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

DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY 581
that ever lived, for he possessed a wealth of human kindness, an inexhaustible
fund of humor, and one of the noblest hearts that ever beat in sympathy
for others.
The compiler may, perhaps, be pardoned for so diverting. As
"Leases and sub-leases have
to the Ohio mine, Winchell wrote in 1895 :
been made and forfeited upon this
present is unknown to the writer."
property, and its exact status at
It seems that two parties had a lease to the property, and both
subleased to the Ohio Mining Company. S. R. Ainslee, of Chicago,
leased to the Ohio Company on March 29, 1892, at a royalty of 25
cents. And on June 13th, following, James Sheridan and John B.
Weimer, who seemed to have established some right to the property,
leased it to the Ohio Company at 65 cents, with 150,000 tons minimum,
and $15,000 advance royalties. Trouble seems to have followed the
promoters. On March 31, 1894, the decree of court forfeited interests
of Sheridan and Weimer in Ohio Mining Company's lease, "in default
of lease of June 24, 1892."
Weimer, however, was, from the beginning, involved in the
attempt to exploit the mine. They found the ore, but before mining
decided to strip the property. Before they could complete that work,
the money panic of 1893 set the Ohio Company on the inactive list.
John B. Weimer had undertaken the stripping contract, but he failed
for a like reason. Then followed the years of deflation, the period in
which Mesabi ore could not be mined at a profit. Eventually, it
became evident that small independent companies could not live, and
the Ohio stock was swept into the Rockefeller holdings, passing
eventually with his other property to the U. S. Steel Corporation's
mining subsidiary, the Oliver Iron Mining Company. The mine has
only been worked spasmodically. Up to 1900, 540,514 tons had been
mined; in 1900 the output was 172,597 tons; but no more was mined
until 1905. Eight hundred thousand tons was worked in 1907, but
since that time the mine has only been worked during one year. 1916,
when the shipment was 23,665 tons. It must therefore be considered
as one of the reserve properties of the Oliver Company, there being
about four million tons still available.
Lone Jack.—The Lone Jack mine adjoins the Ohio. The property
was owned originally by Alonzo J. Whiteman, of Duluth, who seems
to have leased it (or sold it) to John T. Jones and D. T. Adams.
Another account states that it "was owned by A. J. Whiteman, who
sold it before iron was discovered. A lease was taken by David T.
Adams, James Foley and associates, who explored it and soon found
.ore." The Merritts also were interested in it originally, a lease passing
from them to N. D. Moore and J. F. Foley, thence through Humphreys
to Lone Jack Iron Company. The Lone Jack Iron Company was
formed July 24, 1892; the incor])orators were A. K. Humphreys,
George E. Milligan and Arthur Howell :
—
and the capital was $.=^00,COO.
Two inclined shafts were sunk preparatory to mining by Captain
Foley, but the properties were brought into the Mcrritt group to be
consolidated, when the Merritts were struggling to extricate themselves
from their finapcial difficulties. They failed and their options
passed to Rockefeller. The properties also eventually became his,
by purchase from D. T. Adams and others. I'.ventually. the Lone Jack
came under the control of the Oliver Iron Mining Company, present
owners.
Less than 200.000 tons have been mined siiice VKX>, and there
is still as much in the mine as has been taken from it. The available
deposit is 2,329,356 tons ; the quantity mined is 2,20r>,292 tons.