The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1919-12-27
rs DISCOVERY lEAD-To THE BIG
WEST SIDE DEVELOPMENT
NEW SHAFT BIG UNDERTAKING
MM Be a Continueus Barrel Of Re-
inforced conerete and One
thousand Feet Deep

The deposit known as the "Dober
Nine" in Stambaugh township has
been about mined out: tho group OF
properties commonly called the Dober
mine but officially known az the "Riv-
erton group" OF Oliver Iron Mining
Co. is far from worked out as may
be judged from the fact that the Oil
yer company Is just about completing
one OF the biggest and most expensive
tobs OF shaft sinking that IL has been
called upon to do in Michigan ~ this
group OF mines.
The name "Dober mine" has been
applied locally 20 this operation and
the new shaft 10 called the "Dober
shaft" but az matter OF fact II is
being sunk primarily 70 serve the
Isabella and Section 2ore deposits.
both OF which are continuous with
the Dober. the deposit on Section 2
being the continuation OF the Dober
deposit across the property line
While not entirely exhausted the Do
Der property has been whitfield down
to a small amount remaining, in fact
no Dobcr ore has been mined for sew
eral years
Started Wekt Side Development
The Dober mine will always stand
l. the history OF iron mining develop
mont OF the west side district as the
mine that blazed the trail. from the
fact that It was the showing made at
the Dober exploration that first turn
"a attention 10 the possibility OF ore
deposits In tho Spring Valley district
OF Stambaugh township.
In 1898 the Aastodon Iron Mining
Co made up its mind that no more
ore existed upon the old Mastodon
property adjacent TO the present viii
Iage OF Alpha. Supt. Enoch Roberts,
who was In charge at the time, had
zone considerable drilling about the
mine and In very satisfied way he
conided to the writer one day, "One
thing we may rest assured OF; there
is no more ore at the Mastodon."
That pronouncement looks funny
the light OF today's development at
Mastodon where the Balkan mine lies
upon tho old Mastodon property and
the Judson. Balkan and Carpenter de-
posits containing millions OF tons lie
Just over the line from the Mastodon.
II points to the unreliability OF any
prophecy as to the exhaustion OF iron
ore where ore formation exists in any
quantity.
Having assured themselvee that no
more ore existed at Mastodon, the
company took an option on the Dober
homestead. Nwh OF Sec. 2, AZ. "a. In
the extreme northwest corher, next
10 the Isabella mine of tho old schles-
niger group. deposit OF ore was
found which was christened the DO
bcr mine"
A few years later wlren the Oliver
Iron Mining Co took over the ol1
sehIesInger properties they combined
with them the Dober mine which was
being opened by the Maptodon COM
many tho latter 0rm retiring from The
mining buainesa with tue sale Of lts
exploration to the oliver
As q result Of the showing at the
DoDor. attention was drawn 90 the
adloinIng properties. II was just at
time when there was renaissance
Of iron ore mining on this range
Tho orsnninger Homestead % the west
was taken by the pickapdarMather
people and with their discovery OF
ore nrm on the Murphy homestead
and then on the Grinniger che boom
vas on and the west side district
came prominently % the front p an
iron ore producer.
big Shaft Project
The Oliver company did but hutie
mining az tho old Iron River mine
and later on surrendered the lease
but retained that upon tho Isabella
and the Dobor. At flrst the Dober was
shc principal deposit but gradually
the Isabella doomed up as the larger
and for the past few years the ore
from that deposit has been the chief