The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1910-05-28

Catherine Mining 8 Exploration Com.
panv VIM Eventually Use Steam
Shovels In Baraea County
Mine.

PMv WIZ 4veusunAxy UoS osCum
Shovels In Barasa County
Mine.
From the mining Journal, Ishpeming Depart
ment, Nay "a.
IF the iron business continues pros
porous for few years, the district
west of Michigamme will be active, and
there will eventually be large forces of
men employed there" said Martin
Voetsch, q wellknown L'Anse man,
who was in the city yesterday. Mr..
voetsch is interested in the Catherine
Mining company's holdings, also the
Spur property, in that district. 1t
was largely through his efforts that the
Catherine company was organized, and
he was also responsible for the leasing
of the Spur to the Jones furnace in
terests, of Iron Mountain.
The property being explored and de-
veloped by the Catherine company was
formerly controlled by the Stewart
Mining company, which has its head
quarters in New York city. The Stew
art company had not done any work
there for number Of years, but would
not sell the property outright.
Mr.. Voetsch said that in all probable
ity the Catherine company will mine
ore bv steam shovel next season. The
Catherine adjoins the Niagara Mining
company's Portland property. where
two shovels are now in use, stripping
the overburden and loading ore. The
overburden at the Catherine varies in
depth from two or three feet to thirty
or forty feet. The management be-
lieves that there will be considerable
saving in mining with shovels. The
shaft sinking at the Catherine, which
was started some two months ago. has
been discontinued temporarily, and the
entire force is now working in the pits
that are being sunk to test the ore
bodies. The Catherine ore, like that
produced at the Portland, is leaner near
surface than at depth. The leanest of
the Catherine ore runs about 52 per
cent. in iron, and the better grade will
average about 81 per cent. Nearly all
of the ore in that district is high in
phosphorus, but under the present
method of treating ores this is not the
Objectionable feature that it was when
these properties were formerly oper-
ated, some twenty-five years ago.
Mr.. Voetsch said that there are i'm
mense bodies of ore in that district and
he expressed belief that it will not be
long before some of the mines will be
operating on a much larger scale than
at present. The Catherine company in
tends to continue operations both win
ter and summer, but does not expect to
ship much ore this season, as there is
much development work to be done.
When the ore is blocked out it will be
possible to secure much larger output
and at considerable reduction of cost,
compared with what can be done at
this time.
The Catherine Mining company and
the Jones interests have entered into
an agreement to conduct exploratory
work on the Spur and Catherine pro-
perties jointly. The properties adjoin
each other, and the ore, especially that
near the surface, is similar in quality
on both. The Spur was at first oper-
ated on an open pit plan, but for some
time before work was suspended by the
former operators underground mining
was done. Four shafts were sunk in
the open pits, one of them to a depth
of nearly 200 feet. The Jones interests,
Mr.. Voetsch said, do not care particu-
larly for the high grade ore and at the
start they will mine the ore that lies
nearest surface. They can treat an
ore that runs rs per cent. in iron as
cheaply as one that goes 60 per cent. or
better. The only difference is that
there is greater quantity of Stag to
handle from the low grade ore than
from the high grade.
Mr.. Voetsch expressed the opinion
that the Portland is going to be big
mine. The shovels are now working at
two points, and it is the intention of
the management to remove the over
burden the entire distance between
them and to put in pit on the plan of
those opened at the larger Mesaba
range properties. The Maas estate of
Negaunee owns the Portland fee.