The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-31
Butte Department.
WELLS DOESN'T SUIT
So the Alice Employees Are Asked to
Select Another Physician.
HINTS AT INTIMIDATION
Some OF the Miners Say the Eiec-
ton. the Second In This Month,
Is Very Much of q Farce.
But the Order Is Obeyed.

The was an election of mine physi- |
clan by the employees of the Alice Gold
& Silver Mining company of Walker
Vile hast evening. The election was the
second one held for a physician OF the
company the present month, and, nat
urally, there has been much specula-
ton as TO the reason for this rather I'M
usual proceeding. An election was held
on Jan. at which DR.. George II. Wells
was chosen physician for the company
At the election held hast evening Dr. j.
S. Hammond was chosen by rs votes TO
II for DIR. c. V. Norcross. 1t seems THAT
the second election resulted from frlc-
ton between the company and ITS en-
ployes over the first election. The first
choice was not agreeable TO the dfrect-
ors of the company, and 1t was at their
order that the second election was held.
Superintendent Thomas BuZzo of the
Alice company, in giving the companys
side of the trouble, said: up TO about
a year ago DR.. Wells was physician Tor
the company. The Alice company mas
its own hospital, which Is kept up py
the employees. After DR.. Wells removed
to Butte and established his own hos
pital the company preferred another
physician and expressed the wish tndt
a physician be chosen VINO did not nave
a hospital of his own, and who coulo
therefore give every attention to the
men in the Alice hospital. DIR. Ham
mond was chosen at the election year
ago and acted as physician during tne
year Just closed. On Jan. an election
was held for physician for the present
year. There are now about 100 men EN-
ployed by the company, and OF that
number only As voted at the election;
81 voted for Wells and q for Hammond.
Shortly after that went to Salt Lake.
The directors expressed themselves as
dissa tisfied with the choice of a physi-
clan and expressed their desire that
there should be a physician who mas
not a hospital of his own. They believ-
ed that the Alice hospital should be
maintained and did not consider 1t sat
isfac'tory that DIR. Wells should treat
the men in his own hospital.
ION my return to Butte / called the
employees together and laid the matter
before them. / told them that of 100
employees only 81 had voted for Wells.
but that number was sufficient to carry
the election, there being so few who
voted. I told them the objection to DR..
Wells was that he has hospital or his
| own and that the directors of the COM
| pany had a regulation that no man
| should be the company's physician IL
he is conducting a hospital of his own.
| The men told me at this meeting that
according to their bylaws another
election could be held when 10 men
signed a request for an election. So.
| under that rule, the election was held
| this evening"
At the election held on the seventh
| board of trustees was also elected as
follows. Joseph Trevarthen, chair
man; j. w. Bingley, secretary; NJ. c.
| Crevlin, treasurer; Martin Mitchell
and Al Reed. At the election last
night "a votes were cast and 1t was
stated that nearly all the men in the
oompany's employ had voted. Many
of those present favored DR.. Wells, but
| they said 1t was all their jobs were
| worth to attempt to oppose the COM
| pany, and they regarded the election
as a farce. DR.. Wells name was not
put in nomination and DR.. Norcross
was not candidate for the office. but
his name was presented for the pur-
pose of giving those opposed to DR..
| Hammond an opportunity to vote.
1t is claimed by some of the men
that the company's opposition to Dr.
| Wells is not well founded, as he Of
fered to treat the men at the Alice
hospital just the same as If he had no
hospital of his own. His bid for this
was for so per cent. of the hospital
funds, the association to furnish
everything. DR.. Hammond gets so per
cent. Dr. Wells also offered to do the
work provide hospital and medicine.
for 95 per cent. DR.. Wells is inclined
to believe that some influence hostile
to him in Butte was brought to bear
on the Walker Bros, and some of the
Alice employees seem to have the same
idea and regard the notice from Salt
Lake in the nature of intimidating.
The rules of the hospital association
provide that on a petition signed by 10
members, by making complaint against
the hospital physician, new election
shall be called. 1t is alleged that Su-
| perintendent Buzzo himself drew up
the petition and obtained the necessary
signatures to 1t, though the new ply
stefan was not to begin his services
until tomorrow. I'VE would much
prefer to have the company make its
own appointment and not compel US to
go through the farce of an election,
said one of the trustees, land then
there would be less dissatisfaction"
There is a general effort being made
in Butte to have all the mining COM
panies adopt the system of the Ana
conda company and allow each man 10
employ what doctor he sees fit and
| pay his money where he chooses. The
employees of the Gray Rock and other
properties of the Butte & Boston yes
terday sent a petition TO Captain
Couch asking for permission to adopt
| that system or TO elect their own ply
stefan the same as is now done by the
Boston & Montana employees. A petit
ton signed by nearly all the doctors OF
Butte was also sent to Mr.. Couch ask
ing that the Butte & Boston employees
be allowed TO select their own physi-
clan.
NOT TO AROUSE PITY.