The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-21
A REPLY TO THE NOTICE
Reduction Works Assert There
Is No Heap Roasting.
THE COURTS WILL DECIDE
Mayor Harrington Considers 1t Simply
an Evasion on the Part of the Com
pany-Tells What He Saw
There Himself.

In reply 10 the notice served on the
management of the Butte Reduction
works to cease the heap roasting of
ores claimed to be now going on con-
trary to law. the following reply was
received yesterday by the chief of ro-
lice from Secretary Wethey
Your favor of the 18th inst. notify
ing the Butte Reduction works to stop
heap roasting at said works duly re-
ceived / am at a loss to understand
this notice, as no heap roasting has
been done at the Butte Reduction
works for many years. and there is
none being carried on at the present
time. We are afraid that some mali
cious person has been spreading re-
ports TO work injury to liz. hut for
what reason / do not know"
!. Mayor Harrington said in regard to
the reply of Mr.. Wethey:
Il shall engage IN no argument with
Mr.. Wethey as to whether the form Of
roasting going on at the Butte Reduc-
ton works is heap roasting or not. or
whether ii is merely an evasion Of the
law prohibiting heap roasting The
courts will determine that matter We
have complied with the provisions Of
the ordinance in giving them the proper
notification. As to whether the method
sion of the law the courts can now de-
termine.
Il am sorry that the officials Of the
Butte Reduction works nave not seen
fit TO comply exactly with the terms of
the ordinance, for tho expenditure of Il
very few hundred dollars by this COM
pany and the Parrot company would
relieve Butte of nine tenths of the
/ smoke which now at times diStresses
| 1t in the winter season. | admit that
the smoke is not as bad this winter as
it used to be. but there is no need of
/ its being nearly as bad as ii is. | ann
we'll satisfied that a few hundred dol
4 lars expended at these smelters would
/ relieve Butte of the gr,as ouin OF the
4 smoke.
Il went down to the Butte Reduction
/ works IA few DAYS ago and made an
+ examination myself. 4 large number
of new stalls have been constructed.
aud the ore is roasted in these. They
are open stalls. | do not know whether
on not these stalls are connected with
the stack flues. II they are, the fiues
are improperly constructed for they
do not draw the smoke 10 the stack.
I The smoke rises III dense and sitting
clouds from all the stalls, and when the
wind is right envele ps the city. If
the fiues We're properly constructed the
smoke would he drawn To the stack and
up through it, This ordinance provided
J lbi Inc But lIlt SidCk rs really III
very little use under the present ar
iangement. There is very little smoke
\ coming out of the stack and the great
! bulk of it arises from the stalls, which
are on the ground. Ms operated. the
stalls are not better than the old heap
! roasts, and are of no service SO far as
getting rid of the smoke is concerned.
The company could at small expense
1 have these stalls SO connected with the
/ stack that the smoke would all go up
the stack. That evidently was the in
tention OF the ordinance. ana 1t seems
to me that the company should will
inglly and gladly bear this slight ex-
/ pense necessary To relieve Butte of
most of its smoke"
i The ordinance in regard TO the roast
ing of ores is as fellows:
Section THAT all roasting or burn
ing of ores or minerals within the city
limits of the city of Butte ana within
three miles of said limits be and the
same is hereby declared To be a public
nuisance.
Section THAT flom and after the
/ taking effect of this ordinance ii shall
be unlawful, and IL is hereby declared
| TO be nuisance for any person or per-
sons or corporation TO roast or burn
ores or minerals within the limits de-
! scribed in Section ] Of this ordnance
and any person or persons or corpora
i ton roasting or burning ores or min
/ erals Nllnlil sdlu limits AFTER the TAX
| ing effect hereof shall be deemed guilty
of maintaining a nuisance, and upon
conviction thereof shall be fined in any
sum not less than 800 nor more than
$500. provided. however. that nothing
herein contained be construed 10 APP
ply to the roasting or burning of ores
or minerals where the product of such
roasting or burning shall pass through
| chimneys or stacks. whose apex shall
be moi less than IS feet above the sur
face of the earth at the base of suc.i
] chimney nr stack.
The contention of the city authorities
| is that while there is chimney OF
stack connected with these stalls
il Is only a figure head or ornament
its work being mainly TO bring about
an evasion of the law. II is contended
| that the product of the ore roasting
does not pass through the chimney
or stack. as the law requires.
4