Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1890-03-13
WAT Err.
Like the Children of Israel. We
Wait for Our Moses TO
Striks the Rock.
The Eomentous Question o.
Water Supply to Come Be-
fore the CouncilTo-n:ght.
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.

Shall we Have sy stem oT Water Works >
At the council meeting Tonight the
most important question that has thus
far come before thst body will be pre-.
senied for its consideration. The
question IL. shall we have n system OF
wa,er-work Ks { r fire protection and do
nestle use? A proposition to furnish
such a system has been forinu.
la'ed ty the Miles City Water aud
Electric Light Company, the details
Of which 1t Is not necessary 10 discuss
here, a. the plan has been on public
exhibition for some time past and
nearly everyone interested il fsrniliar
with what II proposed to do. II is
proper, however, to say that the sys.
TEN as at present projected has fbr its
principal and perhaps sole aim, the
protection If the business center from
the ravsg's If fire. That such Il pro.
lection X urgently needed, goes with
out saying. Among the-cltles Of the
second class In Mon'ana, Miles City
stands pIe-eminent as the possessor of
an unusually well built and arcb!tec.
turally haDd.ome blsiness cen.er.
Our brick blocks, built before the de-
preston that followed the disastrous
winter of 1867 are the pride Of our
citizens and an enduring monument
to the thrift and energy of those who
huilt them. Yet, staunrh and beauti-
iul as they aie, We all know that
should fire attack them IN our present
unprotected condition, We could do
nothing but stand It'll and let them
burn. We know, too, that should
these costly rows Of buildings be laid
In ruins that they would not be re-
placed for some years at least and that
severe blow would b. dealt TO the
PROSPERITY of the town. Ii seems
therefore to he q criminal neglect to
put off for one day the duty of acquir-
ing proper protection for them. 1t has
been urged, and not without reason,
that burdtned as the people are with
county aud municipal tayes, we are
too poor to undertake an additional
burden even though the benefits are
apparent, but there is such thing as
being penny wise and pound foolish
of saving at the spiggot and wasting
at the bung hole, aud should the
calamity that we have forecast in the
destruction OF our business center by
lire be realized before protection j.
gained, there would be no more whole
sale and wholesome application of
these two homeiy proverbs that could
be brought home to the people of this
town. We have trusted providence
in this matter for many year,, and IL
has not failed us, but who can say that
this very night the protecting care
will not be withdrawn and that
to.morrow's sun will not look upon
block sitter block of dssolate ruins,
where to-day stands stately business
palaces. Good business judgment
sanctions and approves of the pay
ment of insurance premiums through
which, when losses by fire occur, they
are in tart made good, and the same
Judgment sbonld approve Of the ex.
penditure of a sNalI fraction of the
sum paid yearly for insurance, to Sc.
cure an ever ready and ef,icien, mean.
or coptrollinp fires 40 that " hen they
do occur that losses NAV not be total
and mucb beyond the pos.ibilitv q
recovery through insurance. No in.
surapce company will lase or allow
70 he taken more than three fourth,
Of the value of a building or stock.a
IL necessarily fellows that the remain.
inc one .fou,tb. in caee Of total loss
mns, fall upon the owner. II insur