The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-03-28
Normal to Heavy Shipping
of Iron Ore is Predicted
Oliver Far Ahead in Tonnage
for Last Year But p. M.
Works Most Mines.

The oliver Iron Mining company was
far ahead in 1889 in total tonnage
shipped from the Lake Superior dls-
trict, but the Pickands, Mather & Com
panv operated the most mines, figures
compiled by Skillings' Mining Review,
Duluth trade journal, reveal.
Fluctuation in activity during the
past two years has been less on the
Vermilion range than on any other
range in the district.
All told, 1899 shipments showed an
increase of 1873 per cent over 1888.
There were II more mines in operation
last year. On the Vermilion range, the
increase was So per cent, the smallest
gain of all The Marquette range in
Michigan showed the greatest gain,
232 per cent.
Interlake navigation should open
about the middle of April, Skillings'
predict, and continues that the coming
season may range from normal to a
very heavy movement of ore.
The outlook can be better gagged
after the political conventions in June,
the magazine states, showing the ire
mendous effect a presidential election
has upon the business life OF the ma
ton. The demand for iron and steel
products for war purposes will have
considerable influence upon the ship
ping.
Movement of ore to the docks, which
always precedes the start of shipping
undoubtedly will commence the first
of April.
A normal shipping of ore would be
between As million and so million tons
while so million tons or more would be
considered a heavy shipment Only
during seven seasons have sixty mil
lion or more tons been shipped, they
being 1916, 1917, 1918, 1920, 1928, 1925
and 1887. The record was set in 1925
when 66,157,359 tons were sent to lower
lake points.
The Zenith mine here, operated by
Pickands, Mather, shipped 463,833 tons
in 1889, its biggest year since 1916
The Pioneer mine of the Oliver, how
ever, lead the Vermilion range with
566171 tons.
The Oliver shipped 40.8 per cent Of
all the ore sent from the lake superior
district last year. Next in line was
PickandS, Mather with 1916 per cent
The former operated 81 mines, while
the latter lead all others with %. Ac-
tual tonnage was 18,569,809 for the
Oliver and 1882 ,O85 for Pm.
A newcomer into the shipping pic
ture on the Vermilion range was the
Chandler Mining company, subsidiary
of the Evergreen Mines company OF
Crosby, which put the old Chandler
properties into production last year fol-
the first time in many years. Ely's
original mines, they poduced 81 ,254 tons
The outlook for the Chandler here
is particularly bright, with extensive
operations predicted for the coming
season. A new concentration plant ha:
been erected during the winter in the
Spaulding location and it is expected
to have it in operation by the time
shipping is inaugurated. The plant viii
make possible the use of low grade ores
Large companies accupy the same
positions in percentage of the total ore
shipped year after year. In 1881 the
Oliver sent out 48.5 per cent of the
total, its highest point in recent years
While the Oliver showed slight
drop in it's percentage of the tota
shipped for 1889 over 1888, the Pickands
Mather company showed a gain. Two
years ago the former sent 400 and las
year 4O.8 per cent, while the latter
shipped 1873 in 1888 and 1876 in 1889.
Last year the Oliver shipped 80 PEI
cent of its total from the IA mines or
the Mesabi. The MisSabe Mountain
at Virginia was the leading producer
with 2,739,250, and the Hull Rust a
Hibbing, second with 1851 ,464. APP
proximately half of the Pm. tonnage
of 8,952,085 was sent from the Mesab
range This company is the only one
to operate on all six ranges.
Twenty-Five companies operated last
year as compared with 10 the year be-
fore. Smaller groups ship only wher
the market improves. In 1889 the
Cleveland-Clif Iron company, which
has mines on the Mesabi, Menominee
and Marquette ranges, was in third
with 10 per cent of the total.