The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-04-24
DAILY HOIST or SOME MINES. ONLY.
BEING SHIPPED
THE IRON MARKET IMPROVES
Larger inquiry for Pig Iron is Manifest -
Prices on Iron ore Have Not Been
Fixed Yet.

AANl' % ~ NHAHSe " report III Ahc
local mining situation. ore is being
forwarded from the pockets Of the
Dunn. Tobin, Bristol. Holiister and
Gibson mines and at the last named
property small stockpile is being
loaded,
No orders have been received to ship
any Great Western ore yet and the
mammoth stockpile is increasing in
size daily An eyes are fixed upon
this.property as il is the one that has
the largest force OF men and is located
right in the city, which means more
TO tho business welfare Of the COM
munity than do the outlying mines.
A few men, mostly miners we're laid
off at this property during the week
but the operators say that the curtail-
ment IS not significant OF anything in
particular excepting that some changes
are being made under ground
One thing that retards shipping is
the uncertainty OF what the lake sea-
men will do. A strike was voted by
the union during the week. contingent
upon the vesselmen attempting TO car
~ out the open shop policy. How
ever, no boats are running yet so there
is no opportunity to gauge the strength
Of sincerity Of the vesselmen.
Most Of the ore that has been load 20
far is being held in cars along the sid
ings and no ore was dumped into the
docks at Escanaba until last Thursday.
The Iron Market looks healthy ac-
cording to the last issue of the Iron
Trade Review which says
Following the recent improvement
in tonnage of finished products sold,
increased business isssbeing enjoyed in
the pig iron market. but competition
is keen. and very low prices are being
made on northern pig iron and on fin
ished products. The United States
steel Corporation is working 65 per
cent of It's capacity. with the Ensley
plant still in operation.
Inquiries for pig iron are much
more numerous, and represent leading
electric. radiator, harvester ana cast
iron pipe interests. as we'll as a vast
number of smaller concerns. Sales of
southern iron have continued at sat
isfactory rate. and the $li Birmingham
price for No has practically disap-
peared The scarcity OF the lower
grades of pig iron in the south is
noteworthy feature. Among impor-
tant purchases were 10. 900 tons by the
Westinghouse Electric a. Mfg. Co, and
inquiries include II, 900 tons from the
General Electric Co. 10, 0OO tons from
the American Steel boundaries. and
"a. 900 tons from the Massillon Iron 8
Steel Co The prevailing quotation in
the valley Is Sl4 for No ., but some
interests are asking more. On the
whole, the pig iron situation is much
more encouraging
oped in steel bars, and for prompt ship
ment / l0c Pittsburg IL the prevailing
price, while on contracts up TO Jan. /.
ll5c is asked The result of competi-
tion is especially noteworthy in rein
forcing bars. Prices on bar iron are
irregular. Prices Of billets are also
being shaded, and sales in the Chicago
district have been made Mt about g.
below the recently announced prices. =
IRON ORE.
"A Pittsburg firm having large iron
ore and blast furnace interests. reports
sales amounting 20 about 300. 600 tons
of iron ore at last years prices, but it
is understood that an exchange deal
was involved. ana the sales cannot be
considered to mark the beginning Of
buying movement, or as fixing ore
prices for this year, concerning which
the leading ore interests have not
reached conclusion. The appearance
OF the United States Steel Corporation
IA a seller OF boundary pig iron from
it's Bay View. Wis, stacks has caused
the expression. ON the part OF some
merchant furnace interests having ore
deposits, Of their intention to count
their own interest only in participat-
ing In consultations concerning ore
prices
GERMAN COMPETITION
"A striking illustration cf the com
petition that might be expected II the
tariff bars were let down IL shown by
the fact that on recent order for steel
pipe placed by a Canadian mining in
terest. German pipe makers made the
low quotations at a price below the
American cost Of manufacture Rail