Mining Companies: Schlesinger Syndicate

The Schlesinger Syndicate owned about a dozen mines in the Menominee Range and in the Negaunee area. The Syndicate also owned 6 lake freighters and for a brief time a railroad from Antoine to Escanaba, Michigan.

Notes

Time Line

1890. August. The name Ferdinand Schlesinger, of Milwaukee, has during the past season become inseparably connected with the non-Bessemer iron ore mining industry of the Lake Superior region. This gentleman is at the head of the Schlesinger Syndicate which owns and operates the Chapin, Florence, Iron River, Claire, Youngstown, Dunn and Armenia mines of the Menominee range, and the Queen, Prince of Wales, Buffalo and South Buffalo mines of the Marquette range.

It is understood from inside sources that this syndicate has contracted to furnish 2 million tons of ore this season, and that up to August 1 the contract had been more than half filled. Not only does the syndicate operate its mines, but it owns and runs its lake carriers, and is now constructing a railroad from Escanaba to Iron Mountain for the purpose of handling its Chapin ore. Fifty-two miles of this line are under construction. The roadbed is nearly completed and by the opening of another spring will be tracked and ballasted. The Milwaukee & Northern railroad will lay the rails and operate the line. In addition the syndicate now has under construction at Escanaba a dock of 25,000 tons storage capacity, and capable of handling 1 million tons per season. It will be ready for use in 1891. The road will be in full operation at the opening of the next shipping season.

In addition to the fifty-two miles now being constructed, a survey line has been run from Iron Mountain to Crystal Falls, a distance of thirty miles, tapping the remaining mines of the syndicate on this range. This line will be the next to be constructed. The supposition is that another branch line will be run from a point between the Ford and Escanaba rivers to some point on the main line, with the branch tapping the four syndicate mines at Negaunee. The operations of this syndicate show that it is placing its property upon a permanent working basis, and that it has faith in the non-Bessemer ore market. [DD-1890-0823]

1891. January 10. Ferdinand Schlesinger has retired from the presidency of the mining companies controlled by the Schlesinger syndicate. John Scott, the new president, had been president of the Escanaba Iron Mountain & Western railroad before his appointment. All of the other mining properties have been transferred to M.A. Hanna of Cleveland, a prominent ore agent and wealthy capitalist. It is noted that the syndicate also owns the Hydraulic Power Company, Inter-State Transit Company (ships) and the Ashtabula Dock Company. [INR-1891-0110]