The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-07-25
WONDERFUL RESOURCES
OF IRON MOUNTAIN
Millions Of Dollars Taken From Its Vast
Wealth Has Only Scratched It's
Surface" Good Roads Meeting

nOleS Jhat nave already Deen SUNK,
that there are yet untold millions of
dollars worth of that valuable ore
there yet to be mined. In fact, not
withstanding the millions of dollars
of ore that was taken from that enor-
nous deposit by the original COM
pany, an inspection of that great
mountain of ore is sufficient to con-
vice one that only the surface has as
yet been Scratched" That is also the
opinion Of many mining men who have
examined the property, as 1t is also OF
the present owner.
Since Capt. Elledge came Into pos
session of this property within the
past few weeks, he has had a road
built to the summit of Iron Mountain,
so automobiles can be driven up with
ease. There has been installed
tram railway, on which has been low
cred at an angle of about fortY-five
degrees, to the waters edge, fifteen
horse power engine and other heavy
machinery to empty the immense ba-
sin Of the water which has been accu-
mulating there for years. The water
in this basin, which was formerly the
principal mine workings, is about 300
feet long, 200 feet wide, and about 80
feet deep. This water seeps into other
shafts where number of men are
already at work, and as Capt. Elledge
is going ahead in permanent man
ner, he at once concluded that the wa
ter would have to be gotten rid of,
hence the great preparation to that
end. The pump has already been
started, and Capt, Elledge estimates
that the great reservoir will be emp
tied in about fifteen days, the pump
running continuously. Thus will be
eliminated what has long been an al
most insurmountable handicap to the
expeditions taking out of mineral
there.
From the great height on the peak
of Iron Mountain a superb view is to
be had of the 10000 acres that COM
prise the Iron Mountain tract of land,
In the center of which is the noun
tais, the acreage extending two and a
half miles to the north, east, south
arSi west--a domain five miles square.
This is the great acreage on which
John 7. Burks recently secured five
year lease, at $4,000 a year. About
5000 acres of this land is now in a
splendid state of cultivation, while
about 1000 more acres, now in tim
per- IS goou tillaple iaho. ne t ien.aa,
ger Is PraGIicaiiy az eoou e SUI
lahd, capaoie Oh Ieeulng enough meat
10 supply great army. Mr. MeHee,
VINO Ior some tiine pasC was resluenI
agent OF thls extensive properly, III
taking TO the wrlter, stated tnat ne
was convinced tnat .ne properly was
now nov IN Ine Iahos n oI two iheG--oape'
hlleuge ana 9ohn l. nurksIwhose su-
perlois coulu not pe l9uhu anywhere
lor the success!ui "orhlie anu man
agement OF tnelr respectiye holuings' X
noth are capaple oi producing ehe
niaHimluln n1 amount ol returns, I .nii'hs es
MT: Mchee, VINO says ne Is % pleased 70 70
relinquish the immense properly 10
t"o'such capable ana worthy citlzehs'
1t will long continue to be source
Of utmost surprise to The Times how
few "slickers" can come into this
community and dispose Of mining
stock, of doubtful or questionable
value, in Oklahoma, Wyoming, Colo
rado and other distant fields, to the
amount of hundreds of thousands of
dollars, while right here at home,
practically in their own door yards,
has for ages quietly. reposed Iron
Mountain, holding within her bosom
perhaps greater wealth than will ev-
er come from any one of those So
called great mining regions. 1t is on
ly necessary to give a few figures,
taken from the books OF the original
Iron Mountain mining company to
give slight idea OF the output that
may soon be reasonably expected
when working conditions are perfect
ed. .r-tl
The last two years that company's
books show 100000 tons of the finest
iron ore shipped from Iron Mountain,
selling for $1.63 a ton, or 80 cents
profit on each ton. Of course labor
was then vastly cheaper than now.
But also was the price OF iron ore
cheap in comparison with present
priceS---$S.60 ton, Put Sl.6O a ton