The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-23
|~OBLITERATE THE GULCH
A Big Improvement Proposed by
the City Authorities.
is TO BE FILLED UP
Missoula Gulch II to Be Converted Into
Columbia Street and an Old
Land Marx VIII
Disappear.

There IL q great big improvement now
projected by the city authorities in the
western part OF town md II it goes
through all right h part Of the city in
the vicinity Of Missoula gulch will not
be recognizable. 1t means the abolish
ing and o~bliterating Of Missoula ouch,
At the last council meeting a motion
by Alderman Rowan. seconded by Aid
erman Knowlton. passed the council
without ~arousing much notice. The
motion was that the city attorney draw
up a resolution declaring it to be the
intention of the city council to grade
Columbia street from the south side Of
Galena street to the north side Of Quartz
street.
Now. Columbia street il Missoula
gulch and the simple little motion means
that this old time. historic gulch is to
be filled up and converted into a street.
A good many people who heard the
motion at the council meeting and who
knew that Missoula gulch is officially
designated as Columbia street had an
idea that the motion was only q josh,
for on the face Of 1t it. seemed a ridicu-
ious proposition to grade Missoula
gulch. But 1t is all on the la and
this improvement has been decided on
by the city authorities after very care
full consideration.
There are now culverts across Mis-
soula ouch, built by the city. at Gran
lite. Broadway and Park streets, but
there are no culverts at Galena and
Quartz streets. and the gulch is open
except at the points where Park, Broad
way and Granite streets cross 1T. A few
weeks ago property owners living in the
vicinity of Missoula gulch petitioned the
council for a culvert to be erected over
the entire gulch. connecting with the
culverts which now exist at the street
crossings. The petitioners represented
that the open gulch is practically an
open sewer and is unhealthful and I'M
sanitary.
The council refused to grant this pc
tition, claiming that the cost would be
too great, but right after the petition
was refused Alderman Rowan's motion
looking to the grading of Columbia
street was passed. This grading Of Co.
lumbia street will be practically the
same thing with a difference. The gulch
will be covered by a culvert and will be
converted into a street just the same.
The difference is that under the plan of
the petitioners the city at large would
have paid the entire cost OF putting in
the culverts. Under the plan now pro-
posed by the council the most Of the
cost OF the culvert will be paid by the
adjoining property. The law provides
that when a street is graded rs per cent.
of the cost shall be charged to the prop
erty and rs per cent. ito the city at large.
So If the plan TO grade Missoula gulch
goes through the property along the
gulch will pay three-fourths of the cost
of changing this gulch into a street. The
city authorities believed that those own
ing the lots along the gulch, and whose
property would be greatly increased in
value by the improvement, ought to pay
most of the cost.
AS to whether or not this improve
ment goes through rests primarily, of
course, with the people who own the
property along the gulch. II those own
ing the majority Of the property object
the proposed Improvement cannot be
made.