The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-06-09
WRITER'S MONUMENT
II Will Be Unveiled on the Miners
Union Anniversary.
HIS WIFE BURIED WITH HIM
How the Lamented President Called
an Impromptu Meeting to Order
Sketch of His Career While In
Butte-The Little Girl.

founding of the Butte Miners union,
there will be the unwilling of tse mon
ument to the memory of a. c. Writer.
the first president of the union. For
several months marble cutters have
been busily engaged preparing the
monument. which is now completed
and ready for the unwilling.
A. c. Witter, the first president of
the Miners union. was a mining man
of Butte. to whose influence is largely
attributed the organization of the
union. Seventeen years ago some Of
the mining companies were engaged in
movement for the reduction of the
wages of miners. There was at that
time no organization whatever among
the miners, and therefore nothing TO
prevent a reduction of wages when
ever the companies might desire 1t.
The men grumbled a good deal among
themselves, but no concerted action
was taken until on the day of which
next Thursday is the seventeenth an
niversary A. c. Witter. an ordinary
miner himself, jumped upon a table in
the California brewery and began to
harangue a group OF miners. The par
ty increased until the crowd had in
creased to several hundred men. Mr..
Witter was not considered an eloquent
speaker, but was a very convincing
talker. The burden of his talk was
that strength lies in union alone. He
advised the men to organize at once,
establish a rate of wages and then
| they would be able to dictate terms to
the companies. Without union moth
in could be done,
That meeting was the starter of the
| Butte Miners union, and Mr.. Writer
was elected president of the union
| when the organization was effected. 1t
| is unnecessary to say that the union
| then organized has been very prosper
| Gus. Not only has IL been able to
maintain wages at the old rate, but II
| has several thousand dollars in the
| treasury and a fine Miners Union hall
In appreciation of his services in or
| ganizing the union and in carrying it
| successfully through the dark and
! stormy days which attended his term.
| the boys" afterward elected Mr.. Wit
ter to the office of county clerk and
| recorder, a representation in the ter
ritorial Legislature, a delegate to the
| constitutional convention, and a rep
| resentative in the first Montana state
| legislature. This was the Legislature
| of which there were two bodies-one
| republican and one democratic. Mr..
Witter was elected speaker of the re-
publican house.
Mr.. Writer'S death occurred in Janu-
| airy, 1890. while he was speaker of the
house. He had moved from Butte to
| Beaverhead county, and while over in
1
wife was very ill of pneumonia and
not expected to live. He was not in
| good health. but he started out at once
for home. On the way he contracted
| pneumonia and died soon after reach
ing his home. His wife died the same
| day, and both were buried in the same
| grave in Mt. Moriah cemetery.
Two small children were left on the
| world by the death of Mr.. and Mrs.
| Witter. A committee of friends found
| just - cents in the house after the
| death Of the couple. "a subscription
was raised among members of the leg
| islature and citizens generally for the
payment of the funeral expenses, etc B.,
and the balance was turned over to
Ex-Governor b. F. White for the edu-
cation of the Witter children. One of
the children has since died, but the lit
tie girl still lives.
| The Miners union a year ago de-
| cided to place a lasting memorial To
| Mr.. Writer'S memory. A picnic was
| held for this purpose and the handsome
sum of S2,134 was cleared. 1t was found
| that a suitable monument could be
erected for $500 and it was decided to
turn the balance of more than 81 SOC
| over to the fund for the benefit of the
little Witter girl
The monument which will be I'M
yelled Thursday was erected by a. X
| Prescott of Helena the work being lei
ment is of Barre granite. Be-
sides the inscriptions of the names
of Mr.. and Mrs. Witter, the
Miners union emblem is inscribed OH
the cap and the Montana coat of arms
| at the top of the die. The spire is one
foot three inches by one foot three by
ten inches ten; the cap two and four
ny two and four by one and two; the
die one and ten by one and ten by two
| and six; the base two and six by two
and six by one; the bi-base three and
six by three and six by one and six.
Peter Ereen received this letter YES
terday from Ex-Governor White:
Dillon. June 5.
Yours of late date at hand and all
noted. One of the little Writer girls
died :he following year after the death
Of her parents. The other is with her
grandmother, Mrs. Harriet Gaulter. al
Lar,ont, Iowa, where any communities
tons viii be received. Mrs Gaulter
is the legal guardian of the little
girl. She was so appointed at my sug-
gestion, as she desired TO keep the
children, and l am only acting as trus-
tee to hold and distribute the fund
raised by the members Of the First
state legislature, which l have been
| doing. 1t is being used for the pur.
pose of educating the remaining child
and whatever is left after that is &C
complished will be given her when she
| arrives at he proper age to take care
of it
IF the money you have is to be paid
over at this time, / would suggest thai
il be sent direct TO Mrs. Gaulter. or II
may be added TO the funds in nv hand.
and distributed with that. as you and
the committee may think for the best
shall always be pleased to do any.
thing in my power for the little girl
and will. If at all possible. be present
az the unwilling of the monument or
the 18th.
In behalf of Mr. Writer'S many
friends here. and his family friends iT
| the East. / cordially thank you anc
| the Miners union for the interest takeT
in all this matter Very truly.
b. F. WHITE"
JOLLY IN TROUBLE.