The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-08
IMPRESSIONS OF BUTTE
Mayor William Bracket in an
Interview in Peoria.
MINERS READY FOR WAR
Ten Thousand OF Then Willing to Go to
the Front-He Says That Labor
Unions Control Everything
in the Smoky City.

Mayor William s. Bracket of Peoria,
ILL.,, who has spent a number of weeks
in Butte and vicinity. returned to his
home recently. and in an interview in
the Peoria Herald says of this country:
The war spirit has struck the Rocky
mountain district full force. Every
miner In this great mining district is an
American though he may not have
been born i'm this country. They want
war with Spain and are ready to drop
their work at which they get from 81
To 81 per day, according to the nature
of the work. in order to go to war.
They held several meetings at Butte
and at one OF them ! delivered an ad-
dress. Ten thousand miners are ready
to go to the front IL the call hould
come. There are no peace measures at
Butte-that IL sure"
While at Butte Major Bracket met
DIR. Maurice Eisenberg. who formerly
presided over congregation Anshai
Emeth in this city and went to Butte a
few months ago. Since going to Butte
DIR. Eisenberg has organized a flourish
ing church, the congregation being
made up of a number of wealthy
Hebrew families. He also presides
over the Hebrew church at Helena and
Anaconda. The major heard DR.. Eisen-
berg preach several times. He attended
regularly st. Johns Episcopal church,
one Of the most ~pretentious churches
of that denomination in the West.
While i'm Butte Mr.. Hotchkiss. whose
family resides i'm this city, died.
Hiram Knowles is one of the federal
judges at Butte and is an uncle of
Howard Knowles of this city. He be-
came very well acquainted with the
judge and conversed with him on sew
eral occasions. The judge is now inter-
ested in hearing a remarkable case i'm
which the treaty of the United States
with China is involved.
The major in speaking of the power
of labor unions in that section said they
ruled everything. I'm Butte labor
unions control business. politics and
everything else he said. THE unions
are well managed. but have an AFRO
giant policy and seek TO dictate every
thing and to every body and they sue
coed. AS long as they keep in the reg
ular channel everything runs smoothly
but when they overstep the line there is
trouble. A few months age the
unions ordered a boycott against the
Cinnamon. The Chinese have a few
there. also operate laundry
establishments as they do in this coun-
try. The boycott was so we'll organized
that the poor Chinaman was forced to
quit business for a time and an appeal
was made to the Chinese government
for aid. According to the treaty with
China the United States Is bound to
grant certain protection to the Chinese
countryman and the oppressed stand a
good show of being we'll paid for the
trouble and loss already sustained.
The case was placed before Presi-
dent Mckinley. who advised the Chi
nese government to retain Col. WILDER
f. Sanders, ex-United States senator,
n = oanapa1 COUNSEL and he &c nau not
ing for the Chinese government. The
case is on before Hiram Knowles, judge
OF the federal court. The United States
is seeking TO aid the Chinese to recover
damages from those who placed the
boycott and thus broke up the business
Of the Chinese. When this case Is set
tied the Chinese government will sue
the papers publishing the boycott
cards.
Butte is one of the most fiourishing
and prosperous cities in the country
the major said. Il believe there are
about 80. 900 inhabitants. but everything
is activity. There is not an hour m the
night you cannot hear whistles blowing
and find the streets lined with people.
The mines are operated incesSantly by
shifts of men. Men are leaving and
going to work at all hours. The city of
Butte is surrounded with copper mines
and smelters are at the verge of the
valley. Inc Alldconua SHELTER Is ~
miles from Butte and is one of the
largest in the world. Six thousand tons
of copper ore are taken from the mines
every day and 10000 men are at work.
The pay roll is over 81. 000, 900 a month.
Copper sells for IL cents per pound.
This is the greatest center in the West,
made so on account of the very sue
cessful mining which Is carried on so
extensively. Then cattle raising is
good business. The mild winter just
over has helped business materially.
Montana leads the country in the
production Of gold and copper. In
Madison county at the present time
great gold properties are being found
and the Klondike has no attractions for
the Rocky mountain miner. He is per-
fectly well satisfied where he is. In
this connection | might say that the
farther East you go the Klondike fever
becomes more noticeable. But few
miners ave gone from Butte. probably
half a dozen. one old miner told me
the other day nat he preferred the
Rocky mountains. and pointing to his
gray hairs said: I received these hairs
in Alaska Montana. Colorado n
California lead i'm the production of gold
and cooper.