DISCOVERER OF IRON
ORE MESH RANGE
CROSSES THE DUE
FROM FARM BOY TO MEMBER OF
MIMNNESOTA LEGISLATURE
HAD GREAT CAREER
PANIC STRIPS HIM OF WEALTH
Mammoth Industry Developed from
Discovery Second Only To
Agriculture.
DULUTH, Minn., May 10. (JP)—Le
onidas Merritt, Who in 1S82 discover
ed the first iron ore in the Mesaba
range, died today of heart disease.
Leonidas J. Merritt tapped one of
the world’s richest iron deposits but
a twisty of fate prevented him from
reaching unmatched financial heights,
a reward once just beyond his grasp.
He opened the first, iron deposit on
the Minnesota Mesaba range, a feat
which not only materially revolution
ized the iron mining industry in the
United States but paved the way for
a mammoth Minnesota activity, now
rated second only to agriculture.
“Lon” Merritt, as a mining industry
knew him, was on the road to untold
weath when the panic of 1S93, coming
just three years after the discovery,
stripped him of his holdings. They
went by mortgage to eastern capital
ists.
Merritt, who was associated with
his eight brothers, refused to despair
at the sharp reverse, which came near
his fiftieth year. In his early eighties
he actively pursued the duties of Du
luth city finance commissioner, al
though then a comparatively poor j
man.
Born on a farm in Chautauqua coun
ty, New York, February 20, 1844, Mer
ritt came to Duluth with his father,
Louis Howell Merritt, in 1855, on the
first upbound steamer that looked thru
the canal at Sault Ste. Marie. His
education was obtained in the small
settlement schools at the head of the
lakes.
As a member of the Minnesola leg
islature, an honor which followed his
successful explorations, he sacrificed
valuable time during the period pre
ceding the 1893 panic, arguing in the
lower house for appropriations to per
mit the state to acquire ore lands.
He was partly successful and the
property thus purchased have enrich
ed the state by millions of dollars and
bid fair to continue producing indef
initely.
An active career as an Indian fight
er and a woodsman prepared the pros
pector for the hardships incident to
the five-year period of exploration in
the wilds of northern Minnesota which
preceded the ore discovery. The Mer
ritt brothers sank test pits until their
diamond drill on November 16, 1890,
struck the first major ore vein.
Work had only begun, for unsolicit
ed advice from “experts” and geolo
gists confused prospective investors
and the Merritts, themselves virtually
penniless after their long search, en
countered a long period of idleness be
fore sufficient funds to mine and ship
the ore were obtained. In the mean
time, they utilized their genius as or
ganizers before the then infant indus
try started functioning.
Fnally enlisting thenecessary finan
cial support, railroads were built, ma
chinery was hauled into the bleak, un
inviting northland and scores of skep
tical miners finally were induced to
begin work. Once underway the in
dustry thrived and the Mesaba range
became one of the best in the world.
But the fatal test was yet to come.
The blow fell in 1893. Jay Cooke,
railroad builder and financier whose
FAMOUS VIOLINIST
assistance had enabled the Merritts
to advance when others balked, was
enveloped in the crash. Heavily mort
gaged, the Merritt brothers’ proper
ties quickly passed into the hands of
the moneyed interests. They salvag
ed nothing. Debts pressed from all
sides.
“Lon” Merritt, the family’s leader,
managed to recoup some of his losses,
permitting payment of the remaining
$1,500,000 of indebtedness. This he was
able to do thru his intimate knowledge
of the -mining country.
The story is told that the Merritts
failed because of loyalty to their home
city of Duluth. In making concessions
to permit Duluth to compete with its
sister city, Superior, as a leading ore
shipper, the Merritts inadvertently 1
weakened their then none too secure
financial structure, opening the way
for the subsequent disaster.
They asked permission of the Duluth
city council to route their railroad
thru the city. This was refused for
some Teason and the dock line was
started into Superior as a quick out
let was necessary. Duluth had a
change of heart and the Merirtts, ac
ceding to pressure, shifted the road
to Superior. This necessitated in
creased investments which proved too
great a strain when the crisis came.
"The facts well told." Subscribe
to the Seward Weekly Gateway.
[ aoamsior ]
ladies haircutting
and shawrooing.
; CLEAN SANITARY BATHS \
i Jess Lander, Prop. <
c
The New Howard-Jessoa
Coal—Try It.
Healy Lamp, Nut or Mine
Run
Evan Jones Lump or Mine
Run
Nanimo Rangre Coal
In Sack or Bulk
WOOD, ICE, HAY AND
GRAIN
Transferring — Teaming
ALASKA
TRANSFER
Telephone—Main SI
ARCADE BUILDING
H. y. Hoben. A. F. Davis
.
y
|
Carnation Safeguards
its Milk Supply
For 26 Years Alaska's Favorite Milk Supply
CARNATION field men daily work to pro
tect you who depend upon Carnation
Milk. They visit dairy farms where fresh
milk for Carnation is produced. They inspect,
advise, assist, check. Carnation standards are
extra high.
Creamy-delicate, double-rich, with that
finer-than-ever taste, Carnation Milk improves
all cooking. No wonder it is the world’s larg
est-selling brand! To enjoy it you must in
gist upon Carnation at your grocer’s.
Carnation Milk Products Co.
1060 Stuart Bldg., Seattle
Carnation Milk
"From Contented Com”
Reac taw mOt
bit
The Alaska Rmlnmi
TRAfWS LC^M STW**D
7:3C K. m.
WIONDAVB AND THURSDAY'S
TRAINS ARRTVt SEWARD
7:» R. VR.
WEDNESDAYS AND SATc RDAV*
|C.M.B.
Builder^
Hl fiH DOl GHERTY
o houses row newt
1U
WNVS\S\SS\NS%SSSS\%\%%%%
r©©5> row THOUGHT
AjT'cx .'snaio^r fow MSDoa fee; of
t mbpy r» Mi 1*« *mr to
?«T*»oe *■«* iwtrcr^ hr deoar
USE SUPENtON CEVENT AND
HAVE NO DECAY
t
ford cars
Nrrn on
Two Door-$520 $560
Fordor Door-565 660
Coupe - 500 520
Toning _S10 25*)
Kanboot _230 260
ALL FRICES F O. R FACTORY
SEW ARD MACHINE SHOP
Ford Authorized Sales and Service
>
STEAMSHIP STARR
Cajvt. 0. A. Johsasesi.
XEXT SAILING STR. STARR OUT OF SEW VRP
For Bristol Bar derinc first in June
sui m fishihe i mm a
C Mermt Ajrcnt
°HWE “*» ifRAlia ALASKA
fc
—
» m m-rnn
ALASKA STEAMSHIP CO.
:
Yassai
Yakor
Alaska,
North-western
Yukon
Seb*6n}ec
1*. Sm±i'Jx
Mar f
Mar is
Mat ££
Mar »
ScfcedaM
Se. ran SrwaM
Mar u
Mar 22
Mar »
Jaae C
A, H. me DONALD,
SERVING ALASKA
F^ejfuiarjy and JJep endah/y
S.S. AOWRAl WATSON
Sails from Seattle Arrives Seward Sooth Seward
May ?_ May IS May 21
S*S, ADMIRAL EVANS
May 25 lose 1 Jane 4
• Cosjaectiag with train.
WAYNE BLUE, Agent
Telephone Main SI
Residence Madison «#
P»aftc Coastwise «Ser**«_
^admiral line
I H.F. ALEXANDER