The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-11-22

A proposition which has been or
the tapis for some months past but
which has been known to but a few
finally came to a successful issue on
Saturday in the formal organization
OF the Mesaba Light and Water Com.
pany, capitalized at $1,000,00O, with
R. B. Sperry, New York, A. NJ. Mac.
MILAN, Chicago, and Senator James
P. Boyle, of Eveleth, as incorpora.
tors, the proposition being for the
development of the water power ot
the Vermilion, Little Fork and Ket-
tie rivers to the north and the trans
mission of same to a central range
station in this city, destined to fur
nlsh power to all Mesaba and Ver-
million range points, and to assist in
making of Virginia the commercial
center of the section to the north
of Duluth.
J. P. Leland, Jr., Joseph F. Dun
and M. w. Erwin, electrical engi-
neers, Of Morgantown, N. c., accom-
panied by Mr.. Macmillan, have done
much work on the proposition dur
ing the past season, and on Friday
last left for Tower, where they will
establish headquarters for the winter
months while continuing the work
Of locating power sites along the
rivers mentioned. on which the COM
pany has already secured the rights.
Mr.. Sperry, one of the incorpora-
tors, was also Virginia visitor the
latter part Of the week, leaving on
Friday last for Chisholm, where he
completes arrangements for the es-
tablishment Of a sub-station and the
furnishing OF power, leaving from
that point early in the week on a
business mission to Chicago. He ex-
poets to return to Virginia in about
two weeks, when the completion of
the organization will be worked out
and active work commenced on the
new scheme. which promises cheap
power and cheap light to any range
municipality in poaition to take ad-
vantage of the prospective offers.
Senator James P. Boyle, who will
have charge of the legal department
Of the new corporation, will remove
from Eveleth to this city Immediate
ly following the close of the next
legislative session, which convenes in
January.
The promoters have already laid
their plan before the authorities of
several of the range communities in
I'm endeavor to interest them in
cheaper power rates, and report
pleasing success.
AS originally planned and under
consideration for some months the
plant Of the Virginia Electric Power
& Water Company was proposed as
one Of the units of the new plant,
but the promoters evidently decided
they did not care to become en-
tangled in a possible lawsuit with
the city or with the progressive
league, with the result that the
formal acceptance of the compromise
offer Of the city for the purchase of
the plant was accepted by the own
ers. With the completion Of the
new plant, however, it is probable
the rates Of the city plant, in case
of acquisition, will have to be ma
terially lowered in order to compete
with the cheap power obtainable un-
der the power rights Of the new
corporation, which intends furnish
ing power at a figure which will
make an inducement for new indus
tries to locate within its reach.
Active work on the plant will be
prosecuted throughout the winter,
with the probable result that another
season will see the Mesaba Light and
Power Company furnishing several
Of the range municipalities and min
ing locations with light and many of
the mines and other Industries of
the range with needed power at ac-
ceDtable rates.