STATE OF MICHIGAN, from the rocks of the Upper Peninsula and in the number of tons of iron ore mined and sent to market. It exceeded all former records for the making of salt and MINES the mining of coal. AND In giving the reader a practical illustration of the volume MINERAL STATISTICS of these minerals which Mother Earth has yielded in the year, I will present the following homely pictures. The BY expression "millions" is not readily grasped in all their GEORGE A. NEWETT magnitude: COMMISSIONER OF MINERAL STATISTICS. If all the iron ore produced for the year in the State of Michigan was cast into a steel rail weighing 50 pounds to the foot, that rail would encircle the globe one and one- half times. If the refined copper taken from the mines was drawn into a No. 12 telephone wire, that wire would, reach around the world twenty-nine and one-fifth times. If all the barrels of salt manufactured in Michigan for the year 1898 were set upon end, one barrel touching BY AUTHORITY. another, it would make an unbroken line of over 1,500 miles in length, ISHPEMING: PRESSES OF IRON ORE PRINTING HOUSE, I estimate the marketed value of the minerals produced 1899. in the State for the year at $38,825,000. Of this amount I credit iron ore with $18,450,847; copper with $16,834,670, and salt with $2,686,272. Upon these the LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL estimate is practically correct. With the other prominent minerals, coal, building stone, cement, gypsum and grindstones, etc., correct figures are difficult to obtain, STATE OF MICHIGAN, but the estimate Is little out of the way. It is by OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF MINERAL STATISTICS, considerable the most valuable production in the State's Ishpeming, Michigan, June 15, 1899. history, and exceeds that of the year previous by HON. HAZEN S. PINGREE, Governor of the State of $1,450,000, a splendid gain. Michigan. In the production and marketing of this vast tonnage an SIR:—In fulfillment of the duties of my office I have the immense army of workingmen are employed. The honor to submit herewith the following report upon the principal towns of the Upper Peninsula derive their mines and mineral interests of the State. support almost wholly from the activity of the mines, or the shipping of the ores and metals produced. In no Respectfully, your obedient servant, other mining region in our own country is there a better GEORGE A. NEWETT, class of labor given place, and none of the mining Commissioner of Mineral Statistics. districts of the old world compare with it in this respect. There is a freedom from annoying troubles, in happy contrast with the conditions at other sections where INTRODUCTORY: mining forms the principal vocation of the population. The men engaged in winning the ore and metals from the rocks are thrifty, many of them possess their own homes, and all of the mining towns are models of The State of Michigan, with its forty years of great neatness. The sanitary conditions are of the best; the achiev-ments in a mining way; with stupendous public schools rank with the foremost in Michigan's successes marking every stage of progress, and with vaunted list; there are fine highways, electric lighting, each succeeding step making a new record for street railway service, brilliant newspapers, and wonderful accomplishments, has a greater story to tell surroundings such as are met with in the best for 1898 than for any preceding twelvemonth in its communities anywhere. brilliant mining history. In this time has been witnessed a greater output of those products forming the main In connection with the mines there are hospitals source of our mineralized wealth than ever before for a supported by the companies and employes in which corresponding period, and never before was equalled those who are injured are cared for and where medical the value in dollars and cents of the selling price of our attendance is also provided for the families of the men. metalliferous contributions to the world's supply. It was For such service there is a small monthly charge. the banner year in the amount of refined copper drawn Physicians and surgeons from the best institutions are Mines and Mineral Statistics, 1899 – Page 1 of 112 employed on the medical staff, and the practice is well mine rock salt by spiking a shaft to the stratum, this up with the modern school. In an industry where being an innovation on present methods, the plan now accidents are common, this is a feature of importance. observed being to pump the brine from deep borings. Of coal there is considerable, but the seams are thin, and The character of the Michigan miners is much there are but few mines showing profitable results. A commented upon by visitors to this region. It is a new industry which is now receiving considerable pleasing condition to that found at the coal mines of the attention is the making of cement from the marl beds of east and south and to some portions of the west. the lower peninsula. These are often found to be rich in In all of the mines particular attention is paid to the lime and several large manufacturies are under way. prevention of accidents and to a proper ventilation of the Cement from this marl is of an excellent quality, underground workings. The progressive managements equalling the best imported Portland. Marl beds also well understand that accidents are expensive and that occur in the Upper Peninsula, and there may be poor air is reflected in the daily output of the mine. attention given them in the near future. Some of the There is every convenience for the protection of the beds of marl are rich in phosphates and would be fine mine and to properly carry on the work of mining. fertilizers for the lands of the farmer and fruit grower. Nowhere is greater enterprise shown in the mining In the conducting of the great mines of copper and iron business than in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Here the business is gradually being centralized, and soon will can be found the best of everything needed in the be fully controlled by a few concerns. Already the great economical and safe conducting of the properties. No steel makers have possession of the principal iron other state or country compares with it in the immensity mines, having engaged in the business of mining within of undertaking or the means for successfully carrying it the last two years, and the air is rife with rumors of still to a conclusion. Here are the deepest mines in the greater achievments by those who seek to combine the world, the heaviest machinery, the greatest enterprise. big miners of copper. It is a time of combinations and Here are the mining men with capacity for planning and trusts, and it would be strange if the mining interests did executing, and due to whose ability and energy great not consolidate for their mutual protection. With the successes have been achieved. business in a lesser number of hands the indiscriminate slashing of prices which has marked the past few years The Upper Peninsula has earned millions of dollars for will not take place. It will be better for the operators and shareholders in the mining companies, and has spent for the men they employ. millions more in trying to earn other millions. Mining is a fascinating vocation. It induces the expenditure of Within the year a great gain has been made in the capital more readily than any other form of investment. amount of our export trade in manufactured iron and The elements of chance are popular, and much has steel, and it is expected this increase will be steadily been lost in the bringing of the district to its present state added to. Our manufacturers are prepared to enter the of perfection. markets of the most enterprising foreigner. They have the advantage both in natural resource mineral and in While other fields have been discovered threatening to the equipment of manufacturing plants. In respects they rob us of the honor, Michigan is still first in the lead all other nations of the world. Figures giving an production of iron ore and charcoal pig iron; is still first in idea of our gains in these lines will be found in the pages the annual yield of salt, and maintains its position as which follow and treat of these industries. second in the list of producers of copper. In quality it is pre-eminently at the head. Its iron ore, copper and salt Michigan has still greater performances than yet are recognized everywhere for their great purity. achieved to come in the future in the way of mineral production. There is yet hidden in its rock-ribbed hills The ores and metals of Michigan will find a market until valuable mines of ores and metals and stone. It will yet the exhaustion of the mines, and they will always be producing gold in paying quantity, and will furnish command the best prices in the market. I am often marble equal to the finest to be found anywhere. While asked as to the term of life of the mines. That is not much has been accomplished there is much more to be easily answered. At the present rate of production there won. There is a vast tract of country as yet practically are big inroads being made into the mines of iron ore unexplored and which will give rich return for systematic and copper, and the outlook at this time favors still and intelligent exploiting.