davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14
WILL SPEND $4,000 on
new MITCHELL BUILDING
Proprietor Of Popular Hotel will Spead Large
Sun On REBUILDING and Improvements.
will Re-furalsh Throughout

twenty-five thousand dollars in
improvements and new buildings
will be expended by E. x. Violette
of this city during the next few
months.
Mr.. Violette, who is the proprietor
of the Hotel Mitchell, will entirely
remodel the present building and
erect new three story brick build.
ing adjoining his present hotel.
No money will be spared in max
ing the new structure one of Vir
ginia's finest buildings. The new
building will be entirely OF brick
and will be 10 feet long and with
the present hotel will have a solid
brick front on Central Avenue of
50 feet.
The present hotel which has 80
rooms has entirely outgrown it's
Accommodation and thirty new rooms
will be added with hot and cold
water in every room and bath on
every floor both of the old and new
part. One of the features OF the
new hotel will be the enlargement
of the dining room which now
holds about 80 people and will have
double its present capacity.
The main entrance will be as now
on Central avenue and large
lobby and Office will he built with
title floor throughout and ornate
fittings for the comfort and pleas
ure of the patrons of the house.
The main stairway will be between
the old aud new parts and will be
built very wide so as to give the
maximum of comfort and add to
the general appearance of the
house. The entire building will be
heated with steam from the power
house and an auxiliary heating
plant will be installed IN case of
emergency.
One of the features which Mr..
Violette has provided is that no,
one of the whole sixty rooms will
be what is called an inside room,
but every one will have ample
light and be open to the atmcs
phere. L.
A wide porch funning the whole
width of the sidewalk across to the
edge of the street wsif@sld TO the
appearance of the hotel and enjoy
ment of the guests and will be
handy IN protecting passengers on
the hotel buses in bad weather.
The new building will be fur
nished in the best of style and
everything will be complete and up
to date even to big flag pole on
top. 1t is intended to cater to both
medium class transient trade and
the large patronage of steady
family trade that the house now en-.
joys.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14
STREETS AND BOULEVARDS
TO BE FURTHER IMPROVED

The park board is advertising for
bids for the furnishing of trees and
shrubs to be planted in the various
parks and boulevards during the
coming spring. Virginia's park and
boulevard system commenced only
in the spring of 1910 and is now one
of the finest in any city of like size
in the state. The number of trees
planted last year was 5000. The
board will continue to make i'm
provements along the same lines as
in recent years. A swimming pool
will be installed in the new south
park and play grounds with sand
boxes, swings and slides will be in
stalled in the section of the city out
North Mesaba avenue.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14
VIRGINIA MEN ERECT
BIG FACTORY At COOK
Output Heading and BalreI| Staves.-.Em-
p|oyReat fef May nea the
Whole Year Round

The Gopher Heading & Manufact-
uring company comprised of Vir-
ginia men and with it's factory at
Cook, thirty miles north of here
promises to be a very large and
fourishing industry for the north
country. The plant together with
stock on hand will represent in the
spring of each year, with all the raw
material on hand an investment of
$35,00O. The buildings and ma
chinery, now about ready to go in
commission, represent an invest
ment of $4,000 or $4,000. The
plant includes three buildings, the
boiler house, the heading and stave
factory, and the dry kiln. Each of
these is about 40 by 80 feet in size
The company will employ the
whole year through, from thirty to
forty men at the factory in addition
to the large number who will be
engaged during the winter in get
ting out the raw material. Every
thing in the shape of a tree measur-
ing four or more inches through is
available raw material and the ma.
terial is all but limitless in the
region where the mill is. This
factory will use popple and all kinds
of wood, valueless for any other
purpose. The output will be chief.
ly heading and slaves, the barrels
being used for apples, salt and meat
The factory will sell directly to thu
big cooperage houses in the largt
cities.
The men interested in the new en-.
terprise are E. D. Becker, president
and manager; F. J. Rinnert, vice
president; Carl R. Johnson, secre.
tary and treasurer. The directors
are August Buboltz, Gus Johnson
Lafayette Bliss, Ben Erickson. M
A. Murphy is also a stockholder.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14
STORAGE PLANTS NEEDED:
TEMPERATURE IMPORTANT
Warehouses Needed For Storage Of North
ern Minnesota Potatoe Crop---Tem-
perature Must Be Watched

