The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1896-01-03
IN THE COPPER CITY
a NUMBER OF MEN LAID OFF AT
THE LOWER WORKS.

be Ready for Opcrntien-The Dispute
About City Taxes Taken Into Court
Two Notable Weddings, Etc.
spec!a. to the NEW NORTHWEST. IL
ANACONDA, Jan. '.--Duriny the last
! two or three weeks {; number OF men
| have been laid off at the lower works.
| First it began at the converters when
/ quite a number of men were let off for d
little while. Because of repairs and the
cleaning Of the biz tues at the smelter
Il small army of men were left without
| work for some time 1t becomes neces-
sary to clean the big tIues that carry Off
the sulphur smoke at the Anaconda
company's big plant every once in Il
while. During this operation it is neces-
sary to close down certain parts of the
works. One i1ue is cleaned at a time.
There are several of the mammoth brick
conduits. 1t takes about two weeks to
clean one Of these big t1ues and it is by
no means pleasant job. The regular
men do not desire to do that kind of
work If they can possibly avoid it. At
such times, therefore, the rustlers among
the unemployed men who are glad to get
work under any circumstances Get q
| chance. There seems no reason to be-
| lleve that the works will not run full
/ blast again as soon as the cleaning and
repairs now under operation are COM
pleted. In the meantime this coming
pay day is likely to be somewhat light.
The new electric light plant will soon
be ready for operation. The water will
| be turned on the bic turbine wheels in 4
Very short time now, much to the graft
fcntion and relief Of every citizen of
this place who has been compelled to
use and pay for electric lights. No one
will deny that the electric light service
in Anaconda during the last few months
/ has been abominably poor There is
! good reason for ii, however. The pres
ent plant when put in was considered
/ plenty large enough TO meet all demands
II the city for several years to come, but
the unexpected and marvellous growth
/ OF the city and the vast Increase in the
use Of electric light consequent upon
that growth long since rendered the
present plant entirely inadequate. Earn
est efforts have been put forth BY the
managers OF the electric light company
to Get in the new plant at AS early a date
as possible. It's gratifying to know that
the work will soon be completed, and
! when il is finished this city will have
one Of the best electric liuht plants of
any city of its size in the country. The
/ machinery is all Of modern improved
make and no expense has been spared 10
make it meet the requirements OF this
1 community for many years to come
The dispute over the payment Of taxes
| in Anaconda this year has finally been
| taken into court D. r. Beck, who lives
/ in a tent near the fire hall on the Ana
| concla company's ground, has paid taxes
on something like $4,000 worth of prop
erty. The property is worth d great deal
more than $4,000. but it is assessed for
something like that figure His taxes
amount to $333l.1S, but Mr.. Beck has con-
cluded that he cannot afford to pay that
amount OF taxes, and in the interest of
himself aud a number OF other rate
payers Of the city Of Anaconda he has
gone into the district court Of Deer
Lodge county and asked Judge Brantly
to issue an order directing County Treas
llrer llallahan not to sell Mr.. Beck S
property for the amount OF his taxes
Mr. Beck offers $2925O to the county
treasurer in full satisfaction Of all taxes
against his property. The point at issue
is the five mills levied upon Anaconda
property by the city council for fire
light and water purposes. Mr.. Beck
does not need protection from fire, for il
his present residence were to burn up
he could probably rebuild it for S13.20
Neither does he require lights. His sup.
ply Of candles are purchased at the low
est market price, wholesale, and his
wants in that respect are not many. lie
does not use electric lights in his bust
ness. AS for WATER there is no testimony
to show that he uses any Of that either
However this matter may be decided, il
is known to every citizen in Anacond,
that while the taxes are unusually higl
this year, this city's government is one o.
the most economical known in the Rocky
NJ T.,