“There is also an electric cleaner that collects the iron that is left in the corners of cars. Those devices save iron. Strange as it may seem, however, not all iron will respond to the magnetic cleaners.”
“Is there,” asked Dr. Crandon, “any danger that the iron in the world will be exhausted?”
“I hardly think so,” answered Mr. Prescott. “The available ores, in the single range that we were talking about this morning, run up into the trillions of metric tons.”
“I read something the other day,” said John Bradford, “about some iron that had been found in Sweden, up beyond the arctic circle.”
“That,” said Mr. Prescott, “is one of the most extensive deposits in the world. The countries of the western part of Europe draw upon that supply.
“It is very likely that we haven’t found all the iron yet, and even more likely that we shall find a way to make use of the poorer ores.
“By the way, Billy, there is one kind of iron called ‘iron pyrites.’ It looks so much like gold that it has deceived many a poor fellow into thinking that he had found gold. It well deserves the name ‘fool’s gold.’ It doesn’t even make good iron. I’ll show you some when we go home. Now we’ll go to see the iron-eater.”
Ten minutes later Billy exclaimed:
“He’s tall!”
“Not quite a hundred feet,” said Mr. Prescott.