The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-03-27
COMMERCIAL uuo BANQUET PtExs.
ING SUCCESS


tecs's u the Ceoa''tsesia CAarse.
sHeesiaee efneWea 0siee
Eajose1.
The first annual banquet of Ihe
Virginia Commercial Club at the
New England Hotel Tuesday even.
ing wac q pleasing success from
every standpoint and reflected
much credit upon Messrs. Chslsu
ers, Laviolette and Rinnort, the
committee In charge. Some two
hundred plates were set; aud the
proprietors OF the New. Englsad
certainly did Themselves proud In
the feast Get for. their evening
guests.
AT the conclusion of the feast Of
substantial things the a&teoAants
were treated to . program of music
and oratory, the first tnumber being
selection by the Kraft:Paauanen.
orchestra. followed by a brief aa-
dress Of Welcome: by President
Metcalfe. The Hon. Martin Hughes;
ofHibbiug, was the f3tst speaker Of
the evening, the sabject Of his. die.
course being the sericultursl poe
abilities of this north section: Dfr.,
Hughes dwelt ut length upon the
fret impression Of this eec4tou
upon his arrival here" sosue syesrs
ago, considering the section~ be.
tween the range and Duluth a. q
vast tract of worthless swamp land;
but confessed that he had sioce
been made to realize the error "of
his first Impressions until today
he looked upon the sectloa a. oue,
OF bright promise, especially % O.
dairying aud stocksraistug country
His reuarks made 1t clear to .hie
hearers that he had devoted careful
thought to the subject before form1:
ing his latent ideas, comparing tho
lands of northern Minnesota with
those OF the famoue Red River VAL
ley aud averring, that much better
land was to be'found here thaas In
the southwestern portion of the
state. He. paid high compiiusent
TO Virginta,' tho" most progressive
city on the range, and TO ito ci&i1ens,
who have withstood the ravagee of
two fires which, took, the business.
portions of the city. aud have to.
day the finest, most substautial city
in the north country.
James Lsvick. favored. the su-
dienee with colo, being compelled
to :1espond - N encoae; SD s~uo
followed by Hon. Joseph. Aus,iu. .sof
Chisholm. who sPoks In much the
same strain: 10 had his predecessor
but adding much in the way OF
compliment to virgi.&a's homes,
acknowledging the city 40 the poo.
sessor of more fine homes tl,>u-.uv
other city of the range. He siso
spoke at length of the agricultural
possibilities* of this north country
and predicted = rapid development
of the industry.
A. +. Benson, mining. engineer at
the Franklin, group, favored ~ the
audience with q German dialect
stunt, the Hon. John n: Martin. fol.
lowing with breezy addpess. .npon
"Virgiuia, it, Pastss Present aad
Future" The Judge did not coufaue
himself strictly:to his subject, how
ever, Interpreting. HE remesks
With uumsrous acceptable anec.
dotes and fsnciful picture of tie
thought of wise men of future ages
40 they unearth' the relics OF the
the present day from the debris of
a volcanic consumed sphere. In
the course of HE remasks,s however,
he took occasion to peysdeoerved
tribute. to, Vireiui.'s :school'syetpu,
and to our superintendent Of edaoe.
tion, Lafayette Bltss; through whose
efforts the schooaoe have: bee,
brought to p,easiugspoint Of per.
fectionand p'aced'in = position Of
honor among the high, schools soi
the state.
A colo by Thomas "0-o6sn w.s
followed by an address by the Ron
Clarence B.. Miller. Of Duluth, 4oa
the Legislative Needs of Northeru
Minnesota" aud. none ehould j. b<
more entitled to know these ueeda
than Mr.. Miller, who has become
the better acquainted with them
through his legislative service
HE address ~as listened to With
rapt attention by sli, and his point,
were we'll taken. He brought Or
the pfoneueos of southern Mime
sofa legislator to make the. .oorss
country pay the freight of the "en
tire state, citing ~ IN instance O
the greed of the southern end o
the state the attempted touusg,
ta1, which he characterised. a. tn,
most unjust measure every q,
tempted by any leeislative body
He believed northern a1inueootl
was entitled to the fsui&ezof it, ov,
industries aud the revenues TO- b
derived from itG own uatural N
sources, and upheld tho. nseeesit,
of developing. these reeoueee
through drainage aud the boiltahh,
of good roads. In epeakinr a