The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-22
BUTTE IS A BIG CITY.
Mantle's Plea for the Erection of
a Public Building.
A SURPRISING GROWTH
Facts and Figures That Astonish the
Slow Coach of the East The Zee
OF q Government Building APP
p-arent-Letters From Citizens.
Washington Bureau OF the !
No. IAI5 q street -. ".

wv
Washington. March lin support Of
his effort to secure a public building for
Butte. Senator Mantle has submitted an
additional favorable report from the
committee on public buildings and
grounds. In this report the arguments
for a new building are cOgently present
ed. The report says: The city of Butte
is generally KNOW and designated as
the greatest mining camp ON earth
Twenty years ago its population was
but 1000. Without ever having had
what is termed "a boom il has steadily
grown until. upon a most conservative
estimate. based pom reliable sources of
Information. its population Is now
80. 000. which at the present time Is be-
ing added to at the rate Of about SOC
per month. Judging he future growth
of the city by its past record and bas-
ing the calculation upon It's wonderful
which are constantly under
going extended and increased develop
ment. IL = safe to say that within five
years Butte will have a population Of
at least from 10000 to 10000 souls. This
statement viii not appear exaggerated
when il is remembered that the Butte
camp alone produces over 30 per cent.
Of all the copper produced i'm the Unit
ed States and over 30 per cent. of ali
Att IBtl BAR1e ~ AAA1 W. - -
conjunction with its copper output, II
also produces a large amount of silver
and contributes more than "A million
dollars annually to the gold supply of
the world. And. as Illustrating the ire
mendous extent of its business. II may
be stated that within a circumference
Of 10 miles of the Butte city ~postoffice
there Is produced more mineral wealth
han is produced by the entire state of
Colorado. The future productive capa-
city of this remarkable district is be-
yond the possibility of prophecy.
For Is years past the facilities of the
Butte postoffice have been inadequate
and lily adapted to the needs OF the
people. Almost from the inception of
the camp the government has refused
to pay "A rental that would provide the
necessary quarters. As a result. during
all these years, the business mel of the
community have been compelled to pay
at least SO per cent. of the rent of the
postoffice ou of their own pockets.
About four years & "A new building
was constructed in the heart of the
city. the ground floor being especially
designed for the postoffice purposes, the
citizens again having gotten together
and guaranteed a fund for the payment
of about half of the rent, the govern
ment allowance for the same being
wholly insufficient. II was thought
hat the additional room furnished at
that time would meet the demands for
some years to come. but the unexpected
growth of the community since then has
consequently increased the demand for
space and has demonstrated that the
present Office is wholly untitled for
postoffice uses. As a matter of fact
there are times when IL is almost inn
possible for patrons of the office to get
in or out Of the building because Of it's
crowded condition. There are two de-
livery windows and II Is not an un-
usual sight to see lines of people ex-
tending from those windows out TO and
across the sidewalk in front Of the
building awaiting their turn. IL may be
stated without feat OF contradiction
that there is not a city within the
United States at this IN where the
necessity for a government building is
SO urgent or where an appropriation for
such a purpose is so strongly warrant
ed by the amount of business transact
ed In the office las shown by the state
ments herewith submitted). by the gov
ernment's needs In other directions.
such as the federal court. United States
marshal's office, etc, and by the phe-
nomenal growth and development Of
and by the immense amount of business
transacted by the community"
With this report is submitted the let
- - ~ -
at Butte. heretofore printed in the
Standard, giving the statistics in refer
nee 10 floor space occupied by the pres
ent Office and the like. also the letter
from r.. l.. Polk a Co. Senator Mantle
says their statement Of SO. 900 population
is a most conservative one. he thinks II
h carer so. 900. He also submitted a
letter from John F.. Davies. librarian,
and called special attention To the fig
ures which he furnishes relating to the
cost of the Butte library. the number of
volumes contained therein, the number
of subscribers, readers. etc. I'm this
connection" he said. Il may add that
there are few cities I'm the United States
OF double or treble the size of Butte
which can boast of sue a magnificent
library building. containing such a
great number Of books or which is 80
universally ~patron;zed. Nothing that |
can say would so clearly indicate the
character and intelligence of the COM