The Virginia enterprise., 1912-12-13
MESABA LIGHT AND
power COMPANY ACTIVE
Have Several Crews of Surveyors in
Field to Complete Line to the
Range Early the Coming Season.

new corporation recently organized
under the name Of the Mesaba Light
and Power Company, and J. P. Le-
land, chief engineer for the company,
have been in the city the greater por-
ton Of the week, Mr.. Leland leaving
for the north country on Wednesday
| evening to rejoin his crews of sur
veyors at Harding, at the north end
of the Crane Lake portage, where
active work on surveys has already
oeen started.
In conversation with the Enter
prise scribe Mr.. Mcmillan assured
US OF the stability Of the proposition,
which has a backing of some five
millions of dollars, and of the ulti-
mate advantage the installation of
lne system will be to Virginia, which
will be the range headquarters and
distributing point, in the way of fur
nishing cheap light and cheap power
| al figures which cannot but induce
smaller manufacturing enterprises
| to locate here in order to take ad-
vantage thereof.
The installation of this plant has
| been an open secret to certain Vir-
sinia citizens for some months past,
but has been kept under cover to a
great extent until such time as the
organization was perfected. At this
time, however, there can no longer
be question of the success of the
proposition nor Of the financial sue
cess of the enterprise to the pro-
moters, inasmuch as several of the
mining companies have already signi-
fed their intention of using this
power instead of steam, while it is
probable several OF the range mu-
inequalities which are not owners OF
plants will avail themselves of the
opportunity of securing cheap light
and power. In this connection, there
mas been a well-defined rumor that
the new company had an arrange
ment with the Virginia Electric Pow
er & Water company to make of the
local plant unit in the proposed
system, but the election on Tuesday
next will likely have much to do
with the ultimote elimination Of
such plans. Should the bond issue
be defeated it is probable the local
system will become a part of the big
plant, and that Virginians will reap
reward in the shape of lower rates
IN light and power as a result
At the present time surveyors are
1T work on the Vermilion river, it
being proposed to establish three
nydro-electric stations, capable of
furnishing from 10000 to $4,000
horse power when transmitted for
use to the range territory. In ad-
dition to the Vermilion river the
company also has options on the
water rights Of the Little Fork and
Sturgeon rivers, giving them ample
facilities for enlarging their capacity
at any time it may be deemed advis-
able, while other power in the north
country streams is within their
grasp in case OF necessity.
The formation of this company
and the utilization of the vast power
supply to the north for the benefit
Of the ranges will be boon to many
of the mining companies and to the
cities availing themselves of the op-
portunity of becoming a unit in the
.ystem, it being the intent Of the
company to furnish light and power
1T as cheap rates as may be con-
tucive to good business principles,
and Virginia and other cities to be
connected with the system will with
out doubt enjoy substantial COM
2:ercial aud manufacturing growth
as an outcome, it being our under
standing that the large financial in
terests connected with the enterprise
are in touch with upwards of five
hundred thousand investors whom
re understand are always seeking
opportunities for substantial invest
lnents in connection with such
developments, and no doubt many of
them will be looking toward the
range towns and toward Virginia,
the Queen City, in particular, as a
| favorable point for investments in
which cheap power may be a factor.
1t would seem from our viewpoint
that it is not often a large enterprise
Of this kind voluntarily enters a field
expecting to spend several millions
Of dollars, and we believe range citi-
1ens and Virginians in particular
should seek to encourage the enter
trise to the fullest extent, not only
because Of the direct benefits to the
Lity itself and to the range in gen.
eral but because of the inevitable
benefit of the country to the north.