The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-11-21
1R
MAY BE Bull
ON TO 7 | BlN| lABD
Extension Is Recommended and
5 Is Up to the Board Of Direc- B
|, tors for Decision.
NEW CONSTRUCTION TO
WEST NOT CONSIDERED
Figures of Annual Report to the
: State Railroad and Warehouse
Commission Will Show. That Elec-
trio Railway on the Range Has
Been Financial Success.

Whether or not the electric line of
the Mesaba railway company will be
extended from Gilbert to Biwabik
within the year is to be decided at a
meeting of the officers and directors
of the corporation to be held in the
near future. The extension is recon-
mended and is believed to have been
the outcome of a recent visit of off,
Gals to the range when thorough
inspection of the line was made.
While local officials of the company
have nothing to say regarding the
extension, from other and authori-
tative sources comes definite news
that the extension is recommended
and there is small question but that
it will be authorized and built with
in the year. From the same source
comes an equally positive statement
that extension westward on the range
from Hibbing will not be considered
for the present at least.
Estimates on which extensions are
based, it is said, take into considera-
ton the population per mile along the
line constructed and are based on
comparative statistics from other
sections of the country in which cleo
trio lines are operated. The coun-
try that the extension would traverse
between Biwabik and Gilbert meets
the requirements Of the figure basis,
while that on the western end of the
range is not yet up to those require
ments.
Ever since the electric line was
built and put in service there have
been insistent demands for an extern
sion as far as Biwabik and west to
Grand Rapids and while both extern
sions, it is conceded, will ultimate
rly be made there has been a good
deal of speculation as to when the
work would be undertaken. As mat
tiers now stand it appears that the
Biwabik extension is practically GER
tain, while that to the western range
is not being seriously considered for
the immediate future.
The electric line, it is said, has
been a fine financial success. It fill
ed a long felt want on this end Of the
range from the start and has been
well patronized as a practical utility
giving a service for which there was
an urgent demand. The first annual
report to the state railroad and
warehouse commission will be filed
within short time and the figures
will tell an interesting story. They
are not now available in Virginia,
but will become public record when
filed with the commission.
No town on the range has been
benefited by the new electric railway
in the same proportionate measure as
has Virginia. It has made Virginia
the center of the rich Mesaba range
territory from trade standpoint and
has proven considerable impetus to
all lines Of business, which will be
considerably enhanced with the build
ing of the line through to Biwabik.
This city is now getting large out
side trade which did not come here
before the line was built. With its
other railroad facilities it has made
Virginia the natural distributing
point and big town center of the range
and has resulted in a considerably
increased volume of business to every
concern in the city.