The Ely miner., 1930-10-24

heaviest steel and double track, the
railroads of the world.
The first ore shipped from the state
averaged much higher in quality than
that taken today. BY improvements in
mining, shipping and furnace, a lower
grade of ore now may be used
Some 20 years ago there was eStim-
ated to be 1,250,O00,000 tons of mer-
chantable ore left in the state. Be
cause of the improvements referred to,
the discovery of new deposits, the ex-
tension of ore bodies being operated,
and methods of benefication practiced,
the remaining tonnage today is but
little under that of a score of years
ago, even though in the meantime
700,000,000 tons have been removed.
Research and discovery thus have
prolonged the life of the industry of
the state
Besides the tonnage of ore now
known to be merchantable there are
many billions of tons of low grade iron
ore and iron bearing rock in the state,
that science may compel to give up its
iron, just as it has extracted values
from the ones mixed with fine sand
and those carrying excess moisture
S4olC Olldll OllC-Ullllo VI oil VI Z
shipped from Minnesota in 1929, first
passed through treating plants before
entering the channels of the steel in
dustries.
''The State of Minnesota owns ap-
proximately one-eighth of all the iron
ore bearing lands of the state. In 1889
all minerals were reserved when its
lands were sold in Cook Lake, and st.
Louis Counties. In 1901 this reServa-
ton was extended by law to all lands
sold by the state.
1.-The policy of leasing state iron ore
lands as against their sale was adopted
in 1889. Several hundred leases were
issued before the law was repealed in
1907. The rate of royalty was Is cents
per gross ton. Under these leases
more than 100000 900 tons of ore have
been shipped The supervision of op-
erationS under the leases was placed
in the State Auditors Office. At an
early date he adopted the policy OF
conserving all sub-standard ores by in
sisting that they be stocked on state
lands if necessarily removed in mining
operations. In underground mines, low
grade ores, Gaping merchantable ton
nageS, are left in place with the sup
porting better grades, if there is fair
presumption that all will be merchan-
table within a reasonable time. Dead
lines" are drawn through the deposits
within which no lean ores are to be
undercut and caved. Ores not capable
of present known methods of benefi-
cation, necessarily removed in open pit
mines are classified as to structure and
iron content and stocked separately
Iron bearing rock is not capable OF
concentration by present methods
hence when moved from it's place in
the open pits, it is stocked by itself
Private fee owners are practicing
the same system of conserving all pos
sible low grade ore and rich taconites
are in stock on the ranges.
1.-The University of Minnesota at its
School of Mines and at the Mines EX-
pertinent Station is doing much good
work in the way of utilizing the SUBJ
standard ores. The Legislature pro-
vides small fund for this work, but
the school cooperates with the mining
| companies in working out new pro-
cesseS. From a scientific standpoint
any iron bearing material may be made
| to surrender its iron, at least in g
| laboratory. What remains to be done
| is to devise means of doing this work
| on commercial scale.
"At the rate merchantable iron ore
is being shipped from the state, 40,-
0G0.000 tons annually, the high grade
| ore will be exhausted in 30 years. A.
one of the largest fee owners of iror
ore lands, as well as custodian of the
best interests of all the people, the
state should through some presen
agency engage in research for the bene.
flciation of the low grade ores anc