo, Wisconsin. It is but
natural that the Mesaba should
figure most prominently. It's area
and tonnage exposed, the possible
tiles of new mines within its borders,
and the overwhelming important
proportion of all lake shipments that
come from it combine to compel the
most lively progress there. Baraboo
has stepped into prominence from the
fact that first shipments of the dis
trict were made last year, and from
the further fact that it's limitations
as a producer are fairly well defined.
BY reason Of the quiet in iron circles
during most Of the year, which has
come down as heritage from the
close of 1908, Mesaba explorations
have been less in 1904 than for some
time. The 200 or more drills actively
punching holes in the earth all alony
the range has been reduced to not
more than fifty, and many of these
were working on proved lands, making
ready for definite mine operations.
OF ore that may be classed as strictly
merchantable under present notions
of what that term implies, new ton
image discovered. during the year las
& 15s Kel eDsss THIS
year is the first time that such a
statement can be made. Probably
with more drills, more activity in
Exploration. and more demand for ore
than has manifested itself during
most of the year, the tonnage would
be larger, but it is now the general
consensus of opinion that the Mesaba
is pretty we'll found; that new dis
coveries will be small and far be-
tween, and that new corners will be
sadly disappointed IL they look for
large bodies of ore to be discovered by
everyone who sinks drill hole into
the ground, Strange as. it appears
to a man posted on the exact situat-
ion in the exploration field, many
furnace managers Of the east and
central west still adhere to the notion
that almost anywhere in the north
ern Minnesota ore may be found.
They argue from the sudden discov-
ery of the Mesaba and its wonderful
record that it is probable other fields
may come in. On the Mesaba are
more than 20, 1000 drill holes, stretch
ing in unbroken succession from
township 60, range II, to the Missis-
sippi river, and if they have left much
ore undiscovered it will be most as
tonishing to those who have seen the
skill. patience and the exact knowl-
edge. of local geological conditions
with which these holes have been put
down. The geological formation OF
the country surrounding the Mesaba
does not lead to the conclusion that
other districts than those now known
are hid in the forests and swamps OF
northern Minnesota. II the work
done the past year on the'western Me-
saba, where are sandy ores that prob
ably generally require washing and
mechanical concentration thatit de-
serves, the tonnage exposed during
the year equals all that has been
mined, not only this year but, since
the first openings were made upon
the range, It is not far from the
facts to put the tonnage of these dry
western ores so far shown up at about
15O, 200, 900 tons, much of which hao
been shown before 1904. If 'concen
tration reduces this 80 per cent there
remains large amount of ore tha'
will work well in the furnace, ano
. will be free from some of the object
ions that have been raised to the ns'