The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-08-25
NATURE KIND
To MINNESOTA.
STORY ON MINNESOTA IRON BY
ONE OF STATES BIG MIN
ING MEN.
(by F. A. Wildes.)

(by F. A. Wildes.)
Nature did much for Minnesota
when the earth was young, and the
habit thus contracted early in life
still continues.
the great iron ore deposits Of the
state from which hundred millions
of tons of steel have been made.
The purpose of the sketch is to
give a brief account of the origin
of the iron mines without exhaust
ing the technical vocabulary Of the
geologist or chemist.
The commercial deposits of iron
ore are found in the Vermilion,
Mesabi and Guyana ranges.
Vermilion range extends from
western Lake County, southwes::
into st. Louis county; the Mesabi,
south of Vermilion range, crosses
Cook, Lake and st. Louis counties
into Itasca 20 a point southwest of
Grand Rapids, and the Guyana
range is found in Aitkin and Crow
Wing counties.
Diary in Four Parts.
Iron ores and iron bearing forma-
tions are found in many other por-
tions of the state, but there are no
operating mines outside these ranges.
Geology is the science that treats
of the history of the earth as re-
corded in the rocks. Nature has
been particularly careful since the
beginning of time to record all her
activities.
This diary or history is in the
form of the rock formation care
fully arranged in chronological or
der. The book of geology for con-
venience is divided into four prim-
airy chapters, superimposed one
above another.
These chapters are called eras
and are made on the basis of the
indications of life shown by the
fossils found in rock of that time.
The oldes: and lowest is known as
the Primary or Proterozoic and
covers the time from the solidifying
of the rocks to the first signs of
life.
This Era Important.
This era is a very importan. one
for Minnesota because during the
Algonkian periods of this era the
iron bearing rocks of the state
were laid down upon the GRANTEES
and green stones of the Archean
period Immediately preceding it.
1t was during the latter part of
this era or chapter that the out
pouring of Duluth gabbro, described
later, changed the character of the
iron formation of the eastern
Mesabi district, and brought into
Minnesota the titaniferous iron ores
of Cook and Lake counties.
The foundation of the granite in
dustries of st. Cloud and Orion
vile, as well as that of the sand
stone industry of Kettle river, were
laid during this era. First .he
granite of Ortonville were deposit
ed, then the states of Carlton fol-
lowed by the st. Cloud GRANTEES and
lastly the sandstones.
Fish Appear.
The next chapter in the earth's
history is called the Paleozioc.
During this time other sandstones
were laid down, shell fish and land
plants appeared.
The Mesozioc era followed with
reptiles, birds and animals appear
ing and many trees as we know
them flourishing.
The Cenozoic is the last and rep
resents the time from the first ap-
pearance of man on the earth 20
the present time.
Father Time was not hustlinp in
those far off ages if we are to be-
heve the biologists who claim 20
have checked up on him, for they
assure US that not less than So
100000 years elapsed during the
passage of the earth through the
hrs: era, from II to 25 million
during the second, from four to
ten, the third and from one to five,
the fourth.
Among the First.
The iron ranges of Minnesota
were among the first lands to ap-
pear above the waters of the sea
and hence are older than many of
the mighty mountain ranges of the
world. This uplift enables to ex-
anime in cross section the rocks
laid down during the several eras.
Many theories have been adj
vanced as to the methods employed
by nature in depositing the rocks
from which the iron ore of the
state have subsequently been de-
rived. From casual study Of sew
eral authorities it would appear that
as .he motion mass of the earth
cooled, elements in the form. of
gases, condensed into liquids and
solidified as granite made up of
quartz, mica, etc.
The action of the elements broke
off parts of the mass and ground
.hem to powder. This pulp was
built into the shells Of primitive