The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-30
WENTRIGHT TO WORK
The Committee Will Answer ALI Those
" Questions From Headquarters.
POPULATION OF THE CITY
Estimates Invited In Order to Get
at the Real Figures-The Site
Matter VIII Be Attended to
-Other Business.

The committee of six appointed to
answer the questions propounded from
Washington bearing on the need of
public building In Butte met at 40
o'clock yesterday morning and pro-
ceeded to work at once. The first dis
cussion was as to what answer should
be made to the question as to the pop
ulation of Butte 10 years ago. The
first directory for Butte was published
in l1Ss4. 1t contained 4,SSS names. In
it's preface the editor of the directory
estimated the population at that time
as 1920. reckoning PA persons to
each name In the directory, and says,
I'VE find that this directory contains
4SSS names, which, multiplied by 2h
shows the population of Butte to be
1920. 1t should be here stated that
the pa is a low estimate for each
name. Denver estimates her popula-
ton ON a basis of for each name in
the directory. so also does Omaha,
Kansas City and many other western
cities. Moreover the canvass has been
made In a year of universal depres-
sion in business when population is
changing and at period unfavorable
30 Butte City, owing to the fictitious
inducements and temporary boom of
Wanted mining localities which. how
ever. will have reacted to Butte's ad
vantage ere another year; for here
business is on a solid basis.
The next year, on Nov. 10, 1886, an
other directory was issued and II
elbows a substantial increase over 1884,
IN fact the estimated population is
nearly twice as great. In the 1885 di-
rectory there are 1923 names. The
year before 21s persons were estimated
70 a directory name. In 1886 the edi-
tor estimated 8 persons to a name,
which would make the population that
year 21.36s. But in nearly all other
Butte directories. including the one for
1896, the directory estimates the pop
ulattDn on q basis of 2I2 persons TO
each name. IL is therefore likely that
tho population was overestimated in
1855, for the tendency is to larger
rather than to smaller families. 1t
wo0dd be manifestly incorrect to esti-
mate persons 10 a name in 1885 and
only 81 to a name in 1895. The OPP
posite would be more likely to be the
case.
The directory for 1895 contains 1913
names and estimates the population
at 3s.147 last year. This is reckoning
2h persons to name. BY that same
method of reckoning the population in
1885 was 17.s0S.
Outside of the figures the members
of the committee gave their opinions
as to the present population of Butte.
superintendent Carroll of the water
company said that water rates are
paid on a population which he would
estimate at $4,000. superintendent
Davies OF the public library said that
reckoning by books taken from the
public library the population is from
40, 900 ito $1,000. This, however. In the
opinion of Mr.. Davies is more of a
reading community than many other
1of
county is about 1000 and the number
of school children is about 100000.
The general opinion of the members |
or the COMMITTEES thai the actual pop |
ulation OF Butte and Ms immediate vi |
entity Is now about $4,000. and prob |
ably q little above that figure. The |
must therefore have reck- |
oned only two persons to each name in |
the directory, and by the same method /
OF calculation the population in 1885 |
was 1926
All the members of the committee /
were confident that the population I'm
1905 would not be less than 10000, or
double what It now is. If silver is re-
stored to monetary basis the popu-
iation may reach that figure in five
years, but in any event will reach TO-
600 TO 10000 In 10 years in the opinions
or the members of the committee The
conclusions arrived at therefore are
about as follows:
Population 1886. -. 600
1895 49,. 600
OPoAdlAouA lsVo... ........ ......IO.OO0 |
These conclusions are not final by
any means. The members of the COM
inittee will continue to receive esti-
mates on the matter from citizens gem
orally and may change their figures
before they finally draw up their re-
port.
The matter of a site for a government
building and prices was placed in the
hands of a subcommittee consisting
of H. M. Patterson and Colonel jerks.
The matter OF charging the southern
judicial district was referred to John
Caplice as a committee of one.
The committee is DESTROYS of receiv-
ng the views Of competent judges as
70 what Butte's population was in
1850. what II Is now and what Il is
ikely to he IN re hanca