The sun., 1893-12-24
ABA1ING SMOKE NUISANCE
The Montana Method Proved Effective u
Case of the Smciters at Bu;tr.

| The Moutana Method Proved Effective In
Case OF the Smeit-rs at Bu;tr.
e 1t would be easy enough to stop the frst
move OF the t-coal nuisance In New York A"
said the ox-vigilante from Montana. e II the
citizens would get up on their hind heels and
do as the people OF Butte once did when that
camp was buried In smelter smoke
" Butte IL built on the side OF a long hill
which Is surmounred by busy hive OF copper
and silver mines and mills. Just below the
town is a suburb called Meadevil!e. where the
copper smelters are located. The ora s first
OF all roasted in great heaps outside the
smeitlng furnaces in order to remove
the sulphur. When the atmosphere IL at
all cool the smoke rises and settles
gradually over the town. 1t is very much
worse than soft-coal smoke. because it is full
OF sulphur. which is not only bad smelling but
dangerous After an hour or so in this air
ones throat becomes irritatad and the air
passages become clogged. These conditions
make the way sasy for pneumonia, u disease
viewed in the past by Butte people with greater
Gus smoke became So dense that II was inn
possible to sec across the narrOwest street,
and the people were forced to go about with
lanterns. Col Jo I'm Read OF the H.irr- Npmidm
once once lost his way, and was not found for two
appeared in famished condition in the come
terry two miles down the VALLEY.
Tho people OF Butte tried every way to get
meetings. passed resolutions. and petltoned
mining eomIanies. city councils. and .egisla-
lures They made pleas. and threatened boy
colts, but all without avail. for On"e started, a
smoAe nuisance grows like green bay tree
and is as hard TO Kill as pigwred Zach winter
scourge, and the spring brought hundreds OF
new graves 10 bear evidence OF the cold ava
Tlcc OF mining corporations.
ono day lAAt year. when the smnEe was very
hal, seYerAl old-tImeTa were stan ling on tho
corner ot Main street discussing tho situation.
Among them was tien. harra y. Warren. Iie-
publican National Committeeman from Non
tahe, ana widely known for his ABILITY 10 make
an after dinner 81 Ieech aud hold an ace fun,
IN tho old days the boys would nave cleaned
olt those roast heaps mightyqu!ck,' said one:
nat the matter with doing II nOwF
Nothing. cried the others in a chorus.
Ihe news quickly spread thE, the citizens
were going 10 solve the smoke problem, and
ii Ten minutes the street IN front al tila court
house Was packed with crow Is OF cheering
people. inc General made ~ short speech. ana
great procession was started for MeddeFille;
~ grew as II passed along, until nearly all OF
Butte was on ths march. At MsIdsville a lew
saperlntendents and owners were tlYinE about
WIN lhreAls OF lnlunCtiOns, hut they were
sl!"hGeI when the General cried. ,
=, 10 nell with YOU people whose families live
Las, w nave got wives and children hero
Ana then tho work OF destruction com.
menced Dig dynamite cartridges we're dropped
~ the roast heaps, and up we"t tho orc with
the cOstlY plants for treatment When heaps
worth more than SO OuD had been spoiled the
crowd returned home a.d awOke next mnrn-
ing 10 ilnd an entire freedom from sulphurons
fumes. TINS practically settled tho smoke
problem, and now the companies are building
stacks on the NIL to carry away the smoke or
are MOVING their 5mclters."