There is no section of the country
that can grow potatoes better or
more profitably than northern Min
nesota. This has ben demonstrated
hundreds of times and even the fact
that the railroads of this section
of the state have spent thousands of
the production of the edible tubers
helps to prove the importance Of
their growth to this part of the
state.
One of the greatest difficulties
with regard to the potato business
| is keeping them after they are
grown.
Potatoes must be kept in an even
temperature neither too hot nor too
cold for if they are allowed to be
stored for long period in a place
that is too warm they will invar-
iably sprout and become soft.
The building of specially con-
structed warehouses for the storage
| of potatoes is one of the most i'm
portant needs of the farming COM
munities of this part Of the state
Potato prices are not very en-
couraging to the grower, especially
| when there is no sale. But it should
not be lost sight of that usually af-
ter a losing crop the acreage goes
down and the returns the following
year are fairly satisfactory. Ad-
mittedly this is taking chance, and
the element of chance ought to be
excluded from potato production as
far as possible by the organization
of growers associations to handle
the market end. When it is con.
sidered that the cost of a 10000
bushel warehouse will not exceed
$4,000 it will be seen that the neigh
borhood can properly house its croI
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14
PARTNER D|EO TOO SOON;
WOULD HAVE REPAID ALL
John Tredennick Had Partner In Biz Min.
ing Deal Ia West But He Died--.ex-
Broker Hoped To Repay Losers

A swing of death pendulum cost
poor people $4,000 and one man
thirty years in jail. Such is the
story that reaches certain officials
here who took John Tredennick Of
Eveleth away to Jail to begin his
thirty year indeterminate sentence
Tredennick was arrected recently
in Denver, Colorado, charged with
operating bucket shop business at
Eveleth and mixing his clients mon
ey with his own till over $4,000
was lost
When the unfortunate man went
west it appears that he had little
money and reached Partland with
less than $12. Working hard, some
times at actual manual labor the
ex-broker succeeded IN getting food
and sleep for himself and his wife.
Gradually getting ahead in the fight
for sustenance Tredennick met a
man with plenty of money who
wanted to make a little more and
with enough confidence in his new
found friend to back him heavily in
mining venture.
There is probably little doubt that
had Tredennick's ill-fated venture
been successful that he would have
come back to these parts and paid
back dollar for dollar every penny
that he had taken from his clients
When he went west he hoped to re-
gain what he had lost both of his
own private fortune which is said to
have amounted to over 100000 at
one time and the money belonging to
those who invested and speculated
through the agency of his office.
Tredennick had carefully gone
over the matter with his partner and
the proposition was a good one and
would probably have made big mon
ey for both men, enough for the in.
volved broker to repay his debts and
then leave him matter of $1,000 tc
begin Life over again on a farm. The
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14
ACTIVITIES OVER
IN WEST VIRGINIA
Railroad YARDS Shops and Offices Give Employment to
400 Men at This Important Point of the Du1uth,
Winnipeg & Pacific Line-Homes for Workmen
to Be Erected d--Suburb Well Worth Making
Trip to See--Capachy of Shops and
Yards to Be Increased,

