Evening star., 1917-11-11
Copyright, 1917. by Frank q. carpsntef.)
VIRGINIA Minnesota

VIRGINIA. Minnesota
UR war in Europe depends not
4" only upon the men behind the
IL III guns. but also upon the men
W behind the men behind the
guns. The latter class includes our
mighty Industrial army on this side tho
ocean. 1t includes the men who are
working the farms. factories and ma
chine shops, and last but not least,
those who are working the mines. 1t
is Of one division of our mining soldiers
that am writing today. 1t Is OF the
men who are getting out iron ore here
in northern Minnesota There are more
than 10000 Of them in this district
alone, and they are furnishing the raw
material for the steel that makes the
guns the soldiers carry. the projecttles
which are thrown into the trenches, and
the mighty tanks which. like cars of
Juggernaut, crush to death everything
in their way.
From here comes the material for our
battleships. our airplanes and all OF the
various kinds of motor transportation.
These soldiers are now digging out the
ore for the steel rails OF the new roads
Of France and Belgium and for the To-
comotives which will run upon them.
They are preparing tho way not only
for the defeat OF our enemies. but for
the rehabilitation of the fair lands and
peoples which they have SO wantonly
laid waste.
80
The mining army is now under the
direct command Of Uncle Sam and It IN
as live a factor in the situation Of to-
day as the soldiers we are training to
g. Y%
ganized. Every mine Is surrounded by
guards and the danger points have fed
eral soldiers to aid the local police The
ore ports of Lake Superior demand cre-
dentials and passes from every one who
comes near the docks. and the water
ways from here to the steel plants are
protected by the United States and Ca
madam armies. This is especially no.
ticeable at the 500. where there are
camps along the canals on both sides
OF the boundary. and at the unloading
docks and steel plants in the great
cities of the lower lakes. 1t is also in
evidence at the open pit mines and ore
piles where they are taking out iron.
and 1 have hardly been able to pick up
piece Of Minnesota ore without a DO
hceman appearing beside me.
1t is impossible to picture the activi-
" now going on in the iron regions
about Lake Superior. We are just at
the close of the open season and all
have been getting out ore as never be-
1ore. The output last year was more
than 66,0O0.O00 tons. and this has been
largely increased since we have active
Iy entered upon our war in Europe
There has been one continuous sue
cession of ore trains moving from the
Mesabf and other ranges down the
mountains to the ports. and the hun
dreds OF great ore steamers have had
the fires blazing away under their
boilers ever since they ploughed their
way through the ice for their first car
goes last spring The mine operators
are now preparing to carry on some
open pit work during the winter They
will strip the earth for new deposits,
and. the underground mining, which
usually supplies about one-third of the
output. will be pushed to the full. In
this the miners will do all In their DOW
er. They are full Of patriotic enthusi-
asm and that although many of them
come from the nations with whom we
are fighting.
According to recent statistics made by
tenths of all its employees on the Mesa
bi range are Europeans. Fifty-six pei
cent are Austrians. a little more than
IL per cent are Italians and II per cent
are from Finland. The same proper
tton probably obtains in the mines OF
the other companies. At the beginning
of the war it was feared that a large
number of these foreign 1aborers would
go back to Europe to Join their colors
but time has shown that they prefer te
remain here. and they are now working
to supply the materials for the Amer
lean armies.
AS to the Austrians. the most of then
their country IN Joining the Germans
and they. a. well as the ether foreign
ers. show . strong spirit, Of Americap-
ism. The region has furnished msnJ