The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-14
ANACONDA IS ALL RIGHT.
Times Are Exceedingly Hard Just
Now and Many Citizens
Have Left.
Real Estate Has Deprecated Very
Little and Owners Are Still
Confident.

People We're Fairly Notified That They
Were In for n Siege and Prepared
Accordingly.
ANACONDA, June 13.--[ Special. 1T is now
going on three months since the Anaconda
company announced its determination to
close its mines and smelters in consequence
of an advance in rates that the Montana
Union Railroad compnny demanded for
transporting ore ond coal to tho company's
works in this city. The mines in Butte
were closed at once but the works here were
kept running until the supply of ore on
hand WAS exhausted. It was not until to-
ward the close of April that the big stacks,
one after another, ceased emitting the
dense volumes of smoke that they had been
putting forth uninterruptedly day and
night for many months.
People gazed at the few remain
ing pillars of smoke with
growing anxiety and dread. 1t WAS hoped
and generally believed that the conferences
that were taking place in New York be-
tween the railroad 1nagnates and the own
ers of the Anaconds property would result
the restoration of harmony and the con-
sequent abandonment of the design to
close the works. At first the masses of the
people refused to belive that any other out
como would or could be possible. The con-
sequences of total suspension of work
for period Of months were 30 alarming
that people were fain to Danish the idea
from their thoughts. But the weeks went
on, gang after gang of workmen were laid
of, and presently the last fires were out,
the last smoke curled itself away, watch
men were installed in the great empty
buildings and all was as quiet and as mel
ancholy as graveyard where few weeks
before all was teeming with ceaseless hustle
and activity.
Then the city of Anaconda, all of whose
6.OOo inhabitants were dependent upon the
smelters, most of them directly, felt the
full force of the shock. Mr. DAILY held
forth no prospects for an immediate re-
sumption of business. On the contrary, he
told the people they were in for long
siege of it. Those who were not prepared
for such siege should make haste to seek
other fields of labor. In justice to Mr..
DAILY, it should be borne in mind that so
far from deceiving the people by giving
them false hopes, he took pains to impress
upon them the seriousness of the situation.
The community vas dazad aud could not
realize the actual fact-that its source of
income had been cut off short. Times had
been very flush here for three or four years.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars were put
into circulation on the tenth day of every
month. Perhaps no town of the same size
in the United States enjoyed revenue
SO great, SO regular. or so certain.
One dry goods and grocery store alone
wars doing bus mess of upwards of $4,000
month, and this is not company" store
either-there is no such thing in town.
The holiday trade last December was enor-
nous. Business kept up splendidly during
the winter. Merchants were getting rich
as rapidly as they could reasonably expect.
Boarding houses were coming money. Col
lections were easy and fairly certain, for
when pay day arrived there was grand,
universal settlement all around. Nobody
had any legitimate grounds for kicking.
Such was Anaconda when the works were
running.
The very opposite picture is to be seen
here to-day. When the smelters shut down,
when the pay days were discontinued, when
money suddenly withdrew itself from cir
culation, the contrast BECAME vivid in it's
intensity. Gradually at first, then swiftly
and tiercely n panic took possession
of the working people. The cry
was to get away. Single men,
held here by no ties of family or property,
had already left town in great numbers.
Families began to pack up and follow
them. The exodus became general. The
merchants reduced their forces of clerks to
almost nothing. The gamblers, among the
first to feel the effects of the catastrophe,
closed their games aud vanished into parts
unknown. Only one faro bank out of a
dozen or fifteen is left in town to-day, and
that, it is said, is to be wound up next
week. few patrons still hang axound it.
their assets being limited to few white
chips apiece. Many saloon keepers have
already gone out of business and others are
waiting only for such times as their rents
and their licenses shall expire. These gen.
try had intended to brave it out until fter
the races, hat the announcement of the
abandonment of tho race meeting has
dashed their last hopes. That announce
ment was all that was needed 60 convince
everybody that the works are to be closed
yet for weeks and months.
Since the middle of May the rush out of
town has been steady and great. Every
train has been crowded. The
agree. that for obvious reasons
it is much better so. The smaller the num-
er of mouths to feed when there is no
work, the better for everybody. The reduc-
tion of tho population reduces the danger
of violence. Where have the people gone
to? Nobody knows. They have vanished
and Anaconda knows them no more.
Tho exodus still continues but not in a
degree 30 marked. Most OF those who are
left are people who own property here or
who are engaged in business. and who, hav-
ing every confidence In the ultimate and
permanent success of the city, are standing
the storm with good grace. Some there are
left who are left In more senses than one.
They are families that have not the means
to get out of town, or, having barely enough
to -take them few miles, don't see
any probability of bettering their ciroum-
stances should they get that far. These
people are in hard lines The grocers and
butchers say they can't feed them for
nothing, and their only alternatives, there
fore, are begging or starving. However,
the outside world need have no fenr that