The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-05-02
IRON ORE MINING
OUTLOOK IS BAD
LACK or SALES BY IRON COUNTY
/. MINES LEADS TO cURTAlLMENTs
MBs CLOSED DURING WEE'
Operating Properties Are Skating Along
on Thin Ice Waiting For Better Times
With Wage Cut Imminent

me pHloVh III AAvh AAHANA - A~N
county has not been SO blue since the
sprfslg Of 1898 as il is today In 1908
there was a lull and sales Of ore We're
held up but there was not the wide
spread apprehension that exists today
nor was there the suspensions OF oper-
ations nor so many idle men as there
are in the country today.
During the week the Chicogan Lake
mine of the Rogers Brown Iron Co.
closed operations and il Is rumored
that the Forbes mine of the Jones q
Laughlins 90. will close tonight. Both
of these properties are located in the
west side districts but their suspension
has its effect here as the men made
idle by these suspensions flock to other
q parts seeking employment.
LOCAL MINERS SREPTICAL
In the local field the operating mines
have not ceased to any extent but the
local operators feel that they are skat-
ing along on thin ice that is apt to
break through at any time. The
Bristol is shipping on a small order
that will soon be filed and then /
means to go stocking again and the
stock pile is already overfiowing. The
Armenia is WORKING on its last gasp
so there is not much probability of
that property closing until it Is closed
for good as the amount of ore IN sight
wouldn't warrant unwatering 1t
again. The Dunn is also working In
small way under conditions that
are some whatsimilar.
The Judson is continuing its de-
velopment work, This property needs a
lot of work yet TO get 1t in shape to
ship ore when the demand comes so
that, uuless there is panic, which
doesn't seem probable. and money Is
impossibleFto to get. the Judson will con-
tinue to work right through
The Balkan is q pusy place just now
because of the stripping work and
will continue busy place all summer
This work will do much TO absorb the
floating labor
The Carpenter is not yet developed,
being somewhat in the condition OF
the Judson, and operations will un-
doubtedly continue until the mine is
ready TO produce ore on basis that
will make it a paying property.
The Ravenna is further developed
and would be liable to be affected
more than the other mines outside Of
the Bristol. bat operations continue
there and there is no talk of any shut
down.
LABOR PLENTIFUL
Labor is more plentiful and more
considerate than IL has been since the
panic of 1893. One year ago common
labor was commanding in this vicinity
from So. 25 to 80 per day. Today a
large amount of labor can be had al
si.75. IL is not the price that is paid
labor but the return that one gets for
the price paid that is of the greatest
consideration and employers Of labor
tell US that the return has not been "a
satisfactory in ten years as ii is today
A man having a job, now wants tc
hold IL and don,t,soldier on the job.
WAGE CUT TALK
The recent poor showing of the Steel
corporation has brought about wage
cut talk in iron manufacturing plants
but so far there has been no talk OF
wage reduction in the iron mining
region Most operators ieel that there
will be none that il il becomes nee.
essAry ojreduce further, men will be
put short time and more return
axpected from the days work thar
formerly which would mean the same
as wage cut. Miners can't live on
any less wage than they are getting
today, that fact is recognized. The
putting of the men on short time
would be catastrophe fully as great
~ asSage cut.
Short time has been resorted TO Al
the Penn Mines at Vulcan. 80 we are
told, in On effort 70 keep all the men
earning something and 20 reduce tbs
product This measure has been re
sorted TO to some extent Ia the Mar
quette range also.
NO ORE SOLD
The iron men say that no ore hal
been sold so far this year and none II
liable TO he sold unless there is pick
ing M y the demand for the finished
product Just now the mills are runn
ing AZ about 30 per ceut Of their nor
NAL capNcity and furnaces are blowing