REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I916 267 



The list of active mining companies for the year included the 

 following in the Adirondack region : Witherbee, Sherman & Co. and 

 Port Henry Iron Ore Co., Mineville ; Chateaugay Ore & Iron Co., 

 Lyon Mountain; Cheever Iron Ore Co., Port Henry; Benson Mines 

 Co., Benson Mines. The last two companies were active only for 

 part of the year, the Benson mines operating only for a short period 

 in an experimental way to test the new process of mill treatment 

 that had been installed on the property. In southeastern New York 

 the Hudson Iron Co., Fort Montgomery, and the Sterling Iron & 

 Railway Co., Lakeville, maintained operations on the usual scale. 

 The hematite mines included those of C. H. Borst, Clinton; Fur- 

 naceville Iron Co., Ontario Center; and Ontario Iron Co., Ontario 

 Center. The single limonite mine near Boston Corners, Columbia 

 county, was worked by Barnum, Richardson & Co., of Salisbury, 

 Conn. 



Mineville. The most active year in the history of this district 

 was indicated by the reports of the mining companies, whose com- 

 bined output was nearly 1,500,000 tons of crude ore. The more 

 productive properties were the Old Bed, Harmony and Barton Hill 

 of Witherbee, Sherman & Co. and " 21 " mine of the Port Henry 

 Iron Ore Co. The former company also w r orked the Sherman and 

 Smith mines on a small scale. The principal feature in the recent 

 history of the district, perhaps, is the increased exploitation of the 

 low-grade or concentrating ores, which are rapidly superseding the 

 richer ores in importance. This has been made possible by the 

 extensive additions to mine equipment that enable a large tonnage 

 to be handled economically and by the erection of large milling 

 plants, of which three are employed at present in the beneficiation 

 of the different mine products. The available ore resources have 

 been greatly increased by these developments and a long life 

 assured for the district. 



To facilitate ore shipments from the district, extensive ore docks 

 and loading machinery have been erected at the* lakeside at Port 

 Henry, which through the New Champlain and Barge canals has 

 direct water connection with the important furnace centers on the 

 Great Lakes and with the Atlantic seaboard. A fleet of barges is in 

 course of construction by Witherbee, Sherman & Co. and will be 

 employed in transporting the ore to market and in carrying coal or 

 other freight on the return trip. 



Cheever mine. This property was again placed in operation, 

 after a shutdown of about two years, and since has been working to 



