The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-12-17
AS TO THE

Butte 10 anxious to get the best fire
alarm service ut command. 1t needs
it. The city il q constant sufferer from
area. The popular belief is that they are
incendiary. The losses lately sustained
arc enormous, and the prevailing alarm
in 10 intense that, not longer ago than
last Saturday night, fatal results would
have followed, but for ample exits,
when an alarm of fire needlessly started
an audience in the Butte opera
house in . headlong chase Tor
street.
IL has taken the authorities in Butte
q long time to make choice
rival alarm services. The upshot is
that the city council has decreed in
favor of a system that will be a pure
experiment i'm Butte rs against a ser
vice which has been under test for
years and which passed h point long
a0o where its merits were matter OF
speculation or question.
Butte's aldermen can fool with an
alarm system not in use i'm any leading
city in America as long as they want
to-that ia not the STANDARDS affair.
We are told that the Gaynor system is
put in there on approval. h is a
method which the Gamewell service
does not need to pursue to capture any
city in the United States, in view of its
long and successful record. The man
does not live in Montana who can tes-
fifty to the merit of the GaynOr system
from actual experience with its work:
scores of men in the state know just
what the Gamewell will do. However,
We repeat, Butte a practice all IL
wants to-that is not our affair. It's
taxpayers buy the plant on trial; they
certainly should refuse the system on
any other basis.
But the object of the STANDARD Is to
call attention just now to h reference
made to Anaconda in the discussion of
the rival systems. The STANDARDS
report of the Butte council proceedings
1t the meeting held Saturday night
says:
Chief Themes said that he had been To Ana
conda and had been told by John Toohey, Peter
Hale and others, that the (;amewell system
there Was mn good. II wouldn't work.
II this report of n council proceed
inRs In true, we desire to assert hat
Mr.. Themes testimony is false. and WI
say this with full understanding that
Mr.. Themes may call upon the STAND-
ARD to make it's assertion good. 1t
II true, however, that, for whatever
purpose, Mr.. Themes made repeated
effort to get testimony i'm this city hos
tAlC ~ kIC yctShhss NV w
made a Hat failure Of il. That system
has long beer operating i'm Anaconda.
It has proved to be a complete success
here. 1t failed Once owing tn circum-
stances which are not wen remotely re-
lated to the trustworthiness Of the
system, but which a be explained to
the entire satisfaction Of the most cas-
ual inquirer in ten words.
Taking account of its size. this city
and the smelling works rave n remark-
ably extended alarm service. It's rust
%wOrthiness has been demonstrated time
and again. Mr.. ThOmes knows 1t. lie
was referred in this town by several
persons. whose testimony he vainly
sought, Il the chief of the department.
He did not dare request chief Richey's
testimony against the system in use
here or in favor of the toy plant which
was tried i'm Butte.
Readers Of these lines will understand
that the STANDARD does not now pre-
sumo for ar instant to impugn the mo-
tives of any Butte alderman who voted
for the GaynOr. For present purposes
we simply say that the purchase Of
the GaynOr plant is the purest expert
ment, as against a system which gives
satisfaction in uncOunted American
cities, and We assert hat the testimony
quoting Mr.. Hale and others as hostile
to the system used in Anaconda il alb
solutely false. Mr.. ThOmes may boom
an INFESTED fire alarm system IL he sees
ut, but ne may expect to be called to ac-
count il he carries false testimony from
Anaconda to Butte; and IL there are
other elements in the question which
he wishes to discuss. the STANDARD il
already to join him..
THE CRONlN VERDICT.