The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-16
] DYKE WILL Be BUILT
Livingston Seeks Protection
From High Water.
A NEEDED IMPROVEMENT
The Question of Municipal Ownership of
Electric Light and Water Works VIII
Be Submitted to the People.
The Death of j. w. Stoel.

special Correspondence of the Standard.
Livingston, March 14.--Monday even
ing the city council held specia, meet
: ing to look into the matter of building
q dyke along the river in the eastern
part of town for protection against
high water, which is expected in more
than its ordinary form this year on ac-
count of the depth Of snow in the noun
tains. The work of building a dyke
was contracted for a couple of years
ago, but the contractor failed financially
before the work was finished, and it was
considered advisable to take up the
work at this time and carry it to COM
PISTON Attorney H. j. Miller present
ed a petition to the council, signed by 45
taxpayers of the special improvement
district in which the purposed dyke is
located, asking for the dyke to be con-
structed. The sgners expressed will
ingness to pay their assessments and
contribute to the fund required to pay
the expenses of constructing the dyke.
On motion of Alderman Goughner the
council instructed the city clerk to adj
vertise for bids for the construction
work required on the dyke and stipulate
in the advertisement that all bids must
be in by the 18th instant. A report of
the committee appointed to view the
dyke was made by Alderman Bender,
who produced a plat of the river bank
and the purposed improvement which
he had made by a surveyor. The coun-
: Gil will meet on the evening of the 25th
tn hi fnv~ sets 1rstin ,f tta
dyke.
From present indications 1t appears
that the question of municipal owner
ship of electric light and water works
will not be submitted to a vote of the
people this spring unless a special cleo
ton is called and it is very unlikely that
such a thing will be done. After the
business of the council was finished
Monday evening the aldermen held a
sort OF informal debate on the merits
Il and defects of such plan and all the
aldermen present and the mayor went
on record for or against the city owner
ship scheme. Alderman Bender opened
the ball by saying that he favored mu
nipal ownership and proceeded to give
his reasons. He said he was sorry it
was too late to take steps to submit the
question to a vote of the people and
wished the matter had not been side
tracked at the last meeting as it was.
His remarks brought Mayor Thompson
to his feet and his honor declared that
he considered the municipal ownership
of water and lights an unmixed evil to
the city at this time. He said it meant
higher taxes and higher taxes meant
fewer investors in the city property
and a depreciation in value of the prop
erty now on the market. Alderman
Goughner coincided with the mayors
views, but said he believed that the
city should own water works if they
could get them at a reasonable figure.
Alderman Mallahan said he was against
the movement looking to the city owner
ship of light and water plants and saw
but little good in it. Then Alderman
Jones proceeded to have his say. He
scored several good hits when he took
verbal wing shots at his fellow coun-
cilmen and put up a first-rate argu-
ment in favor of municipal ownership
of natural monopolies of whatever kind.
Mayor Thompson interrupted the speak
err and asked him point blank if he
favored bonding the city to buy an cleo
trio light plant and if he would vote for
such measure. Jones failed to give
the mayor a direct answer and said
what he would do and what the voters
would do might be very different things
and he didn't see that an answer to the
question would serve any good pur-
poSe. ne HldyoF HiidilS Gdiieu tAe az
tention of the members to the fact that
there was nothing before the body for
debate and the council adjourned to
meet on the 25th instant.
At $50 o'clock Tuesday evening oc-
Cured the death of J. w. Stoel of this
city at his home on Lower Main stree
He had been i'll for some time, and
during the past few days his death
was hourly expected. Mr.. Stoel was
a resident of this city since 1882, and
was the owner of considerable prop
county, New York. and had he lived
until next Sunday he would have pass
ed the I'D milestone. He was mar
ried in Lockport, New York, in 1S49
too Mary Ann Talert, who survives
him. Three children were born to the
couple, two of which, a. J. and H. M.
Stoel, are living and are at present in
and a complication of diseases. The
funeral will be conducted from the
family residence Thursday forenoon.
The deceased was an exemplary citizen
and highly respected by all who knew
him. and his death leaves a vacancy
in the ranks of the early pioneers, who
knew Livingston when it was a col
lection of tents pitched on the track
less prairie.
Some time during the early hours of
Monday morning some miscreant in
vaded the Touring mill and helped HIM
self to wagon load of the snowy prod
uct of the rollers which was stacked
in sacks convenient to a window under
which the intruder backed a wagon.
The theft occurred without the per-
petrator being discovered by any one,
and no trace, except the trail of the
wagon was left to furnish a clew to