The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-21
It IS An UP HILL FIGHT
Senator Mantle Working for the
Butte Building.
BUCKING AGAINST REED
The Gear vii Not Permit That Kind of
Legislation--Butte's Claims Favora-
bly, Presented-Carter's Gas Bill
Stirs Up Discussion.
Washington bureau Of the standard,
Ma. lab q street n. w. |,

Washington, ID. c., March Ex-senator
Mantle is making a hard but somewhat
uphill fight for the Butte public build
ing. He has won IL so far as the SEN
ate is concerned. and is now devoting
himself to the conferees. They are not
of themselves violently prejudiced against
the proposition, but the house of repre-
sentatives is strongly arrsyed against
any and all public building legislation. 1t
takes this position under specific nreers
from it's master. Speaker Reed. He de-
cided at the beginning OF the present ses-
sion that there should be no legislation
of this character. How well he has en-
forced his determination Is apparent from
the fact that the house committee on
public buildings and grounds has been
permitted to hold but "A single meeting;
and Il did nothing at that one. Chairman
ID. H.. Mercer OF the committee on pub
lie buildings and grounds makes no at
tempt to disguise the fact that he is pro-
ceeding under the speakers orders. The
attitude of Mr.. Reed makes IL absolutely
certain that as an independent measure
the Butte public building bill is dead as
Rameses.
senator Mantle. however. by undertake
ing To add the Butte measure to the sun
dry civil appropriation. has given II some
chance of success. lie Is not over con-
fdent. of course. but has been putting up
a good light. He equipped himself with
some formidable statistics concerning the
commercial importance of Butte and the
great need of "A public building there.
These he has presented i'm an attractive
manner to the conferees. one of the
most important exhibits Is a letter from
X. l.. Polk a. Co., the famous directory
publishers. who advance Butte's lain
to a building very forcibly. In add ton
to presenting statistics of the city. Frank
H.. Pilling. the Montana manager of the
firm. furnished a brief and interesting his
tory of the Montana metropolis Tor Sena-
tor Nantes use. This Is among the pa
pers filed by the Senator with the con-
ferees. After estimating Butte's present
population at over 0.00o souls. Mr.. Pilling
SAYS: lou method of gathering names
is very correct, az we keep a record of
every man, woman and child within the
district canvassed. and when our ac-
counts and estimates are made they are
reliable and correct
\ History of Butte.
The following epitomized history of
Butte is also presented:
1.-The first record We have of white men
visiting where Butte now stands was I'm
1856. by Judge T.. &. irvine and party.
From this time until May. 1864. little is
known of the place. In May, 1864, q. q.
Humphreys and william Allison came TO
Butte. and were the first settlers. Dur
ing the winter of 1S6i-5 II was a lively
place. and many lodes were recorded.
'"rhe same winter the first store was es-
tablished I'm Butte by Ford & Dresser. The
first political convention was Held la June,
1855. with James Stuart, chairman. and
Robert Wells, secretary; and the hrs'
election was held on September LIST. lsU5
From this time until 1874 Butte had many
ups and downs. people coming and going
as one excitement after another was re
ported. But in 1875 many began To return
i'm various parts of the territory, wh"'
W. l.. Farlan made some important dis
cuveries. From that time on Butte be
gan To assert her Importance, and I'm th'
next four years, i'm 1873. w tnd her VIII
"a population OF 2,Sll, when the hrst direc
tory was published. In 1884, 1--WE year,
later. the second directory was published
In which II showed "A wonderful Growth
ana gave a population to Butte and sub
urhs of ". 22O. Four years later. in lsSs
the third directory was published, whlcl
gives "A population of a. 1dl. In 1879. W
lind n population of 3l,66S, with a month
IN pay roll of $500. 600. The value of tn
mineral output was 81. O5.6S9. In lss
the directory contained II. 090 names. wit
an estimated population of 5000 souls. L
1891 the directory contains 1882 names
and. using the multiple of two and one
half. the figure which Is believed To rep
resent women and children not include
i'm the directory, would give "A populatio
of 1855 for Butte and suburbs. Thi
is largely in excess OF the census figures
The census law requires that the nam
of each person shall be taken only Wher
he sleeps. There are thousands and thou
sands of miners and others here. whom
|, would be impossible TO get the names {
at their sleeping places, but our duol
, cate method Of taking names at bot
their residence and working places pr
p vents thousands of omissions which ma
, urally occur If names were only take
4 at one place. In 1893 the names OF 1913
!. adult citizens appear i'm the directory, q
increase of l.Si3. which represents a pop
lation of 1905 for Butte and suburb
This was, indeed. an encouraging II
crease for a period when most cities wei
satisfied not to have decreased in popul
ton. and one that substantiates the ST
ries OF the city's growth since the cens'
, of 1890. In 1895 we have l7.ls3 names.
, "A population Of q. $50. The total value
u copper. silver and gold products for But
: in 1895 was $50. SEQ, 600. The directory
! 1897 gives a population Of 1924 for But
and suburbs. Our canvass has Just be'
u completed for 1898 Butte City director
. and has not as yet been arranged so
y count at his time can be made. but
far as we have gone We find quite I
increase I'm new names. On our regul
; canvass this year we took 5000 nam,
VI Now. for the purpose of estimating '
will deduct 5000 names for Duplicate
u etc. which We believe tn he very ltberi
~ and. using the multiple of TWO ana on
i half To represent the women ana childr
z whose names are customarily omittt
would Indicate for Butte and suburbs
T. population of $1,000 souls"
a Mr.. Pilling says his figures are exact
~ such as he las "A directory publisher h
le watched the growth Of Butte and Nici
-. - o. No. - inv
n to the present time"
a. Iryin's Telling Document.
re- Another very telling document ire
- Postmaster George W. Irwin Is part
lie Senator Nantes ammunition. lie -
D. that there Is no Western city that Il
much in need Of additional post office
cilities as Butte. He shows that IN
last two years the postal receipts OF
Butte post Office have Increased u
me and the transactions In money