The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-11-19

u IhS SiSoI uioIiiSC, VI WIN nave
watched the development there as in
terested observers. 1t is a far cry
from the laboratory of Houghton
James, which was located in the Man
building in Duluth, and the
plant which the Mesabi Iron Com
pany is building, to cost several mil
lions of dollars. F. B. Spelman of
Duluth, who is one of the pioneers of
the Eastern Mesabi, and the late
Houghton James, conducted many
experiments in the latter's laboratory,
concentrating the magnetic iron ore
by the use of a common magnet.
That was some % years ago, and now
millions of dollars are being expended
with perfect confidence that these
low grade ores may be treated COM.
mercially. Mr.. lacking, who has
long been prominent in the copper
mining industry, is at the head of the
Mesabi Iron Company.
Men, like Spelman, are entitled to
much credit. He was the third man
to undertake to develop ore of COM
mercial grade on the Eastern Mesabi.
He operated under the name of the
Spelman Mining Company, and with
him were others interested in the
quest. Peter Mitchell was the first
to try and locate ore of commercial
grade, by digging of test pits, and
Captain Wicks was second. Mr..
Spelman was the next to invade that
field. Twenty years interviewed be-
tween the advent of Peter Mitchell
in quest of iron ore and the appear
ance of Mr.. Spelman, the former in
1872 and the latter in 1892.
When the Spelman Mining Com
pany got ready to invade the Eastern
Mesabi, Mr.. Spelman cast about for
a mining engineer and engaged w.
L. Honnold. The selection was made
upon the recommendation of E. J.
Longyear. 1t was Mr.. Honnold's
first employment after graduating
from the Houghton Mining School.
He and Mr.. Longyear were class
mates
Mr.. Honnold was much impressed
with the Birch Lake district. He
declared that it contained an enor-
nous tonnage of iron ore, and that
the only question of that time was
to locate quantities of commercial
grade. It will be understood by most
people that % years ago little atten-
ton was paid to the concentration of
iron ore. The energies of the ex-
plorer, and promoter of mines, were
directed to the discovery and devel-
opment of ore ready to ship and for
immediate use in the furnace. But
the tremendous extent of the low
grade ore of the Eastern Mesabi,
even in those far off days, suggested
to the imaginations of the explorers
that the day would come when this
ore would be concentrated. This fact
is proven by the experiments of Mr..
Spelman in the James laboratory in
the early nineties. 1t is also recalled
that David T. Adams, Judge Ensign
and others of Duluth sent half a ton
of Eastern Mesabi ore to New Jersey
for treatment in what was then called
the Finney concentration, designed to
treat magnetic ores.
Every step in the treatment of
these Eastern Mesabi ores has given
some need of encouragement, and
strengthened the belief that these
ores would one day be treated COM
mercially.
1t has laways been the belief of
Mr.. Spelman, as it was of Mr.. Hon
mold, that iron ore of commercial
grade, in commercial quantities, ex-
lists on the Eastern Mesabi in connec-
ton with the great tonnage of low
grade. Ore running 55 to SO per
cent metallic iron has been found in
places, and the great territory occu-
pied by the Eastern Mesabi magnetic
may have surprises in store.
Mr.. Honnold, whose first employ
ment after completing his mining
school education was on the Eastern
Mesabi, was destined to become very
prominent and very wealthy. He has
an Office in New York but is now in
Paris. For a few years after his
employment OF the Mesabi, Mr.. Hon.
mold was for a time at the Pioneer
mine on the Vermilion range and
later at the Mahoning mine. He
then went to South Africa with Rich