Another was built, in 1854, by a company from Worcester, Mass., but so small was the production that in 1856 the shipment only reached five thousand tons. The superior qualities of the metal began to be known. Other companies were formed and improvements made; railroads and docks were constructed, and the production has had a steady increase, till it has reached a high figure. There are fourteen companies engaged in mining,--two have just commenced, while the others are well developed. The production of the twelve principal mines for the year 1868 will be seen from the following figures:-- Tons. Jackson, 131,707 Cleveland, 102,213 Marquette, 7,977 Lake Superior, 105,745 New York, 45,665 Lake Angeline, 27,651 Edwards, 17,360 Iron Mountain, 3,836 Washington, 35,757 New England, 8,257 Champion, 6,255 Barnum, 14,380 _______ Total, 506,803 The increase over the previous year is between forty and fifty thousand tons. The yield for 1869 was about 650,000 tons. The entire production of all the mines up to the close of 1868 is 2,300,000 tons. Iron mining in this region is in its infancy; and yet the value of the metal produced last year amounts to _eighteen million dollars_. The cause for this rapid development is found in the fact that the Lake Superior ore makes the best iron in the world. Persistent efforts were made to cry it down, but those who were engaged in its production invited rigid tests. Its tenacity, in comparison with other qualities, will be seen by the following tabular statement:-- Swedish, 59 English Cable bolt, 59 Russian, 76 Lake Superior, 89-1/2 When this fact was made known, railroad companies began to use Lake Superior iron for the construction of locomotives, car-wheels, and axles. Boiler builders wanted it. Those who tried it were eager to obtain more, and the result is seen in the rapidly increasing demand. The average cost of mining and delivering the ore in cars at the mines is estimated at about $2 per ton. It is shipped to Cleveland at a cost of $4.35, making $6.35 when laid on the dock in that city, where it is readily sold for $8, leaving a profit of about $1.65 per ton for the shipper. Perhaps, including insurance and incidentals, the profit may be reduced to about $1.25 per ton. It will be seen that this is a very remunerative operation. About one hundred furnaces in Ohio and Pennsylvania use Lake Superior ore almost exclusively, while others mix it with the ores of those regions.