The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-09-25
IRON BUSINESS SHOWS GREAT
ACTIVITY

Republic Iron & Steel and OtherC Cen.
panies Put in Orders for Rush
Work at the Mines.
The morning daily contains the
verified statement by c. T. Fair
BARN, superintendent of the Re
public Iron & Steel Company that
because of the improvement in tn e
condition of the iron and steel
business that company will need
all of the ore it can mine during
the next twelve months. and in or.
der to supply the rush demand
have issued orders to proceed
with the development of the Monica
at Biwabik, the. Schley at Gilbert,
the Bray near keewatin and other
properties under the control of the
company on this range.
The cost of the development of
the three properties is estimated at
100000, which is believed. to be con-
servative, as it is likely that rein
forced concrete shaft will be nec-
essary at the Monica. The three
mines have combiued tonnage of
100000.
Since the financial furry last fall
the development work of the Re-
public Iron & Steel Company on
the Mesaba range has been at a
standstill. 1t was planned to make
an immense property of the Petit
near Gilbert, and drop shaft had
been started at the Monica when
the near.panic happened along and
put a stop to the improvements
which were employing men.
Gradually the business of the
company has approached its form
er standard and future orders have
recently come in 80 rapidly that
the company has decided to place
three new properties on the Mesaba
in the shipping list as soon as the
season opens next year.
The Monica is about three miles
from Biwabik and drop shaft was
started last fall. The operation
was not entirely successful aud it is
probable that the mine will be
equipped with concrete shaft re.
inforced with steel, similar to that
which was constructed at the Sy-
racuse mine, near Biwabik, by the
New York Foundation Company.
This concern is now putting down
concrete shaft for the Todd Stam-
bangh company on the only pro.
perty owned by it on the Mesaba
in the Carson Lake district near
Hihbing. w .~,.>-
All of the Monica ore is within
the Bessemer limit, drills having
proved up the extent and character
of the formation. The mine is a
valuable property, and it is expect
ed that it will be ready to send ou,
ore az soon as the shipping season
opens next year. Another big
active mine near Biwabik will ma
terialiy enhance the commercial
| prospects of that town. The devel
opments at the Monica will give
employment to force of men this
winter who otherwise would not be
at work in the Biwabik district
The overburden at the Monica il
comprised of quicksand, bouldere
and glacial drift. and is of such E
shifting character that drop shaft
such as was sunk at the kellogg
mine of the New York State Stee
Company, probably would not b,
OF sufficient strength, necessitatine
a REINFORCED concrete structure.
The Schley property comprises
the 40 acres directly south of tn.
big Petit mine of the Republic
Iron & Steel Company near Gilbert
where the United States Steel cor
poration has expended nearly $500.
600 in opening up a portion of tn.
vast deposits of the Gilbert mine
which is said to contain about 40.
100000 tons of ore.
Most of the ore deposits of tn.
Schley are within the Bessem
limit, but small portion ia under
the percentage necessary for Besse
ner furnaces. Work on new shat
at the Schley has been started ant
tits being sunk as rapidly as poss
ible. The ore deposits will b.
opened up in time to place tn,
property on the shipping list befor.
the season opens next year. Al
additional active mine near Gilber
will prove big factor in the pros
(perity of that already live ant
hustling village.
The Bray is on the western-ceu
trail Mesaba, where many of the or,
deposits are of low grade. 1t ad
joins the inactive Mesaba Chic
fnear the St. Paul mine at Keewatin
sOnthweat of Hihbinp and uiu .hs