The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-06


the company assay building sank. de-
molishing the building completely and
crushing to death the company's civil
engineer, L. Wilson Johnston, who was
cousin of w. A. Clark; Robert Bever-
idge. company assayer. and John Carl
son, a laborer. The miners working in
the stope directly under the cave mar
rowly escaped with their lives. 1t was
some hours before the bodies of the dead
were recovered from the debris of the
assay building, which had sunk 10 feet
below the surface. The smelter was
shut down about an hour. to permit the
laborers to assist in digging out their
crushed and dead comrades. Then ev-
erything proceeded as before. The whole
affair was unattended by sentimental
features. Allen explained that such
things were liable to happen at any
time and could not be avoided. He
opened the company's purse to the ex-
tent Of paying the funeral expenses, and
there the matter dropped Johnston
and Carlson were single men, but Bev-
u.
This casualty served greatly toward
intensifying the hatred Of the employees
toward the Clark property and his rep
resentatives here, because the disaster
was SO palpably the result of the COM
pany's penuriousness. MrClark would
have had a forcible demonstration of
his standing among his employees had
he been here on that fatal day. The
caved surface extended to within 20
feet of the smelter jackets. Had IL
reached them a perfect hell of fire and
molten metal would have been poured
out upon the helpless smelter hands.
Worse Yet In the smeIters.
Accidents at the smelters. due to the
disregard by the company of precau-
tionary measures for the employees
renee than in the mine. Many legs and
arms have been jerked off or mansled
and men horribly burned simply be-
cause the laborers are obliged to take
the most unreasonable risks in order
to do their work. To do differently
would cost the company money. A
mans limb cut off now and then cuts
no figure with the company, but money
does.
The Camps Doctor.
They send the MANNED one to the
hospital to recover-then he can go
charge Of the notorious DIR. Woods. a
pet OF Clark's. Woods. who is a mu-
latto. is said to have been a horse doc
tor in Texas before he drifted here.
penniless. some years ago. He is sup
posed to have gained his standing with
the company by services rendered in
connection with mining litigation. At
any rate. he enjoys a large income and
limbs with great gusto. His
patients declare that ne gives but one
kind Of incidence for all complaints.
What he lacks i'm skill he makes up I'm
the most frightful profanity. which he
uses without stint upon refractory
cases. He spends his income with
great liberality and is popular with his
associates. IL not with his patients, and
is a good man for Clark.
just rs I'm Butte.
The water supply Is under the COM
plete control of the company, which
uses all ii needs, then sells the consum-
ers what Is left. The consequence Is
that the town has no protection from
fire, and has burned out many times.
The fire Of last September. which wiped
out pretty nearly the whole place and
In which many lives were lost. also de-
stroyed a great deal OF company prop
erty. This last disaster will doubtless
prove blessing in disguise. as II is
said now to be the intention of the COM
pany TO put in an adequate water sys-
tenn.
They Wait for statehood.
Many business propositions which
would perhaps endure Clark's iniauitous
ground rents and competitive system
have been kept away from Jerome for
Tear OF loss by fire. In fine. Jerome as
/ place either for workingmen OF for
business men is just about as bad as
my one could paint IL. Clark was wei
sDnen here MI ha