West Virginia!
Yesterday just a spot in the will
derness over the other side of the
big mill.
Today a thriving industrial loca-
ton where moving trains, putting
yard engines, tall stacks emitting
steam and smoke, office men and
brawny men with grimy hands and
faces emerging from the many build
ings, give unmistakable evidence
that here is a place, isolated and
secluded, known to but few others
tahn those who are employed there,
which rs a most important point on
a great railway transportation sys-
tenn.
And what of tomorrow? Tomor-
row, West Virginia will be a resi-
dence and business community In
deed there are many who assert that
the day is not far distant when it
will be Virginia's most important
suburb. A populous settlement will
grow up around the place the Du-
luth, Winnipeg & Pacific (the Can
adian Northern) has selected as its
division point, undoubtedly.
At present almost all Of the 400
or more men who work in West Vr-
ginia or on the trains operating out
of West Virginia, make the daily
hike to and from town a distance of
not less than three miles, either by
the North or the South route around
the mill of the Virginia & Rainy
Lake company.
Here are some of the things West
Virginia has that entitle it to recog-
milton as an important point:
1t has the round house with ten
locomotive stalls and-by the way
this number will be doubled this
coming summer. It, has 20 locomo-
tives working from the headquarters
here.
1t has the division headquarters
for the Virginia-Duluth and the Vir-
ginia-Fort Frances lines of the road
1t has fonr main tracks in the
railroad yards and nine more will
be built early this year.
1t has the trainmaster's office with
J. A. Clayton in charge with AZ con-
ductors and 1877 brakemen working
through that office.
1t has the mechanical department
with Pat Stack in charge and force
Of IS men, machinists, helpers and
wipers.
1t has the car repairing depart
ment with Louis La Fountain in
charge and here AZ men are en-
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14

partnership papers were all made
out and signed and work was just
ready to begin when by one of those
strange mis-adventures that happen
to some men the man with the mon
ey died.
Then it was that broken in resolve
and with the weight of his crime and
the suffering he had caused resting
on his head, Tredennick decided to
throw up the fight to regain his
fortunes and gave himself up.
When the sheriff took him into
custody he did not realize the sen
tence that he has to serve and it
seemed as if it was almost a relief
to him that the strain of the trial
was over.
He told one of the deputies while
he was waiting for the train, when
| used to see a police officer out west.
used to feel that would give al
most anything if l could only walk
up to him like a man and say 1 am
Tredennick, the broker who is want
ed back there in Minnesota and
sometimes l used to walk up and
look at a policeman just to see if l
could. When at last | gave myself
up l felt relief from the terrible
strain.''
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14
$4,000 IS INVOLVED
IN SUIT OVER SHARES
Ely Man Wants $4,000 Worth Of Stock
In The Chandler Mine-.-Case Comes
Up Al Virginia Next Session

A law suit involving over ninety
thousand dollars in mining stock is
being brought against local man,
and will probably be one Of the most
important cases tried out at the
next session of court here.
William T. James Of Ely is bring
ing suit against John Costin, Jr., of
Virginia, for the recovery of one
naif Mr. Costin's interest in the
Chandler mine which is valued at
approximately 100000 in actual
cash. The plaintiff in the action
claims that. he is entitled to 62,500
shares in the Chandler Mining COM
pany which is capitalized at $780,
900 in $1.0O shares.
Some years ago the Chandler mine
was abandoned as improbable and
lay un-worked for some time. An
option for twenty-year lease was
obtained from the fee owners in No.
vember, 1909, and in August the
following year lease was made
with John Costin, Jr., for mining
twenty years at 40c ton royalty on
every ton mined. On September lst,
1910, this lease was turned over to
the Chandler Mining company which
shortly afterwards commenced op-
eratiOns and successfully mined
many thousand tons of ore.
w. T. James in his complaint
claims that he assisted in the secur-
ing of this lease and that it was
secured on his own behalf as well
as Mr.. Costin's, and that it was
worth $29O,0OO at that time and
that there still remains 100000
worth of merchantable ore unmined
He further asks the court to rule
that one half of Mr.. Costin's hold
ings in the Chandler Mining com.
pany is held in trust for him and
| asks an accounting for all monies
received and disbursed by the min.
| ing company since it's inception NJ
| to the present time.
1t is stated by the defense tha,
| Mr.. James agreed to become a mem.
Der of the Chandler Mining company
| when it was being formed anC
| promised to assist in the financing
of the new venture but that he fail
| ed entirely to do this and did no
assist in any way or invest any mon
! ey in the concern and that he is no
entitled to any holding in the com
pany.
The Chandler mining property il
situated in the n. E. u of S. E. u
section 2S, township 63, range 12
and has been highly successful un
der the present management, tn,
one dollar shares being considered
at least so per cent over. their pa
value at the present time.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14
GIRLS PLAY BASKETBALL.

