The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-11-17
From the Daily of Friday.
BUTTE CITY FIRE BRIGADE.
A Company Deserving Consid-
Grafton at The Hands Of
Our Citizens.

The Butte City Fire Brigade is tn
Oldest organized fire company in tn
city. 1t has saved an immens,
amount Of property to the peOi lie o
Butte from destruction by fire. Serv
ing without pay it is. ~ vigilant, a.
active and as effective in extinguIsh'
ling CONGREGATIONS H. many paid com
! panies are in older settled c0mmu
mites. The company is composed o.
. young men, many Of them in bust.
uess here, who are directly interested
III the progress, prosperity and wei
are of the city. They are still will.
ing to serve the city, and
only ask that the city council
| pay the rent Of the building, In
winch they house their apparatus,
and furnish fuel for the purpose of
heating the same to dry the hose OF
the city COM any as well as their
| own after q fire.
The brigade rents a building on
West Broadway, at q lental Of SIS
per month. Fuel, lights and other
incidental expenses may amount to
SIS per month, making a total eX-
pense of about $40 per month during
the winter season. The brigade does
not feel willing % do ii, aud have
made the proposition to the city
council already mentioned.
The objection urged against the &C.
ceptance Of the proposal On the rart
OF the city as we understand It, is
that the Brigade does not belong to
the city fire department, but il an in
dependent organization not subject
TO the control of the city authorities.
The objection would have some force
if the brigade were asking for pay
for its services. but it does not. 1t
simply asks the city to pay the rent
Of and furnish fuel for = building in
which the Brigade may house its
trucks, hooks and ladders, etc. This
the city would have to do it the Bri.
gade belonged to the city fire depart
ment. Nothing would be saved to
the city on the score Of rent and fuel
if the Brigade disincorporated ana
came in the department. as q city
company.
The case nov presents itself in this
shape. If the city will pay the rent
Of and furnish the fuel for the build
ing the Brigade proposes to share the
building with the city company for
the purpose OF drying hose after q
fire. and will hold itself in readiness
to serve as usual at all fires. But if
the city will not do'this the brigade
will feel compelled to house its ap-
paratus in some less expensive build
ing until such time a. /. can make q
satisfactory disposition Of it. This is
the situation.
Now ,ile question il: Can the city
afford IL lu-c the services Of the Fire
Brigade. There can be but one answer
to this question. 1t will he admitted
that the city fire company is an ex-
cellent one, prompt, acti We and thor
oughly effective, but it will not de-
stroy Its efficiency nor impair its use
fitness if the brigade work beside it
when the city Or amy portion thereof,
is i'll flames. The tine may come
when the services of three, n even
four Gre compaltes uiay be required
to ave the city serious .Os$, and now
as the season of high winds is APP
preaching We submit, IT il would not
be unwlse in The extreme, to lose the
services of the brigade when they
can be retained a. such compar-
asively little DIST to the city.