Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-22
MR.. LAWS STATEMENT
HE EXPLAINS THE MONTANA UH-
ION,S POSITION TO THE
BOARD OF TRADE
COMMITTEE.

Reasons why 1t is Intended to Build
Machine Shops at Anaconda-Econ-
omy and Good Management Demand
1.-THE Plant Not to Be Such . Mon
strous One After All.
Messrs. Clark, Dolman and O'Rourke,
The gentlemen appointed as q committee
at Saturday nights meeting of the board
oil trade to wait upon Superintendent
Law of the Montana Union with a view of
ascertaining the requirements OF the com.
pany in the way of grounds for shops, ETC.,
met the gentleman yesterday morning.
They were received by Mr.. Law in his
usually courteous and pleasant manner,
and he listened to them carefully and at
tentively while they stated the object OF
their visit.
After they had made their statement Mr..
Law candidly and fairly explained the sit
uation of his company. He said the Mon
tana Union was in need OF greater and bet
ter facilities for making it's repairs and do
new work, necessarily requiring the cree
ton OF large shops covering much ground,
in addition to which much room. was re-
quired for yards for switching and ground
upon which to build the needed coal, sand
and other houses which form a part OF all
plants such as the company contemplated
building. This ground, he said, had been
given the railroad by the Anaconda com.
pany, az well as also all the water needed,
which, he said, could be obtained by simply
tapping the Anaconda 1ume, and as the
water was already there. it would cost the
Anaconda company nothing.
The motive power of his company, Mr..
Law stated, would shortly be increased by
q number OF new switching engines which
would make the number of engines perman-
emily employed at Anaconda equal to that
mployed in the yards at South Butte. On
the score OF economy alone, Mr.. Law said, it
would be necessary to have machine shops at
Anaconda where needed repairs could be
made Immediately. otherwise it would in
cur the necessity of hauling dead engines
to South Butte at the expense of both loss
of time and money.
As far as the shops at South Butte were
concerned, Mr.. Law said, the company had
no intention whatever of removing them,
on the contrary, if anything at all would be
done to them, it would be to enlarge them.
OF this he gave the committee the most
positive assurance. Mr.. Laws words and
manner convinced the committee that no
curtailment OF the present working force or
impairment Of the shops themselves was
contemplated by the company.
Referring again to the proposed shops at
Anaconda, Mr.. Law said only an outlay of
$4,000 was contemplated, instead of the
fanciful figures stated by some while speak
ing of the matter.
He then mentioned, casually, the great
comfort and convenience it would be to the
travelling public if the three roads now en-
tering Butte were to unite in the construc-
ton OF a union depot. With such a depot
centrally located and provided with mod
ern improvements calculated to increase
the comforts Of travellers, he said, Butte
would take a great stride forward.
This ended the interview, and the COM
mittee retired.
In the matter of repair work, much of it
now done at the South Butte shops.
previous to Mr.. Laws supe%rintendency of
the road, was done at Pocatello, Living
ston and Omaha, involving a great ex-
pense to the company. By doing it here,
not only the expense is greatly reduced but
the working force at the shops has been
largely increased to the proportionate
benefit OF the entire community.