The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-06-16
MINERAL 1! EXHIBIT ! |! | ! I!
FOR N. Md. MEET
BESIl / !: (. tl0N N
IN MINkESS0T A
j. p. Funk and H. H. IIindshaw Are Arranging
4 Display; Process. Of Separating High and
Low Grade Ore Will Be Shown

~ - T.
j. p. Funk, in charge Of the min
erals records of the state auditors
Office, relating to the production Of
iron ore, and q: H. Hindshaw are in
the city arranging for the exhibit Of
the states mineral resources. The
exhibit will consist of q series Of
samples of iron ore and iron ore
1nateriAls, showing the methods by
-Nbeh the ore Of the future win be
pfOduced as well as samples Of the
high grade: ores which are being d.
TSetly mined. ~ r..
!: That which is considered iron ore
noN II designated Is Understandable
0SDGs Merehantable ore is that which
be mined and shipped to the
furnace at;a profit. The amount Of
tbs class Of ore known to exist and
II present taxable is about $780,
4o0, 900 tons. This seems an immense
sasnount Of ore but at the rate at
which it is being depleted it will last
1nfy thirty or thirty-five, years. On
this account the iron ore is being con-
aidered parallel with that of our tim
her resources, As being vanishing
heritage: - ->. = Z, ..-' ::
(: The main object Of the exhibit will
be to: show that such is not the case.
We have besides the great tonnage
of merchantable ore, according to-
Mr.. Hmdshaw, over one hundred
times the quantity Of lean ore which
sean be beneficiated and made ,mersh-
santable. On thesM esaba nSnke thers,
4 10 lever one hundred billion tons Of:
ttihnsssatnres which VIII yield fifty BIZ
lion tons Of high grade concentrates:
\ There are at present in existence, or
building, twenty three I washing
plants and one magnetic 'concentra- ::
ton plant, which though only intend
ed as a first unit Of a larger plant,
has: cost three - million dollars to
erect. ] 5s1 .y s.& *.
These iron ore materials are at
present being used to the extent Of
between two and three million tons
per year. These are the sandy ores
supposed to have been confined to
the, western Mesaba Range and now
being found at other points and are
treated by simple log washer. pro-
cess to remove the sandy silicious i'm
purities. The ores of the eastern end
of the Mesaha Range are magnetic
and can be separated through their
magnetic attraction. This is being
made; possible to great extent by a
great improvement in the art of mag
netic concentration which was made
by p. W.: Davis of the State School
of Mines in the form of, a magnetic
log washer The patent on this ma
chine. lis owned jointly by the state
r Of Minnesota and Mr.. Davis. The
ore product from these magnetic
beds lis Of very high grade. There
are between seven and eight billion
tons of this magnetic material. Mr..
Hindsaw of the state mineral lands
department has been perfecting a
process by which magnetic separa-
ton can be made of the hemitite,
of the main division of the Mesaba
range, which is also applicable to the
low grade ores of the Guyana and
Vermillion Ranges. The magnetism
Of the ore is attained by means of
peat and the cheapness Of the pro-
cel4smakes it applicable on a very
large scale at the present time.
AS the high grade merchantable
ores are mined this system Of util-
.izfng the low grade ores will gradu-
tally come into use without making
any perceptable difference in the pro-
duction Of the iron ore unless it is
to increase these quantities by max
ing available many sources of ore
now considered of no value. The
ores of the Messabe range by this
means will continue to produce at
the present rate for 1900 years in
the place of 80 to IS years now con-
sidered as the limit. =
It is the purpose of the Northern
Minnesota Development association
to encourage the development along
these lines to the end that Northern
Minnesota may be mining ore 1900
years instead of IS.
Sg%t The information that these gen.
Stlemen will impart to- the public thru
this meeting of the Northern Min
nesota Development association by
their exhibits, charts, maps and ad-
dresses will be new and of startling
Importance to every man in the state.
Livery citizen who can possibly at
tend the NJ M. D. A. meeting should
do so even at socrifice.