The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-03-11

than half the number of workmen
are now required for a given out
put of rails than were needed
twenty years ago. These facts
are brought out by an interview
in the New York Commercial
Advertiser with a veteran iron
and steele manufacturer regard
ing changes, that have taken
place in the industry during the
last three decades. Steel rails
were first turned out in>: this
country 10 1867 and brought$190
a ton. Hardly six years had
elapsed when the cost was scaled
down to 800 q ton, and one mill
produced 80, 600 tons a year.
The producing capacity was
further augmented until $4,000
tons had been reached in one
year, which figure at the time
was considered marvellous. IN
1871 the duty on steel rails
amounted to s28 a ton and the
average price per ton was 's102.
SO. When it is stated that steel
rails sold for export last year at
SIG per ton. the extent of the
transition is at once obvious. A
number of factors have COM
bined to bring about these
changes. Chief among them may
be mentioned the cheapened
rates of transportation. low
priced ore and improved methods
of production in the form of me
chanical devices which have re
placed hand labor. The extent
to which steel rails have been
substituted for iron rails may be
gathered from the fact that in
1879 only 2,277 tons of steel rails
and 410,21 tons of iron rails
we're turned out from the mills.
On the other hand, the year 1896
brought forth 1,117,663 tons of
steel rails as against 4,357 tons
of iron rails. Inasmuch as steel
rails have been found to be more
durable and considerably cheap
er than the iron rails, the man.
ufacture of the latter has about
ceased: While pig iron mas de-
creased greatly in value. the cost
of steel has been lessened much
more in proportion, because of
the discovery of the superior
utilization of improvements in
the Bessemer process.
WILL NOT BE MAJOR MOORE.
At a meeting of the republican
city committee held at the coun-
Gil rooms on Monday evening, a
committee of four composed of
the chairman of the various ward
committees. was appointed by
Chairman Lundstrom to wait up.
on W. J. Moore, the genial agent
of the D. & I. r. at this point,
and officially prefer him the
republican nomination of mayor
at the coming municipal contest.
In accordance, the committee
performed their mission the fol-
lowing afternoon, but while
thanking them for the honor be-
slowed Mr.. Moore graciously de-
clined the use of his name in
this connection. This leaves the
party with no definite candidate
80 far as known, the names of W
B. Pratt and E. E. Burley
having been suggested in con-
nection with the office. g.
At the meeting the idea of
suggesting candidates for other
city Offices aside from the may
orally was brought up, but. a
quietus was put upon such pro
position by Judge Nelson, who
as proxy from the Fourth Ward
had a voice in the meeting and
stated that he believed enough
candidates for other Offices would
be forthcoming at convention
time; that the business before
the meeting was the selection, if
possible, of a candidate for the
head of the ticket. and the bust
ness OF the session was practic-
ally confined to that point.
The refusal of Mr.. Moore to
allow the use of his name tor the
position is regretted by manyir
respective of party, his true
worth as an interested citizen in
the welfare of Virginia far sur
mounting his political affiliations
in the estimation of his fellow.
citizens.
PARTY LINES.
A decided objection to the
mingling of political affiliations