The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-09-08
THE FUTURE OF THE
STATES INNING INDUSTRY
To Conserve Mnnesotas Vast Mineral Resources An Intel
lgent Use of Low Grade Iron Ore Should be Evolved
At the Present Time.
By RICHARD r. BAILEY, Virginia,
Member of Conservation Commission.

When the subject of conservation is
brought up. We inStinctively think OF
forests and very naturally so. Without
forests and all else that goes with
them, shrubs, bushes, mats of leaves
and needles, and so forth, no wild life
useful to man can long exist Even the
rivers, lakes and springs appear to
become less attractive and the fishing
uninteresting. The prairies substitute
in the place of forests the dense growth
of grasses to shield the soil from the
fierce heat of the summer and so act
somewhat as sponge to hold back the
water for plant and wild life.
The people of northern Minnesota
see the effects of denuding the land of
forests, in drying up of lakes and
streams and the gradual diminishing OF
fish and big game.
Forest, game, fish and in a measure
lakes and streams may be brought back,
but it takes years and much money.
Areas for forests, game refugees es-
tablished, lakes and streams must be
relieved of pollution and their water
sheds covered by suitable trees and
shrubs. The drainage of SWamps, if
done at al, must be studied as to their
effect on feeding and breeding grounds
for wild Life and for storage basins TO
hold back water for streams and lakes
during the dry seasons. Lakes and
swamps must be planted to such food
plants as will attract game fowls and
Mi l. AL,
animals and that worst of all Scourges
OF live things, the forest fire, must be
controlled. The foregoing calls for
earnest thought and the expenditure OF
large sums of money over a goodly term
of years before full returns can be
hoped for, but when done, generations
to come will reap the harVeSts of good
We are now planting.
We Of northern Minnesota have
another resource that must receive its
share OF attention, the great iron ore
deposits. Unlike all the other branches
OF conservation, iron ore cannot be
reproduced if once destroyed or allowed
to become mixed with sand and useless
rock while mining the better grades of
ore.
The mining engineers who have made
a close study of the ore deposits of
Minnesota say there Is evidence of
other fields Of possible iron ores in
Minnesota outside those of the Yer
million, Missabe and Guyana Ranges.
The evidence so far known indicates
that the ores are not as high grade
as those from our shipping mines
These probable ore fields of the state
have not as yet attracted much at
tention, so need not concern us greatly
at this time, as the ore, if it does
really exist, will be there undisturbed
when it Is needed.
Our concern now is the retention of
the great iron ore industry where it is
now situated. The facilities are all
there with which to carry on the
business on an enormous scale. II
nothing Is done to prolong its life here,
all the vast equipment, such as ma
chinery. railroads, towns and cities for
housing and caring for the workers,
must be strapped before its usefulness
Is ended, and the great cost of re-
building in the new fields undertaken.
All Of this reconstruction must be
charged against the value of the ore
In the new fields and thus place a de-
cided handicap on it at the very start
1t must be borne in mind that the cost
OF producing an iron ore determines its
merchantability. If the cost Is high,
the grade OF ore must rise also. As the
grade OF the ore rises. the tonnage of
available merchantable ore decreases
rapidly. 1t may continue to increase
until the mines of particular district
cannot produce an ore of sufficiently
high a grade to permit shipment.
Other fields with an inferior grade of
ore and lower costs may be able to
compete. In other words, every time
the cost OF producing an iron ore in
Minnesota Is increased, ores in other
states or countries are given just that
much more Of an advantage. It op-
crates much like providing other ore
producers with bonus equal to the ad-
ditional cost placed on Minnesota ores.
Scientists tell us that the iron ore
deposits Of Minnesota are but small
punches OF ore in the great iron bearing
formation and have been concentrated
by nature through the ages. They also
say that there are billions Of tons Of
lower grade material that Is but par
tally concentrated today. Much Of
this would be disable In its present
state II the cost of producing were not
so great. With every small reduction
IN the cost Of mining a ton of ore In
Minnesota, enormous tonnages of here
tofore non-merchantable ore becomes
mineable.
Mine operators have been aware of
this Tor years and have made a SYSTEM
attic study Of the cost of production.
The results Of this have shown them
selves in the improved and enlarged
machinery used in late years. The small
steam shovel Of twenty years ago has
been superseded by the three-hundred
ton electric shovel, the three-yard
stripping car has been retired in favor
OF the thirty-yard air dumping car. and
the hand shovel in under ground
mining by the electrically operated
slusher. Large sums OF money have
been spent in concentrating plants
which improve the grade of the ore.
All this oyror1;k,.--