The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-10-17
HALL DENIES IT.
The Walkerville Mess---Deni-
ais and AffirmatiOns.
TAKE YOUR CHOICE
Superintendent Hall Explains His
Portion---Other People Tell What
They Know or Believe.

Yesterday reporter of The MINER visited
Walkerville and Centerville for the purpose
OF gathering all the facts obtainable in the
matter OF the recent alleged order, purport-
ed to nave been issued by Superintendent
Hall, of the Alice mine, to the effect that
all young men in the employ OF the Alice
Company must take up their residence in
Walkerville, and that married men must
buy their provisions at Broughton & Co.'s
store at Walkerville.
This matter has been attracting consid-
cradle attention during the. past few days
and The MINER has been the recipient of
several communications on the subject.
The demand for the publication of these
letters was SO urgent that in the issue of
this pape of the 18th inst. space was given
to two OF them. The werkingmen OF this
district claimed that a %grievous wrong was
being done and a hardship imposed upon
them. In order to get at the bottom facts
of the case, and to give each side a chance
to air their grievances-which is the prov
ince the true newspapers MINER reporter
yesterday interviewed a lumber of persons
who were supposed to have knowledge of
the subject.
SUPERINTENDENT HALLS POSITIVE DENIAL.
In order that there might be a basis to
work upon, the reporter first went to the
fountain head, Superintendent w. E. Hall,
OF the Alice mine. to get his view of the
matter. He was considerably excited at
first and inclined to resent intermeddling
with his business, but when it was shown
to him that this was a matter OF public
concern, that it was largely engaging the
public mind: he readily acquiesced to the
| desires of the reporter.
"Mr. HAIL. said the reporter, it is re-
ported that you have issued orders to the
men working for the Alice Company, to the
effect that the young and single men in your
employ must 60 to Walkerville to live. Is
there any truth in the report?!"
II will explain to you the whole matter
said the superintendent. "a few days age
Foreman William Shovel, of the Alice
Company's mines, Forman Charles Ellis, OF
the mills, and myself, were in the Office
talking over some matters that concerned
the the principal topic being the
late costly and elaborate Improvements
that have been made at the Alice mine
During the conversation someone asked
how we were fixed if we should be- visited
with a fire. In looking over the names Of
the miners employed in our mines, princi
pally the Magma Charta, | found that '":;
OF upwards of seventy-five men at work il
that mine, there we're less than half a dozen
VI U1cll l az w ulNCl llSs \ CAIO oVdS
of the conference we sent for Shift Boss
Trebilcock, OF the Mag When he arrived
[ said to him:
"'Mr. Trebilcock, how many men have
you on your shift that are living at Walk
e~rville?'
"'Several.'
"'Well, how many?'
Trebilcock began to count, and when he
got to three he stopped, and acknowledged
that there were only three men on his shift
who lived at Walkerville. Now, sir, some
time ago, a fire started in the hosting
works OF the Magma Iharta, and but fol
the active efforts OF the late John Hale anC
myself the entire building would have beer
DESTROYED. At the time the fire was raging
there were at east $50 men standing by
who were in the employ OF other MIXING
companies, and not one Of them offered tt
assist US in our efforts to extinguish the
flames. I concluded then that it was my
duty as the managing agent OF the Alice
company's property, to see to it that 6
sufficient number Of young, able-bodieo
men, who were working for the company
should be asked to live near enough to thu
mine so that they could be called in case {
fire broke out, and assist in extinguishin.
the same. | have three hundred men OF
the nav roll of tie Alice company, n
think / have the right to ask that enough
of them should be on hand in the event o
a fire breaking out to manag IL hose cart
I made that request, but it was not com
plied with. At the present time there ar
at least Ii miles of drifts, raises, winze
and shafts in our mines. Now, suppose
fire break out in the Alice hosting works
1t would take nearly one hour to reach al
the men at work in both OF our mines
and the work OF reaching them would be
oMPAN WITH GREAT DANGER
Tn some cases it would be impossible to ge
the men out alive. Taking this view OF tn
case, | thought it was only reasonable 10
me to ask my shift bosses to request abou
fifteen or twenty young, ~able-bodlea men e
come to Walkerville to live near the mine
and to organize themselves into compan
to manage the hose cart. This cid las
week and the next thing knew my nam
anneared in the newspaper as the secon
Gar of Russia and a Southern slave-ho
der"
"Mr. Hail." further asked the reporter
"did you tell the bosses in your mines I
i've orders to all the men to come to Wa
kerville to live?" ,
al did not" replied Mr.. Hall. II simpl
asked for fifteen or twenty young men, 10
the reasons before mentioned
"Did your shift bosses not mlsunderstan
YOU request ana MAKE 'ne !" nio'
the men, as reported upon the Streets,
mo, sir" replied Mr.. Hall very emphat
ically, sthey did not misunderstood m
request, and they did not inform the me
hat they were compelled to come t
Walkervlile to live. They stated my r.
quest to the miners as communicates
to them"
sHave you been interviewed by any {
men living at Centerville upon this sui
iect ?" asked the reporter.
ayes, l have. Three persons came to m
and stated what the report was and aske
me if it was true. | told them as | hay
inst told you. One man said he had twelV
Alice men living in his house. | asked hi
to snare three of them to Walkervllle an
keep the nine at Centerville. One lady il
formed me that there were nine OF our me
and .nneared to be satisfied when | tol
her | only wanted two OF them to come t
Walkerville to live"