Show DEPLETION OF IRON ORE MINES in utah and the west of late a struggle has been going on for the possession and acquisition of practically undeveloped areas containing deposits of iron ores and this effort is not confined to individuals as it is a well known fact that well known and gigantic companies are in the field and that a small army of experts are searching every nook and corner of the west for desirable deposits of this commodity of lats late the daily and weekly press have teemed with notices of the purchase of mines productive of iron ores many of these mines being located in utah in the east the fear is expressed that it will not be many years before some other metal will have to be used as a substitute for iron as in industrial pursuits the bation of iron is becoming so enormous as to threaten the exhaustion of the visible supply it being estimated that the available supply at the present time ranges from I 1 to tons utah in this calculation being credited with about tons in commenting on the growing scarcity of iron ores an eastern commercial paper says everything must come to an end even the iron ore resources of the united states which are now bein being so heavily drawn upon at the present moment iron ore of a high grade is being used up at the rate of more than tons yearly and the total for 1906 will be far in excess of that the production of pig iron is a good barometer by which to judge the consumption of iron ore in 1905 the output of pig iron was tons and as it takes approximately two tons of ore to make one ton of pig about 46 tons of ore were used last year the productive capacity in december last was at the rate of tons of pig yearly which is equivalent to tons of iron ore high grade ore is a necessity where steel and iron ore ars required high grade low grade ore is expensive in every way and nd will not be touched until producers of compelled to resort to it new pig nig iron are uses for iron and steel are being found every day and the demand is far greater than the supply every plant in the country is being pushed to its utmost st capacity and improvements and enlargements are being constantly made one of the most expert ore ora and steel men in the united states said yesterday it will be but a moment until the consumption of high grade iron ore 3 reaches tons a year and the end will almost be in sight what are we to do |