1921 Duluth & St Louis County MN, Van Brunt.pdf - Garon.us

DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY 579
Including the 1 cent tax, the income to the state from this mine has
amounted to $163,532.20 in two years. This mine has been developed and its
wonderful record made, under the direction of Capt. Ed. Florada and Capt.
A. J. Carlin. A greater depth of ore has been proven here than at any other
point on the Mesabi, a vertical drill hole 320 feet in ore having failed to pass
through it.
One need not wonder why, with such evidence before them, mining
men were enthusiastic in the early nineties, as to the future of
Mesabi mining.
Captain Florada was not the man who introduced the steam
into Mesabi mining, but it was he wdio first demonstrated its great
value in Mesabi operations. Bridge's "The Inside History of the
Carnegie Steel Company" makes reference to the astounding work of
the steam shovel at "the first Mesabi mine secured by Mr. Oliver,
pointing out that 5,800 tons of ore were mined and loaded into cars by
one steam shovel in ten hours," and that the output for one month was
164,000 tons. Continuing, he wrote :
This was the work of only eight men. Three such machines * * *
mined from its natural bed 915,000 tons of ore during the season of 1900,
working day-shift only.
Still, notwithstanding that it was the second-largest shipper in the
first year, the Oliver Mining Company had only taken about three
million tons out of Missabe Mountain Mine up to the end of 1917.
The mine resumed its old activity in 1918, however, and by the end of
1919 the total quantity mined had reached 5.368,615 tons. Still, the
present rate of production could continue for many years, for there
is about fifty-five million tons still available. F. R. Mott is general
superintendent, and W. A. McCurdy, superintendent.
Commodore Mine.—A. E. Humphreys, and his associates,
including Atkins and Adams, "secured a lease on what were knowm as
the Nelson lands, belonging to the C. X. Nelson Lumber Company,
of Cloquet." As .before stated, the explorations were directed by
David T. Adams, with whom was Neil Mclnnis, and it is said that
"ore was shown up on the Ohio and the Commodore within a few days
after the first discovery on the Missabe Mountain."
"It was explored in 1891-2, and at that time known as the New
England" Mine, stated one record. Humphrey's company, the New
England Iron Company, subleased the property to James Corrigan on
November 11, 1892, on the basis of 55 cents royalty, with a first year's
minimum of 50,000 tons. The operations were in the hands of
Corrigan, Ives, and Company at the outset, the firm later becoming
Corrigan, McKinney and Company. In June, 1893, the property
passed to the Franklin Iron Company, Franklin Rockefeller being
president of that company, and Thomas Goodwillie of Iron Belt,
Wis., secretary. There being a heavy overburden, the mine was
worked by a shaft, and in 1893 exceeded the minimum, 65,137 tons
being mined. Whether the operation by the Franklin Iron Company
was merely "a working agreement." or not cannot be decided from the
papers now availa])le. The Commodore and Franklin mines, which
adjoined, were both in 1894 under the superintendence of Capt. John
Harris, and Winchell recorded that they .were then "owned and operated
by Messrs. J. Corrigan, W McKinney and l-". Rockefeller." Tiie
Frankiin property however "became involved financially," and passed
into the possession of John D. Rockefeller, and was later ac(|uired by
the Republic Iron and Steel Compiiny, which corporation still owns
the Franklin Mine. The Commodore Mine, hmvever, passed to Corrigan,
McKinney and Company, under the suiierintendence of E. D.