The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-30


ing for mines that might be found in
that way. Who had spent weary, soul
trying months, even years, in reading
the book of nature and gaining there
from the store Of knowledge concerning
deposits of which the books written by
man told nothing. Some of them
stumbled on to mines, but it was while
they were tracing with weary eyes the
face Of the earth looking for the signs
that might mean untold wealth-and
might, just as haply, mean nothing but
weeks Of hard work on prospect that
ran out.
There is baseless yarn Of how part
of the great Fayal, which has produced
many fortunes, was first traced by the
ore. dust turned up by moose hurrying
to the call of his mate. But it took
the eye Of an expert to read the story
left by the track of the moose. And
if the moose had never passed that way
the iron would have been found just
the same for the prospector-man was
abroad in the wilds and, with his scent
sharpened by the knowledge that he
was in country where all the signs
pointed to store of wealth in iron de-
posts, the location Of the lodes could
not be long delayed.
To trace this story would lead through
the laboratory Of unnamed, but potent
scientists; by the melting pots of iron
smelters and the crucibles of steel mas
tiers; through the devious and uncharted
paths Of finance. It would be noisy
with shouts Of exultation and gloomy
with the shadows of despair; the trag-
edy of failure and the comedy of such
unheard of success as the world has
not seen before must be a part Of the
story Of iron in Minnesota. And some
day it will be written in another book
than in the bank books of the wise and
the fortunate and on the tablets of
the memory Of the unwise and the un.
fortunate. All which has nothing to
do with this bald record Of astounding
fundamental facts that go to make up
the obvious history Of the Minnesota
iron ranges. ..
One hundred and twenty-three mil
lion tons of ore have been taken out
of the mines of Minnesota since the
first shipment was made twenty-five
years ago from the Vermilion range.
In order to dissipate any alarm that
may be inspired by the assumption
that this immense output prefgures the
Immediate impoverishment of the min
eral resources Of the state, it may as
well be stated now that there are more
than thousand million tons left undis-
turbed in the earth at this writing and
( no undue concern need be felt by the
present generation as to the depletion
Of the orebeds. At the present rate of
production of approximately twenty
million tons a year in Minnesota it will
take fifty years to remove the ore now
in sight Of a merchantable character.
Long before it Is gone means will prob
ably have been found for the utiliza-
ton Of immense deposits Of ores that
cannot now be used, and it is by no
means improbable that the dip Of the
ore deposit will be traced at great
depths under and west Of the Missis-
sippi, and that man will claim for him
self riches that are now held to be
economically inaccessible. There is
nothing in the present situation to
cause alarm on the part Of those who do
not own the Minnesota ores-and the
men who do own them may be depended
on not to dissi pate the riches they hold
in trust for the behoof of mankind.
LAKE SUPERIOR ORES
FIRST SHIPPED IN 1850.
Fifty.six years ago the first iron ores
were shipped out Of the Lake Superior
region. The shipment consisted of
about ten tons. It was taken out Of
the north shore Of Michigan and CON
veyed with infinite pains around the
rapids Of st. Mary,s river. There was
not much Of it, not enough to attract
much attention from the iron masters
Of the time, but it opened the way to
the agitators who clamored for and
brought about the building Of the sault
Ste. Marie canal. It also stimulated
prospectors who had heard from In
dams and trappers stories Of the pres.
ence Of the same kind Of dirt and stones
at the head Of the lakes as the white
- %Larn1 81 90 siIv IN the SOuth