The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-15
FOR LACK OF FINANCES
Montana Power Company En-
counters Many Difficulties.
LIENS AND ATTACHMENTS
Two Actions Begun Yesterday. One Ask.
ing That a Receiver Be Appointed
and the Other for s5o.ooo-His-
Tory OF q Vast Enterprise.

Power company. by which IL was pro-
posed to build a big electric plant or
the Big Hole river and generate sufi-
cient power to supply all the mines,
| street railroads and other enterprises
in Butte. and furnish light for the city
and private consumers, seems "a have
encountered financial difficulties from
self. About $4,000 has been spent in
building the reservoir on the Big Hole
near Divide. and $4,000 or $4,000 has
been paid for machinery for the plant.
which il now lying on the liver banks.
A year or so q the high water weak
ened the dam and for a long time 1t was
in danger of going out. 1t is even now
considered TO be in a very unsafe con-
dition. After the accident to the dam
the financial hackers of the enterprise.
mostly ST. Paul capitalists, became
frightened n refused to put up any
more money. and the work stopped. A
large m OF b and other liens
were filed against the company. but
with the hope that some arrangements
could be made to secure more money
and carry the enterprise through. the
creditors did not press their claims af-
ter they were secured by liens. The eff
fort to raise money, however, failed.
and or Thursday c. c. Vance. an en-
gineer. began the first attachment suit
against the company for wages due
him and several other employees.
Yesterday Winters, Parson * Boomer,
the contractors. through their attorney.
John w. Cotter. instituted two actions
in Judge Lindsay's department of the
district court against the Montana
Power company. One asks for the APP
pointment of a receiver with power to
protect the property and dispose of IL
or lease IL. The other suit is for nearly
$50. 900. which is due the plaintiffs on
their contract. In the receivership suit
the defendants named are the power
company and others of its creditors, the
81. Paul Title a. Trust company. Mon
tana Iron Works. NJ. ]. Cornell Lumber
company and the Anaconda Copper
Mining company. The complaint al
leges that on the first OF August. 1897.
the Montana Power company entered
into an agreement with the plaintiffs
for the construction of the wire and
pole line from Butte to the power dam
at Divide for the sum OF $334.S5. The
work was completed on the first of last
June and the contract price has never
beer paid. and a mechanics lien MAS
filed against the property. An attor-
ney's fee of 800 is asked for foreclosing
the lien. 1t is further alleged in the
same complaint that the power COM
pany has been constructing certain
dams on the Big Hole. and In April
last. when the dams and foundation for
the power houses were about completed,
the Big Hole and its tributary, the
Wise river. by a sudden rise of the wat
ers the dam settled and was moved for
soTne distance down the river and the
existence of the dam was threatened
and the foundation of the power house
was partially destroyed. The dam
carries a great quantity Of water. ex-
tending for four miles up the river. n
If the dam should suddenly break and
release the water IL would destroy a
great deal Of property situated below
on the river, and would endanger the
lives of n great many people living on
the banks OF the river. The apertures
in the dam are not sufficient to draw
OF the water in time of high water. n
as now constructed the reservoir will
dam n great deal of water which will
be a menace to the property and lives
Of persons below the dams unless the
dams are properly reinforced and re-
paired i'm n manner to safely hold and
restrain the water. The reservoir on
the Wise river has also been weakened
by leaks. II Is also related that re-
Gently persons nave cut the wires on
the pole line from Divide to Butte and
large quantities of the wires have been
removed. and unless protected the whole
line will be destroyed. The plaintiffs
are Informed that the company, by rea-
son OF Its financial condition, is unable
to take care Of and protect it's property.
and IL will he an absolute loss unless il
has the care and attention of some per-
son authorized To preserve il and put
IL i'm proper repair. The power house
was also partially destroyed by the
floods of last spring and will become a
total loss through the floods next spring
unless something is lone To protect II.
The has also purchased and
has on the ground machinery and build
material of the value of $50. 900 or
sac. 600. which is now in the open and
subject to the weather, and IL allowed
to remain unprotected during the COM
winter 1t will be rendered almost
entirely ~valueless for the for
which II was purchased. The plaintiffs |
say that with the material on the
ground and in the state and condition
I'm which the foundations for the power
house are. the cheapest and best way
to protect the machinery. foundations
and other building material Is to erect
and partially complete the power house
and place the machinery and other
property under its shelter. The lower
or Big Hole dam requires TO be rein
forced under the general supervision OF
engineers I'm such manner as to main
tain II I'm It's present condition and pro-
tect the work that has already been
done on IL, but the exact character of
the work necessary canno be stated by
the plaintiffs, but they can say that
unless II Is preserved In all proba-
bility the entire plant of dams. build
ings n appurtenances will become a
total loss by the floods OF next spring. |
The plaintiffs further allege that a
great many persons who reside below
the dams have threatened that unless
the dams are repaired and made safe !
before next spring they will apply
20 the courts 10 nave them removed as
a nuisance and a menace To their lives
and property. and the plaintiffs believe |
hat the dams should he strengthened
and reinforced and made safe or should
he removed altogether. The court Is