The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-26
MORE OF IT ON THE WAY
Additional Smoke Promised by
the Butte Reduction Works.
ENLARGING THE OUTPUT
The Company Is Building Fresh Roast
ing Kilns, and as Soon as All Are
in Operation the Population
Will Keel Over Dead.

1t is to be regretted that the Butte
Reduction works did not wait to start
up it's heap roasts until after the
Frawley engagement. If it is neces-
sary for Butte to be suffoeated with
smoke, the city ought, 1t would seem,
to have the privilege of debating at
what times of the year the suffocation
should come. If ii Is possible to have
a choice in the matter. IL would GER
tainly be the choice of the majority or
Butte's people if not of all of them, to
have air that can be breathed during
the time of the Frawley engagement.
When heap roasts are started it takes
about a week for them to get under
way so that they really get suffocat-
ing. The roasts of the Butte Reduc-
ton works were started a week ago
and they are now just at the height of
their helIishness. 1t takes. as rule.
from three to four weeks for the roasts
to burn out. If the people of Butte
could have had any choice in the mat
ter, they would have petitioned the
Butte Reduction works to hold off one
week on their smoke so that the long
expected Frawley engagement might
be enjoyed, but that was not to be.
Mayor Harrington went down to the
heap roasts of the Butte Reduction
works yesterday and found that the
company is now engaged in building
some more roasting kilns These new
kilns are just like the old ones. They
are in reality roast heaps, and the fiues
and stacks will not be able to carry off
more than one-tenth of the smoke any
more than in the past. 1t seems hard
that Butte should have to stand any
more of the roast heaps than it is now
compelled to stand, but that is what is
coming up.
One satisfactory thing about it all is
that the people know this time where
the smoke is coming from. Various
companies have, at various times, been
accused of being responsible for the
smoke and usually the curse has been
divided. But the smoke Butte is get
ting now comes from the Butte Reduc-
ton works. and that alone, and there is
no doubt about it,
AS one ehews the smoke and tries to
enjoy it. he is prone to wonder how it
happens that the Anaconda company
and the Boston & Montana company
can afford to get along without heap
roasting and the Butte Reduction
works can't. 1t is generally understood
that the Butte Reduction works has as
much capital behind. it as either the
Anaconda company or the Boston x
Montana company, yet while the two
latter companies smelt their ores with
out SuHOcdIlnS Ine people Oh Ailtcoiud
and Great Falls, the Butte Reduction
works keeps the people of Butte gasp
ing, although the expenditure of very
few hundred dollars would put the
Butte Reduction works in such shape
that the people of Butte would not be
any more afflicted than are the people
of Anaconda and Great Falls. 1t is
well said that the smoke from which
Butte suffers is not near as bad as it
used to be. But what many people do
not understand is why Butte should
have to suffer at all. A few hundred
dollars expended on the smelters would
make Butte as free from smoke as are
Anaconda and Great Falls. and surely
no reason has yet appeared why the
Butte Reduction works is not as well
able to stand the expense of putting in
apparatus that will not suffoeate the
people as are the Anaconda and Bos-
ton 81 Montana companies. Why
should roasting out of doors be allowed
in Butte when it isn't allowed any
where else?