Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-03-20
Villas RICH IN MINERAL
Indications Point to Discovery
of Iron Ore Equal to That
of Messaba Range Sixteen
Miles North of Eagle River.

The two north tiers of town
ships in Villas county are now
considered by experts to be extra
valuable in rich deposits of iron
ore, and, it is claimed by a few,
that when this bed is opened it
will equal the famed Messaba
range. Activities in real estate
within the past year will bear
out this assertion.
Beginning in January, 1911. a
crew of field experts begun oper-
ations from Lac Vieux Desert
west and during the months that
followed up to about October,
1911 ten months) worked their
Investigations beyond Manito-
wish and Mercer in Iron county.
The dip-needle was in daily use
on the entire course and from
what has since been learned there
is an assurance that active oper-
atoms will begin this spring.
Early last winter and spring
land values along the shores of
Lac Vieux Desert wherein heads
the Wisconsin river began to
get active. 1t did not appear to
be what the real estate was
worth but was it procurable at
this moment. In almost every
case It was procurable
and was picked up, the grantee
being Frederick Ives Carpenter
of Chicago. Mr. Carpenter, up
to some time last spring was a
professor in the Chicago Univer-
sity. but resigned about the time
this change in Villas county real
estate actively opened up.
Sales III real estate doomed all
the season and were in all cases
madein a westerly direction from
Lac Vieux Desert. Nearly every
piece and parcel of land was
either purchased outright or the
mineral rights were procured.
4 strip Of real estate averaging
three-lourths of a mile broad and
fortv-two miles in length 1.-THE
entire length Of Villas county east
und west between ranges 20 and
HI has been picked trp by MIR.
Carpenter in this county. Mr.. Car
penter's Villas county holdings
now aggregate 1900 acres.
How many acres have been Sc
cured iii Michigan on the east
and in Iron county on the west
of Villas, is not learned at pres
rnt, but is said to be very large.
For the past two years experts
have been prospecting for this
ore BODY on the Michigan side OF
Lac Vieux Desert. not a great
many miles from the Indian vii
lage. Inside information is Civ
en- to the News that drilling viii.
begin near Donaldson this spring
in order to test that portion OF
the alleged ore bed.
According to reports now be
ing circulated the range, which
extends from northern Michigan
through Villas, Iron, Oneida and
Price counties, is declared by en-
thusiastic spectators to equal
that of the Mesaba claims. Land
which was not considered worth
SIS en acre is selling for $40 and
more. According to reports more
than 1000 acres have been &C
guired BY Chicago interests.
Large sales aggregating 5000
acres have been reported by J.
Harrigan. a former Iron county
resilient, now in the west; The
Brooks & Ross Co, and the E
T. Staples Co. 1t is declared by
prospectors that the ore at iur
tie lake. in the heart OF the new
range. lies but thirty feet below
she surface.
Some time ago it was extens
ivelv formed that the John y
Rockefeller interests were quietl,
purchasing all the available cut
over lands offered for sale IN lro'
county in the vicinity OF the Mer
Ger lake region and even as ia
north as Pine lake, and now hav'
many thousands Of acres undo
their control.