The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-06-10
Mining in
Iron Mines
AIDescription of Iron Mining in
Northern Minnesota by
Practical Miner.

Practical Miner.
Paper Read Before the Chautauqua Circle.
Nlnety-seven miles north of Duluth,
Minn., there is little town, Tower, two
miles from which there are iron mines
at place called Soudan. Eight years
ago when was the e this location had
a population of about 1000, of different
nationallties. There were Englishmen,
Germans, Austrians, Swedes, Norwe-
gians, Finlanders and Italians. Some
of these people lived in houses built by
the Company, others lived in houses of
their own. Most of those who owned
houses kept boarders. There are three
churches, large schoolhouse, a postof-
flee and hospital there and two brass
bands. There are also number of So
cieties. If member of the society got
sick or if he got hurt and was not able
to perform his daily duties, they gave
him compensation of so much day
until he got we'll. If the case was
serious one they provided him with
nurse. Two members are appointed to
visit the sick and look after their wants
and comforts. In case of death the So
ciety gives the dead man religious
burial and every member is compelled
to attend his funeral. If he was
married man his widow, if single, his
relatives or to whoever he willed them
gets certain sums of money, from
$4,000 to 100000, as the case might
be.
The climate up there is colder than
here. In the winter time there are
heavy snowstorms snd the temperature
re aches from 40 to so degrees below ze-
ro. The summer is nearly the same as
here, only shorter. There are forests
with hills and swamps, in which all
kinds of berries grow abundantly, and
are full of game. And there are large
lakes for sailing and to satisfy the fish
erman.
All the people in this locality live on
the wages earned in the mines. At the
time mention four of these mines
were in operation.
In writing this paper my Intention
was to tell you something about the
mines; what kind of work is done there
and how it is performed For my sub
ject have taken one of these mines II
Tower, MINI, where the ore that il
taken out is hard and solid. For an il
Iustration, take a vein 400 fett long
100 feet wide and 100 feet deep. I'm
agine this as a solid mass and you viii
have a fair picture of the ore vein
which lie under the ground in this re
gion. If the ore is not to be found OF
the surface by which to judge how tn
vein runs, the Company will use dia
mond drills, and bore holes as deep a
600 feet into the earth. By this the
will find what kind of substance is be
dow and how it lies.> When this is SUI
veyed they begin to sink shaft abOu
so feet from the vein lengthwise. Th
dimension of a shaft inside Of tn
frame work are generally 6x8 fee
Two rooms, each 5x6 feet are used fo
cages and the third one for ladde
road. In case of an accident on tn
cages or in the engine house the miner
can climb up and down on this, an
mule drivers on Sundays to feed tn
mules.
In sinking shaft there are eight me
employed foreman, four miners an
three trainers. When it is about
feet deep, then come the timberme
and a surveyor to put in the first tW
sets of timber. Each set, consists 7.
fourteen pieces, two twenty feet lon
four eight feet long and eight 4 or
feet in length, and so on. Every tin
they put in the timber they put in tV
sets. This frame work is hung on ire
bolts and wedged tight on all sides wi
slabs and wedges. When they q
about 80 feet below the surface tn
may strike solid rock and the wat
begins to run in. Now is the tin