Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1925-03-05

stone In Montana Tor lux The rail-
road sidstracls going to the iron
mines viii have to be biult along snd
on this limestone, and the limestone
for flux viii be hauled to blast fur
mace on the same trains iron ore =
hauled.
Economic Conditions
The center Of the iron and steel II
dustry in any country is bound to
eventually gravitate to that locality
where the raw materials, iron ore,
coking coal, etc. are Of the best quail
ity and sufficient quantity and can be
assembled cheapest at blast furnace.
All the raw materials for making
steel, iron, ore, cOking coal, lime
stone. manganese, chromite, natural
gas, crude oil, and cheapest hydro
electric power-all are punched" near
Great Falls as they are nowhere else,
as far as known. on this earth's sur
face.
In the manufacture Of steel, vast
amounts of power are required, and
vast amounts also in the manufacture
of iron and steel products as automo-
biles and all other machinery. The
Montana Power company is prepared
to furnish very cheap hydro-electrIc
power at Great Falls, in practically
unlimited quantities for all these pur-
poses.
Assembling Iron Ores
All are perhaps familiar with the
cost of assembling the iron ores Of the
Lake Superior districts and the cokes
Of Pennsylvania, which are by rail and
water some 1000 miles apart, more
or less. The ore has to be hauled
from mines to Lake by rail, trans
ferred from car to dock, transferred
from ore dock to boat, carried by boat
to lower lake parts, transferred from
boat to ore dock, transferred from ore
dock to railroad and hauled by rail to
the blast furnaces at Pittsburgh and
vicinity.
The average quoted prices Lake
Superior iron ores, on dock at lower
Lake ports, during the last few years
have been about as follows:
Old Range Bess, So per cent iron,
$500 per ton.
Mesaba Bess, 55 per cent, 1918 per
ton.
Old Range nOn-Bess. 81 IL per cent
iron, $3.50 per ton.
Mesaba no-Bess, So per cent iron,
$500 per ton.
The above prices are on the dock at
Cleveland, Ohio; then, there has to be
added to the above prices, the rail
freight per ton from Cleveland to the
furnaces at Pittsburgh and vicinity.
It takes about two tons of the ores
as now mined in the Lake Superior
districts to make one ton Of steel; SO
it is evident that the cost Of the iron
ore alone, to make ton Of steel al
Pittsburgh, is around $500.
On account of the higher grade OF
Running Wolf iron ores, it would take
only about 5-s tons Of Running Wolf
ore to make a ton Of steel; and as the
coking Goals are in close proximity 10
the iron ores, the blast furnaces would
be near both the ore and coke, and
the necessary Running Wolf iron ore
to make a ton Of steel would not coss,
delivered at furnace, 10 exceed $500.
Eastern steel manufacturers draw
their supplies of manganese ores
chiefly from South America, and
Mediterranean ports at cost Of $25
to $S5 per ton according to grade,
while the steel works at Great Falls,
owning its own manganese mines m
Montana, would deliver the same
kind of ore to its furnace for So or so
per ton.
AS for chromite for making chro-
while Eastern steel makers
derive practically their whole supply
from foreign countries at a cost OF
about $1s to $25 per ton, the steer
maker of Great Falls, owning his own
chromite mines in Montana would de-
liver Chromite ore at his furnace for
about So or 81 per ton.
In the light Of the foregoing facts
It must be patent to all, that steel can
be manufactured cheaper at Great
Falls by about $40 per ton than at /
Pittsburgh, Pa
Automobiles can be made cheaper
It Great Falls than anywhere else on
earth, owing to this cheaper steel ana
heap hydro-electric power. If one au-
manufacturer comes here, all
others who wish to enjoy the western
market win be obliged to come here
,lso.
Practically all mining and agrieul-
sural machinery is now made in the
sast and shipped out here, because