Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-09

would be sounded would create much greai
unnecessary fright and confusion. In th'
central Office system everything was sepa
rate and each box could be tested Q dnzef
times q day and no elarm would be RUM
save q gong in the station, and NOBODY
would know anything OF it excepting tht
men making the test. With the centr'.
station system in use additional boxe:
could be put in and the service extended
without additional cost excepting the coet
OF the boxes and the wire necessary ta
make proper connections. The station
as contemplated in the proposal sub
mitted would do the city Tor the
next forty years. He then said
| that the Gaynor was far superior to the
| Gamewell and Richmond systems, and II
the agent of the Gamewell was present ne
would take great pleasure in explaining that
superiority. In view OF the fact that the
company wal putting in it's system at Sal
Lake, Mr.. Whittacre said that the propo
sal submitted was much lower than the
price the company would ask later on, Tor
it's experts and constructors were now near
at hand, and much Of the material neces-
sary could be shipped the greater part OF
the distance from the factory with that Tor
Salt Lake, thereby i~nsuring a reduction in
freight rates. Another fact to which he
called attention Of the council was the dit
ference in the time asked by each company
to put in the plant. His company asked
for 100 days only, while the Game sell
wanted four months. The time asked for
by his company VAS the shortest possible
in which to get material here and complete
construction of the service. He also sale
that should it over be found necessary to
remov the station the entire apparatus
could be moved from one building and
placed in another ready for service in two
hours. All his company asked was the
privilege OF introducing the system and
the city could set any time in which to pay
for it, and that as soon as the plant was
completed the company would guarantee
it to stand any inspection of the best
electrical experts in the country, and il it
Jailed in any particular the city would not
have to accept it.
Mr.. Goodale again spoke OF the shortage
OF the fire fund and suggested that it was
absolutely necessary to increase it.
Mayor Kenyon said that although the
city o had a partial paid department,
the present department was not much of
an improvement on the old. Sleeping
apartments should be provided for the
members, SO it could be known where they
were at night. Under present arrange
ments the men were scattered all over the
city and could not answer IN alarm much
sooner han before when all were volun-
teers. The department was imperfect, and
it was absolutely necessary that some.
thing should be done to increase it's effect
iveness.
Mr.. Mueller seemed to like the idea OF an
electric alarm, but doubted councils au.
thority to 60 in debt for one.
Alderman Mulville said that it, was the
duty of council to provide protection for
the people of the city and if council o
tinued to act as it had during the past
year the people would protest and refuse
TO stand it any longer. The matter Of q
few thousand dollars should not be col
sidered 10 any proposition in which the
city's safety was involved. Last Sundays
fire demonstrated the urgent necessity OF q
better equipped fire department than the
city now posses; ed. The people demanded
it and their demands should be complied
with.
Alderman Olson, who takes a deep inter
est in fire matters, and is one Of the city's
most efficient and active "Jakies," said
that his experience as a fireman in this city
during the winter months had taught him
that a perfect fire alarm system was an alb
solute necessity because OF the dense smoke
which SO often prevailed, when it was i'm
possible to locate a fire, and messengers
had to be sent out to locate it before any
move with apparatus could be made.
Mayor Ken! on-''The questic is simply,
have we any right to contra t the de>t nee
essary to put in a system2"
The charter was then consulted by some
OF the aid rmen, but it's pc usal afforded
only small satisfaction, as it's provisions
on that subject were plain. Authority is
given the city to contract a debt for any
specific purpose, not to exceed 3 per cent.
of the assessed valuation of the city, and
then only by a vote Of the people.
Mr.. Kenyon then suggested that the
matter be left with the finance commit g
the committee to examine into the feasa-
bility OF transferring the money contained
in one fund into that of another.
Alderman Pinkham was OF the opinion
that enough money could be taken from
the general fund to meet the proposed ex-
pense.
To end discussi. N Mr.. Shaw moved that
the finance committee and city attorney
be appointed q committee on ways and
means to investigate the ~advisability OF
making the transfer suggested by the
mayor.
Before the motion was put Mr.. Pinkham
moved that when the council adjourn it
be unit! next Wednesday evening at 1880
O'Clock in order hat final conclusion be
arrived at as expeditiously as possible.
Carried.
Mr.. Shaw's motion was then put and
prevailed.
Alderman Cowan then moved that the
two bids he referred to the fire committee
to be reported upon at next meeti g o.
council.
Mr.. Mulville, chairman of the fire COM
mittee-"For the information OF the gentle.
man, I will state that the committee has
already examined the Gaynor system, and
we're well pleased with it and recommend
it's adoption"
MIR. Olson, of the same committee-"The
Gaynor system isforty years in advance o.
the Gamewell."
Chairman Mueller of the finance com
mittee, now submitted a bundle OF bills
against the city which the commit
tee had audited and found correct, AND
recommended payment OF them. The
! bills wsre read and the clerk instructed to
draw warrants for their respective
amounts. In the aggregate they looted uE
about $4,000.
Mr.. Mueller then recommended that the
sum of $4,000 be taken out of the genera
fund and placed in the fire fund in order
that the running expenses of the depart
ment might be met as they were incurred
Recommendation w6s also made that a
system of retrenchment be ~inRugurated,
The street and alley department was q
constant drain upon the city and involved
an expense of about So, 1000 per month. II
was necessary that this should be cut
down, and if no other alternative offered
itself work in that department should bt
I abandoned for the present or else some ar
rangements should be made by which the
work now in hand could be completed
cheaper than at present. In view OF thu
notice given by the water company thai
all the public penstocks on Part
| street would be removed thu
! gentleman also recommended thai
the city hall be connected With TIT
water mains so that the fire department
would have water with which to wash III
apparatus and hose. Statement bein'
being made that a pipe extended into thu
building and all that was required was tt
make a short connection, the mayor OF
motion, was instructed to employ a mar
| to make the necessary connection.
This instruction resulted in bringing Mr.
Goodale to his feet in search OF knowlede'
relative to the much discussed location o
the city hall. He asked il the committe,