The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-12-05
TRUTH ABOUT
CAYUNA RANGE
TAX COMMISSION FURNISHES CON.
elusive DATA ON ITS VALUE
SWINDLINC IS DISCOURAGED
Claims of Valuable Manganese De-
posits Totally Disproved by Ar
ticIe in Iron Trade Review

A period of golden opportunity for
legitimate expansion and development
is likely to be ac ccompanied by the
exploiting of many schemes OF very
doubtful merit and not infrequently
men who are thoroughly dishonest
are able to rob other, of hard earned
dollars When the development OF the
country's natural resources is advo-
Gated very properly, as is being done
ty many nowadays, others show won
dertul ability in deceiving those who
are looking for chances TO invest.
When, ealy in August il became
apparent that there might be con
siderable difficulty in obtaining suffi-
oient supplies OF ferro- manganese to
meet the requirements of the steel
manufacturers of the United States,
tales OF wonderful deposits OF man
ganese ore were Published. From
numerous widely separated points Of
the country came reports Of fabulous
wealth awaiting development aud
some OF the most marvellous stories
centered in the Cuyuna iron range,
Minnesota. Statements were widely
circulated as TO the very extensive
deposits of manganese ore on that
newly discovered range and it was
extremely difficult to get any kind OF
exact information. Fortunately. how
ever, the state Of Minnesota has a
Tax Commission OF great ability,
honesty and courage and the result OF
the bearings recently held following
iaborate Investigations, is that the
Commission has come 10 the conclusion
that no manganese ore IN commercial
quantity. that is, no ore analyziDg 4C
per cent manganese, exists on the
Guyana range. The so called manga.
nese ore is manganiferous ora OF
uncertain value Most OF il is toc
nigh in iron and too low in manganese
for the manufacture of ro.manga.
nsse or spiegeleisep, or when the
manganese contained is fairly high.
the ore IA 30 high in phosphorus and
silica that il cannot be- used in making
the alloys, Much Of thit manganiierout
ore is so low in iron that IL has little,
if any, market value.
The comment Of Attorney Russell,
Of Brainerd. Miun. was indeed timely,
for, after the recent Developments no
one who takes any trouble 10 investigate
Will be deceived by the false represen-
tations made hy stock selling com
panes formed 10 deal in manganese
ore on the Guyana range some OF
these companies may have been
formed in good talth and honest men
connected with them will he glad tc
know the facts as developed 10y the
Tax Commission
This latest achievement ot the Min.
ncsota Tax Commissi N is IN harmony
with its record of high efficiency. II.
stupendous work in arriving az the
taxable value OF mineral property has
no parallel in the world The entire
developed iron ore tonnage of all the
mines in Michigan could be- contained
in the open pits of the Hull-Rust and
Mahoning mines on the Mesabi range.
Estimates as TO Me e,abi tonnAges werc
originally furnished by operators and
carried as taxable tonnage until they
could be verified by the mining
proper adjustment made Professor
Il p. McCarty, of the School Of
Mines, University Of Minnesota, with
his assistants. has verified, measured
and calculated approximately one and
a half billion tons OF Mesabi and
Vermillion ore for the commission.
This ~ positive and definitely known
quantity aud not an estimate as ordi-
narily used in mine practice In the
case OF the Guyana range, the com
mi ,sion was confronted by estimates
of from 400, 000 600 10 500, 900. 900 tons
or over made by newspapers. pro-
moters, alleged experts and spectators.
One property alone was repeatedly
reported TO contain over 200, 600. 600
tons Few, IL any, Of the operators
or owners would. or indeed could,
properly estimate their developed tou.
mage and the commission called for
complete exploration drill reports and
mine maps. Then IL made It's own
measurements or calculations TO de
termine all grades of ore and classes OF
ore. The result was that the com.