The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-24
THEIR ANNUAL PICNIC
Butte City Officials Will 60 to
the Reservoir To-Day.
TO INSPECT THE WATER
And to Have q o Time Generally.
The Water Evidently Has Either
Cholera or Smallpox and
Needs Distinction.

To-day is the day when the officials of
Butte have their annual picnic. 1t is
the day when they go out to the reser-
voir ostensibly to inspect the water. but
really to have a good time and get a
couple of breaths or so Of fresh air. In
cid~entally. they may inspect the water
also, but it will be on the side-main-
~.
This inspection of the reservoirs Of
the water company has come to be an
annual thing In Butte. and IT is a good
thing. or course. no one ever heard
of the water being improved any by the
visit of the city officials. but the OFF,
Gals themselves are undoubtedly i'm
proved by the outing. So that the Wis
its to the reservoir in the past may
be summed up as having been intense
ly successful as picnics. but lamentable
failures as water inspections. How
could any one expect city officials to
be good inspectors of water, anyhow?
1t may be different this year. There
are some new aldermen to be initiated,
and some OF them are said TO be mighty
good inspectors OF water-not only on
the side, but all kinds of ways. Then,
furthermore, the board Of county com
I mlSStOneIS ndNt bGtH l1Nilcu W pdi W.
pate in the picnic at the reservoir to-
day. Without doubt the knowledge
which they are reputed to possess In
regard to the water will be of value at
this time. All the county commits
sioners can tell water when they see II,
and none OF them. so far as known, have
any bias or prejudice for or against the
water in Superintendent Carrolfs resef-
voir. 1t was a happy thought when
/ fhay vyara invited IN nartininafa in the
days annual inspection.
From a cursory examination Of the
water as IL lands in Butte, the water
Is more in need of disinfection than OF
inspection. 1t has either the cholera
or the smallpox, and perhaps a touch OF
both. In accordance with the request
of Mayor Harrington. the water super
%intendent some time ago shut off tht
reservoir. and Butte was furnished Will
water direct from Fish creek. For q
few days after this change the water
was all right again, and then IL had 9
relapse, and decomposition set in worse
than ever. At the council meeting Las
Wednesday evening Mr.. Carroll wa
present, n IT was understood that h
was ready to give an explanation o
the change which had come over tn
spirit of the water. This the genera
public would have been very glad L
hear. For II the reservoir water ha'
been turned In again. the people woul'
have a right to know the reason why
and IL IL is the Fish creek water tina
his this primordial, antediluvian tast
and smell, then Butte is, indeed, In
terrible fix. But nobody called on MI
Carroll for any explanation. He wait
ed until after II o'clock. and went hom'
taking his little say with him. Jus
after he had gone one OF the alderme
remarked that the water was terribl
bad once more. and he thought the a
dermen ought to go out In the reservoi
and inspect the water. The annus
smile passed around the aldermen
board, and the annual inspection wa
voted.
The mayor will not accompany the a
, dermen and other officials to-day. II
is going to the Short Line picnic. tn
city officials will undoubtedly ave
good time, as they always do. and viii
: the water may not be improved, IN
/, officials should be benefited, provide
they do not inspect the water too har'