The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1909-09-17

Weekly new companies are being
formed to explore and develop on
the Vermilion range and options on
lands in the promising belt are
hard to secure. Most of the con-
Germs being organized are going at
the work of exploration with vim
and the effects cannot but prove OF
benefit to the range, the property
owners and the people in general.
While many companies are be-
ing formed and much prospecting
must necessarily follow, the idea
must not become prevalent that
each and every one is destined to
show up mine. The prospects on
the Vermilion range are brighter al
present than for a long time past
Ore indication are numerous and
every indication is in prospect Of
being looked into, The obstable
heretofore most frequently encoun-
tered in doing work on this range
was the enormous cost. The Mes.
aba range has furnished chance tt
cheaply prospect and investors con
sequently turned their attention tt
the newer and cheaper proposition
The Mesaba, at the present time
does not offer the chances the Yer
million does and again attention il
being diverted to the older range
The cost of exploration, however
remains the same and possibly long
before tangible results are obtained
many of the new companies will
have become played out from q
financial standpoint.
Be this as it may, the revival of
interest in this range will have
manifold benefits to its credit.
There are some who profess to be-
lieve that the present furry in Yer
million range properties might have
a tendency to retard development
as the mushroom boom is not of a
lasting character. Should, how
ever, the present activity add one
producing mine, the effort would
be we'll repaid and the future of ex-
ploratory work would seem much
brighter. We still stick to the be-
lief that the Vermilion range and its
towns will be here long after some
of the others are nothing more than
has beens. There must be i'm
mense bodies of ore on the Vermil-
ion which have not as yet been
shown up and it is confidently ex-
pected that the present activity will
show up some of them. Vermilion
ores are of the best grades and al
ways in demand, in fact it is claim
ed that the furnaces must have
more of it in order to get a proper
mix for the cheaper Mesaba grades
and keep the manufactured iron
and steel up to the standard.
Last week the Owens develop
ment company began work on the
Roy property in 4-61-15. The ex-
ploration at present is being done
by means of test pits and later a
shaft will be put down from which
drifts are to penetrate the surround
ing area. Some ore has been found
on this property by previous work
Thos. Owens, of Two Harbors, J.
c. McGreevy, Louis S. Loeb and
H. ]. Grannis, of Duluth, are the
company. The same company has
acquired some neighboring lands.
The White Iron Lake Mining
company have begun exploratory
work on the Lachance claim adjoin-
ing the Roy and North American
properties. The company expects
soon to also resume work on their
property on section 2 near this city
where they will continue the shaft
to the 800 foot level and drift.
The North American company
has a crew of men building roads
and getting in shape for sinking
the shaft as soon as the drills locate
the ledge. Five holes have been
sunk in the search for the ledge
and some ore has been found in
each it is claimed.
The drills at Mud Cteek are still
working and the reports from there
are daily better. This property is