The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-10-21

without 4 kick HE raise Brought
1.-THE luationssof the various min.
| ing properties up to $$42e7e, 1se. Ii
two years the valuations will prob.
lably be increased still farther.
Not only in the matter Of mines
is the county improving IN value.
The rich agricultural Districts are
igrowing richer and it will only take
q lew years until the territory to be
lembraced in the new county will
have Duluth beaten in the matter
OF farms and farmers. The country
opened up by the Duluth, Virginia,
& Rainy Lake road is composed
of the finest agricultural land in
the United States and settlers are
flocking to these parts. In several
other places have settlements been
established and|it will take only a
short time before we will not only
be mining but an agricultural
county. ,,-
I The Tribune says "that should it
be divided" meaning St. Louis
county, "its power and it's ability to
guard its interests in legislation
would be materially lessened." 1t
most certainly would: st. Louis
county would then be as naught
but the new county would be the
whole thing: Duluth, which seems
to- be the entire of St. Louis county
in the eyes of denizens of that city
would then be placed in the poll
tical column in which it belongs,
being Democratic city, and the
territory embraced about it would
not be able to keep it from going
into the Democratic place. In a
Republican state, this would be not
much of a boost for St. Louis coun-
ty. The ranges have for years kept
st. Louis county influential in poll.
tical matters and in return have
not even been given a mark for the
services. Duluth men have filled
the Offices and taken the credit for
all. Duluth has been St. Louis
county long enough. The ranges
cast about 5000 Republican votes
and it has always been a noticeable
fact that st. Louis county went Re.
publican by about 5000.
Out of the Legislative body, the
ranges have enjoyed one member
of the lower house and one member
of the senate. The latter even
makes his home for the larger part
in Duluth and can almost be con-
sidered resident of the Zenith
City. In return for Our holding the
county in the Republican column,
we have been graciously conceded
one representative, Hon. P. E..
Bowling, of Eveleth and one sena-
tor, Hon. E. B. Hawkins, of St. Louis
county. Democratic Duluth has
generously appropriated for itself
five representatives and two sena-
tors. The primary election last
month nominated two range men
for representatives in the Forty
NTH district and Duluth has been
busy talking independent candi-
dates ever since to defeat the range
men.
In the matter of county Offices
we'll, what is the use harping on
this subject. Didn't they give us
the register of deeds office and have
not the the West Duluth Scandinav-
ians been "bucking" ever since. If
it could possibly be done, the regis
ter's Office would also be taken
from rs. Then there about sixty or
seventy deputies in the court house
and how many range men are en-
p]oyed there? At the last primar-
les the ranges had man up for
coroner and what did Duluth do
but come out body and soul against
him.
The Tribune also states that the
movement to divide cannot be sue
cessful because the larger part of
the people on the range are against
the move. If the Tribune had a
chance to see the people of the
ranges and talk with them, it would
soon learn otherwise. Four years
ago the ranges were divided on the
county seat question it is true, but
with this phase eliminated, they
will stand as a unit for division. II
stands to reason that Duluth, being
now so exclusive, will hail with de-
light the prospect of being rid of
the expensive incubus, known as
the ranges.
This matter will be discussed
from now on and if we are wrong,
we will be pleased to set the affair
right in as far as the figures go.
The equitable part of the discus