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

DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY 585
ing $30,000 each, and the latter $65,000." The mine was opened in
1901, and became a shipper in 1902. Captain Joseph Roskilly was in
charge. The mine was worked steadily until 1915, at the end of which
year there was only an available deposit of 25,000 tons. Nothing has
since been shipped and Pickands Mather and Company have given
up the lease.
Larkin Mine.—This mine, as the Tesora, was explored by Capt.
M. L. Fay, and the Tesora Mining Company was formed to operate
it, Captain Fay and W. H. Yawkey, the fee owner, constituting the
company. They sank a shaft in 1906, with the intention of mining the
ore, but an opportunity came to lease it, which they did to the New
York State Steel Company, the mine then being changed in name to
the Larkin, under which name it has since been known. Mining
began in 1906 and ended in 1913, a total of 204,837 tons being mined.
No further quantity has been proved up.
Onondaga.—The Onondaga mine, a small property, was operated
by the Republic Iron and Steel Company for six years, which ended
in 1913, but only about 200,000 tons have been mined.
Columbia Mine.—The Columbia mine, north of the city of Virginia,
was explored for A. E. Humphreys and his associates in 1900.
They sold the property, or the lease, to the Inter-State Iron Company.
A shaft was then sunk, and shipments began in 1901, but mining had
to be abandoned because of "the great volume of water encountered."
Another attempt was made in 1905, but only 1,500 tons had been mined
when mining ceased. Nothing has since been done with the property
which eventually, presumably, will be made to yield its four million
tons deposit. The Inter-State Iron Company still controls the
property.
Quantity Still Available in the Virginia District.—It has been
stated that there must be at least three hundred million tons of ore
still unworked in the Virginia district, and the probability is that
when that quantity has been mined more will still be available. Mining
cannot be claimed to be carried on to the limit of production at
present, but from the Virginia group in 1919 about 2,500,000 tons of
ore were shipped.
Mining is not the only industry of Virginia, by the way, but it
is undoubtedly its mainstay.
Municipal History
Growth of the "Queen City."—Virginia was "nothing but a dense
and untracked forest in 1892"; in 1920 it was the fifth city of the state.
In 1892 its bank deposits were almost nil ; in 1920 they were $4,300,000.
In 1893 it had the use of one room for school purposes; in 1920 the
cost of one school only, of the fourteen owned by the Virginia school
district, was about $1,500,000. There are as many teachers today in
the Virginia schools as there were pupils in 1893. In 1892 there
was one little portable sawmill; in 1920 Virginia could be- ])roud of
the fact that within the citv limits is the largest white pine mill in
the world. In 1893 about 230,000 tons of ore were shipped: in 1920
about two and a half million tons were mined, at which rate of shipment
the ore deposits already proved in the Virginia district will last,
probably, for more than another one hundred years. \'irginia had one
building for public pur])oscs in 1893—church. lecture hall, concert
room, community center; today there arc a dozen substantial church