Girls of the upper grades in the
Technical High school have organ
lied a basketball team with Natalie
Curtis as captain and Margaret Ea-
ton as manager Mary Shelly of the
teaching staff is the coach of the
team. A match is being arranged
with the girls of the Eveleth school
to be played in about two weeks.
The girls use the gymnasium at the
Technical High school for practice.
The boys team of the school go
to Chisholm to play the High school
team there Friday evening. C. S.
Blair of the teaching faculty is the
coach of the boys team. Included
on the team are William Rooney,
Ed. McCabe, Charles McCabe, Harold
Cusson, R. Hodge, L. Doig, David
Gustafson and Ralph Denyes.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14

Now it is believed the Virginia
school board is deadlocked on the
matter of the reappointment of
Supt. Lafayette Bliss. The board
remained in star chamber session
for an hour and a half Thursday
night and at the conclusion all that
would be announced was that the
whole situation had been talked
over and that no action was taken,
the appointment or reappointment of
a superintendent being left over un-
til another meeting. 1t is the gen.
eral belief that the board stands
thus: For Supt. Chairman R.
J. McGhee, C. E. Hendrick and J.
H. Fleming; against-W. H. Eaton,
Mitchell Stewart and Andrew Haw-
kinson.
At the meeting last night after
various business had been taken
care of Chairman McGhee announced
that the February meeting was the
one at which it was usual to appoint
the superintendent for. the year
commencing in August. Mitchell
Stewart moved that this be taken up
in executive session, stating in way
of explanation that he did So out
of courtesy for one not present.
Supt. Bliss was not present although
he invariably attends board meet
tings. w. H. Eaton supported Mr..
Stewards motion and they both stat
ed they would vote and were WILLING
to vote in the presence of room
full Of people. Chairman McGhee
and J. H. Fleming opposed the star
chamber session. Members Hend-
rick, Hawkinson, Eaton and Stewart
favoring it, it carried. While the
discussion had been on J. H. Fleming
moved Supt. Bliss be reappointed
at salary Of $4,000 a year but the
chairman ruled Mr.. Fleming out of
order, there being another motion
before the house. Before the audi
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14
DEPUTATION GOES TO
OPPOSE TONNAGE TAX
Virginia Men At State Capitol Attempt To
Prevent Legislation Injurious
To Range

Some OF the Virginia men who
have been in St. Paul recently to
make protest, on behalf of the resi-
dents Of the city against the passage
of the tonnage tax measure have re-
turned. Others, including D. w.
Stebbins, D. D. Morgan, William J.
Archer, O. P. Johnson and Andrew
Hawkinson will be at the state capt.
tol the greater part OF the time until
the vote is taken in the house and
in the senate. A. B. Coates, who
has spent several days in St. Paul
recently makes this statement:
"a deputation of leading and in
terested citizens from all of the
Range cities went to St. Paul for
the purpose of getting the committee
of the house to listen to the strong
arguments against the passage of
the Bjorge tonnage tax bill. They
found the representatives and SEN
ators generally of an open mind and
disposed to consider fairly any argu-
ments on either side and while the
members from the southern part of
the state generally are disposed to
favor the passage of the bill, there
is not that hostile feeling on their
part except in very few instances.
The Range people will go down
again next Thursday when they will
be given a hearing probably before
the entire house.
In case the bin should pass, we
should congratulate ourselves that
we have governor who not only
has always indicated that he ap-
preciated the Importance of the min
ing and it's allied industries to the
state of Minnesota but has always
been eminently fair towards us.
This seems to be very important
just now because the purported bill,
stripped of the various arguments
against it, is that mining ranges
shall not only pay their fair pro-
portion of taxes on a generous val.
uation but shall pay an additional
tax from which the people of other
counties and localities will profit
l believe we can depend upon the
governor in the crucial moment"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14

