The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-03-22
In A TERRIBLE SHAPE
MiSSOuIa'S Streets Are a Sea Of Black
Mud.
THE CITY AND THE SPRING
After All II Begins to Look AS II
There VIII Be a Contest In
the Approaching Spring
Election.

MIsSoULA, March 2l.-Ihc two or three
warm days that have passed have started
the river off in good shape and 1t Is now
running considerably higher than 1t has
been this spring. Those who have watched
il assert that tho north channel is deeper
and is carrying moro water than 1t ever
has before. This may be the result of tho
ice gorge which last month sent an I'M
usually large volume of water through this
channel. The electric light people are
watching anxIously the turbid stream
that is pouring past their works, rs the
work of the food last spring left their
building dangerously near the stream.
The city authorities, too, are taking pre-
cautions to further strengthen the big
bridge, and large quantity of rock is be-
ing dumped behind the bulkhead which
protects the piling whore the bridge
crosses the low, gravelly island. There
have been nearly 100 loads of rock
thrown in already and enough more will
be added to thoroughly strengthen the
structure. The rock is hauled from Clnr-
cnce Prescott's quarry near tho mouth OF
the canyon and blasting is going on there
now to secure an additions supply OF
rock.
Tho city streets are in terrible shape.
A ride down Higgins avenue Is as good as
n boat ride in heavy sea and hack
going up Woody street pitches and losses
like a pilot boat in stiff gale. There
are chuck holes and thank-you-marms
without end and the only people who
enjoy riding are men who have been ac-
customed to riding on log loads over
rough mountain trails. 1t seems natural
to them. A spasmodic attempt was made
last month to clean up the accumulated
dirt and rubbish which has gathered along
the streets during the winter, but the
effort ceased as soon as the Florence
hotel corner had been cleaned. Even
there, at least one merchant was obliged
to hire q man to clean the gutter in front
of his store. On tho east side of Higgins
avenue. in front of Daily a. Walsh's and
Tyler Warden's establishments there are
heaps of dirt and mud that are disgrace
full. Where the wood saws oper-
ated during the winter there are
big heaps of sawdust that pre-
vent the ice from melting rapidly
and the prospects are that there will be
mud there next August. On West Front
street, above Stevens street, the same
conditions exist and the merchants there
are indignant over the neglect. Two Hig-
gins avenue merchants to-day took q
STANDARD reporter in tow and showed
department has plenty of work laid out
for il, IL it does no more than clean up
the highways. If it gets that done, there
is some grading that would DO appre-
ciated by a long-suifering public.
Missoula just now presents an inviting
field for an artesian we'll digger. The
city has been without water again to-day.
Somebody wanted a connection made and
the entire city south of Pine street was
deprived of water oil day. 1t is bad
enough to have the grip, but to have the
grip and TO be without water at tho same
time is enough to make tho city n com
munity of lunatics. If an artesian well
digger were to strike the town tomorrow,
he would find lot OF abused citizens who
would give him contracts enough to keep
him busy all summer. They want to be
independent of the water works.
It begins TO look as if there would be a
contest in the spring electi OH, after all
The populists seem inclined to put up 1
party ticket whether the old parties do OF
not. They agree that the city needs the
best men il can get for the city govern
ment but they incline strangely to the be
lief that they have the best men and the,
propose to put them up. There is soIn'
good material among the Missoula popu
lists and, IL they set out TO control tn,
administration for tho next term, they ar,
liable to make q good fight for it. Mean
while, the patient voters of the city arr
waiting to have n ticket made for them ~
that they can tell what TO do.
->--
PAT M'GSATH