The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
Terms, - Per Year, in Advance.
Special Notice,

cred news. 49,. #.Itl
II
AMONG THE MINES,
A reduction of state royaly, q
law fixing rail frcights at q fig.
ure of less than one cent per
mile and a provision abo]isking
tho specific tax of one cent per
ton on ore and putting the mines
on the tax roll along with com.
mon people would be three acts
susceptible to appreciation BY,
the independent operators and
by the people of the iron dis.
tricts. The first would aid the
operator on state land and re-
duce royalty to a point where a
profit might be made in good
times even after paying the
enormous rail freights which pro
mise to break the backbone ofcv
cry independent ope, . o. on the
Mesaba. The second act is q
necessity to the welfare of the
range, as at the present time tho
two big corporations, owning
roads tapping the Minnesota
ranges, have the independent
operators by the throat and are
endeavoring to squeeze him into
submission-and their efforts
have already resulted in a num-
Der of sacrifice sales to the cor
porations in question The
third proposition is but just and
due to the citizens Of the ranges
The pine land owner pays taxes
the same as common people.
The poor man who owns q howell
pays his taxes, and everyone is
drawn upon to aid directly, by
taxation, in the maintainance OF
our schools, our cities and our
public improvements. Then
why should not our mines be
compelled to do likewise and
to become a part of the people,
aiding directly the locality where
they be situate?
The formation Of an ore trust
betwe IN the Minnesota Iron Co.
aid the Colby and Norrie groups
is the latest proposition in min
ing circles. The plan as outlined
is to TX the price of ore at hg
ure which will sell the high
grade ores Of the Gogebic an<1
Vermi';on, but that will effec
tu@ y exclude the mixed Mesabs
output and the Rockefellers hou
the market, for season or two
at least. The immediate result
of such a deal would be far. reach
lug in its magnitude and would
be severely felt, but the fac1
that the Minnesota company con
tinues to buy everything loose
on the new range would indicate
that the ban would be but tempo
rary.
Under the direction of Supt
4. w. B. Whitcley the Hale
will be tested with q diamond
drill this winter.
! A good force is busy at the
Adams in stripping and sinking
the main hoising shaft, and BY
the opening of navigation this
mine will be in readiness for
milling and shipping and car
easily make a record OF 100000
tons for 1895.
The diamond drill which has
been testing the ore body al
the Alpena will be removed te
the Virginia. which property
will be further tested. The Vir'
ginia is held under option by the
Minnesota Iron company. ::
Mr.. Cotton has been quoted
as saying for Mr.. Rockefeller
that all the Mesaba combination
asks is to be let alone. That is
all the man vino is fencing in Il e
earth usually asks.-Dulut'1
Com nonwealth.
The Duluth and Iron Range
road has called for bids tor>400
new ore cars for next season
Looks as though the Minnesota
people intended to do business
No ore sales rs yet reported
and no prices yet made for 80
sales. But it seems unqnestioc
able that prices will show an ad
vance, the question now being
as to the dimension of such in.
crease.
An agreement has been reach
ed whereby the royalty on the
Cincinnati has been reduced
from IS cents per ton to 30 cents
per ton and the minimum output
has been reduced from $50, 600