The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-12-28
LON MERRITT.


Ore has the following to say of Lon
Merritt the original trail blazer"
of the Mesaba range mining district.
Claude says it in his quaint manner
in rejecting on the opening of the
paved highway, across the range re-
Gently celebrated. He said:
''In those far-off days there were
no trails in northern Minnesota
where now are to be seen the finest
of graveled and paved highways,
and the timber cruiser and prospect
or carried his home on his back in
a packsack-he knew how to mix a
hammock in the f1oursack, and he did
i, because it was the only bread OBJ
tainable for months. at time
When Lon Merritt tramped the big
woods there was little faith in the
commercial value of the iron ore
found in northern Minnesota, and
the doubt was increased by volum-
nous report issued by the state
geologist. But Mr.. Merritt didn't
accept the biologists report as the
truth, and he persisted in his ex-
plorations.
after much persuasion he inter
! ested capitalists arnegie and
Rockefeller, we think it was-one of
them anyway-and being thus sup.
piled with the money necessary to
the work he soon proved to the most
skeptical that there was iron ore in
| paying quantities." and of high
commercial value. Then followed
the rush of 1928.
"Of course Mr.. Merritt made g
fortune out of his discoveries vol
will say. He did not. It would
seem that there was wealth enough
to go round, but he was unfortunate
In the selection of his partners in
the enterprise, and like many Other
business ventures, the man who die
all the hard work carried all the
real grief got the little end of the
deal. But it did not harden the
kindly heart that beat under the ole
Mackinaw jacket. He made the
best of conditions as they existed
and never pestered anybody wifi
whining about the raw deal he wa.
given. Instead, he found lots Of
good things in the old world, better
than riches, and he coupled up will
them, and has lived a happy anc
contented life ever since.
| Lon Merritt may be an old man
probably is in years, but he doe.
not look lt-except for the splendic
white that crowns his citadel of in
tellect. He went through hardship
experienced by but few men wht
lived through them, yet today he r
the picture of robust health and h,
has kindly smile and a warm hand
shake that carries the sunshine in
to the dark places. He is a goot
man to know, and better friend M
man ever had.
when the bronze statue of Gov
ernor John A. Johnson was erecte,
at the entrance of the state capito
building, the committee in charg,
made four smaller bronze statues t.
stand at the base, portraying tn,
leading industries of Minnesota am
one of the four is Lon Merritt. tn,
Rrospector. We say sis" becaus,
IL IS statue of the intrepid explor
er, made from life, and those VIII,
know the original will easily recog
nlze the aptitude of the sculptor
1t shows Mr.. Merritt in his wood
uniform, packsack, explorers picl
and all, and will stand throughou
time as monument to man VIII.
is entitled to more than he received
for uncovering one of the creates
treasure store houses of the worlt
the Mesaba iron range.
! Can you picture the thought
that passed in the mind as he Jour
neyed across the range in the bis
motor car? Did he dream of suci
things thirty or forty years ago al
he sat by his campfire in the solem,
still of the great foresto As h,
rode along today did his mind turn
back to the day when ne lived foI
months at time practically aIon,
in the wilderness, miles and r.ile.
away from human habitation? W.
wonder. And yet it seems but {
step of time when Lon Merit
! cruised the deep jungles in hi.
search for iron ore and today wher
he travelled through cities alive will
! great industries and nervous com
mercial activity on all sides. Il
surely must be great satisfaction
to him to know that he was in al
the very start, one of the real max
ers, and that his life has beer
spared that he can enjoy the fruits
! of his faith.