beside the track, ready for immed-
late shipments, cheaper per bushel
than the individual farmer can pit
his crop. And through organization
the community can take whatever
advantage of the market the coming
season may bring.
Now is the time to take up this
matter of organization and to ar
range the details of variety, local
acreage and warehousing. If let 20
until next fall the grower may find
himself in the same old leaky boat
Of mo market
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14

| plOyed.
1t has the large stores building
| with c. V. Wilson in charge of the
supplies for the northern division.
It has the bridge and building de.
partment for the entire Duluth-Vir.
ginia-Fort Frances part of the sys,
tenn with j. E. Dawson, master build
er and crew of men,
1t has the road masters depart
ment with his office force of men
| G.. w. Brew is the head of this de-
| partment.
1t has the yard master, G. r. Far
rell and working under his direc-
! ton are the car accountant, three
! operators, four yard cleks and four
switch crews with five men to a
| crew
1t has the railway carpenter shop
! the blacksmith shop, the tool house
| and car shanty, the pumping station
! the coal shute, the water tank, the
bunk house where the trainmen sleep
| when they come in from their runs
! or are waiting to go out.
! 1t has 23O-ton ice house, now
i being stocked to be used for car
| refrigeration purposes during the
summer.
1t has hotel and restaurant con
Quoted by Mrs. J A. Carlson, late
of the Svea hotel on Chestnut street
Everything that has been done in
West Virginia has been done with
an idea of permanency in mind. The
buildings are all Of a substantial!
character Some of the departments
that were taken to West Duluth
have been brought back here. All
! trains on the road except fast freight
and through passengers will change
crews at Virginia and nearly all
trains will be made up at this, point.
Within a short time work will be
dences for various of the heads of
departments at this point. Many
company houses will be built on the
property adjacent to the shops and
yards. 1t can be only a question OF
short time when houses will be
erected in West Virginia for the ac-
commodation of the hundreds of
men who are now required to live
three miles from where their perm
anent work is and with no means OF
travel except on foot over the turn.
pike road, 1t is logical to assume
that West Virginia will see create,
development this year. and within
the next few years, than any other
part of the city of Virginia.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-02-14
RECOMMENDS PURCHASE
Of AUTO FIRE ENGINE
Chief 1hayer Believes The Modern Equip.
meat is Required For Virginia
y
at Present Time

Virginia will have the first motor
fire engine on the range if the rec
ommendation of Chief Thayer is
carried out. The city is growing so
fast that in order to give proper fire
protection another motor driven unit
must be added to the department.
The matter is now before the police
and fire commission and it is ex-
pected that they will act favorably
upon the recommendation and give
the city a new powerful motor driven
fire engine with capacity Of about
500 or 900 gallons of water per
minute.
The combination motor hose wa
gon and chemical engine has proved
a big success here, being able to
make fast runs even in the winter
time when the snow is deep and has
the advantage of being able to keep
up high speed for any distance in
stead Of only mile or so which is
the utmost that a fire team can do
when heavily loaded.
The chief has pointed out that in
the event of bad fire breaking out
at any of the outside districts such
as the Pillsbury addition or West
Virginia the distance would be too
great for the fire teams and If the
motor chemical went the city would
be left without the ample fire pro-
lection that it needs.
1t is proposed to put in a motor
pump that will have a sustained
capacity of about half that of the
big fire engine and room for about
a thousand feet or hose and men
enough to handle a good sized fire.
The complete outfit would have
weight of about five tons and a CON
| tinued speed of around % to 30
miles per hour for any distance up
| to 20 miles.