The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-25
ITS THE OLD BUGADO0
An Implied Threat to the County
Attorneys Letter.
TO CLOSE THE SHELTERS
The Solution Suggested by the General
Manager OF the Parrot smelter.
The Time Limit Expires
Thursday.

So far the county attorney has re-
ceived but one reply to the letter he
sent to the managers OF the different
smoke nuisance. An answer was re-
ceived yesterday from Robert ID. Grant
of the Parrot company. but he gives lit
tie indication OF n desire or intention to
do anything toward abating the nuis-
ance. Mr.. Grant speaks of the great
cost and time that would be required
to do what the law says the smelters
shall do. and holds up the old bugaboo
about closing down all the smelters and
mines IL the threat implied by the coun-
ty attorney. to enforce the law, was
carried out. Mr.. Grants letter is as
follows:
Butte. Mont. Dec. "a. 1s9s.-Guy w.
Stapleton, Esq. County Attorney,
Butte, Mont: Dear Sir-Your circular
letter OF the 2lst instant. written pur-
suant to an order Of the district court.
made upon you officially. requiring you
to report to the our within 10 days the
steps necessary in your judgment to
abolish smelter smoke in Butte. was
duly received and has been carefully
considered.
mo one is more seriously apprecia-
tive than myself Of the fact that The
smoke Is at certain seasons a discom-
fort and annoyance. particularly to
those in III health. and especially this
winter. when. unfortunately. the cold
weather made its advent a month earl
Ter than usual.
The language of your letter permits
the inference to be drawn that you are
To report to the court the procedure
necessary to abolish the smoke immed-
lately. and that thereafter such pro-
cedure will be at onc prosecuted to ef-
feet.
Without reverting to the various
plans for remedying the evil which
nave been informally discussed, all Of
which. If practicable. would require
quite a long period of time n large
sums of money to put into operation,
the end proposed I'm you letter. hat Of
taking measures at once to prevent a
possible recurrence of the smoke this
winter. can be accomplished only by the
compulsory closing down Of every
smelling plant in Butte. Admitting that
the evil Is a serious one, the conditions
following upon such a remedy would be
hardly less so. for IL the smelling works
close the mines. whose product operates
them. will of necessity shut down also.
for i'm the absence of the daily con-
sumption Of the smelters there are no
facilities for storing or hauling the ore
product. This means that in Butte at
least 5000 smeltermen, miners. haulers,
clerks and followers Of the vocation di-
rectly deriving their livelihood from the
mines and smelling works will be
thrown out Of employment. This Is an
indisputable fact, and I'm the interests
Of all concerned. I hope that I'm formu-
lating your report to the court, and the
subsequent proceedings which you fore
shadow in q u letter, o will not be
unmindful of il.
"The smoke can be abolished in ac-
cordance with the spirit of your letter
only in the manner indicated, but in
closing down the smelling works 5000
of the men who made Butte the city
that IL Is, together with their families,
are deprived of their livelihood.
1T is proper to regard the health and
comfort Of all, but II would seem that
the bread and butter question to sew
eral thousand people should be equally
entitled to attention, n I'm my judg-
ment their wishes and views in this
matter should not be overlooked or ig-
nored in determining a plan Of action.
Il desire to say. that representing the
Parrot company, / am ready and WILL
ing to meet you. the authorities or any
OF the representative citizens. to dis
cuss the solution of this problem. Yours
truly, ROBT. ID. GRANT,
Secretary and General Manager"
The 10 days given the county attorney
by Judge Lindsay in which TO make a
report to the court will expire next
Thursday.