The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-26

dered in the struggle of last spring, and
have worked with the mayor for the
citys interests. Sometimes since that
time the mayor and the council have
differed on certain matters, but in these
latter cases the differences have not
been due to party or fractional opposi-
ton. but to legitimate disagreement re-
specting the best policy concerning
certain municipal matters.
Mayor Mccarthy was volunteer fire.
man in Butte's early days For years
he led the volunteers through the
streets to scenes OF fire, and his inter-
est in fire fighting has never waned.
For that reason he has perhaps devoted
more attention to the fire department
than to any other department Of the
municipality. A new fire station, now
in course of construction will soon be
occupied, and by the end of the year
the department will be much better
equipped in apparatus than it has ever
been before.
The mayor took half hour Off when
he allowed The Standards artist to
make the sketches which appear on
this page. Between poses, he talked
about various matters connected with
the administration of municipal affairs
and connected with politics in general.
"Of course, said the mayor, twirling
| around in his swinging chair until his
eyes were turned full on the reporter,
the fire department is my pet. I was
one of the first men of Butte to organ
ize the volunteer fire department
have lived to see it grow to magnifi-
cent proportions. At the present day
the department is not large, but / be-
leve there are few departments more
. efficient, and l am sure that no city of
Butte's size has a department which
does better work I am aware that
some objection was made last spring
to the change which l saw fit to make
in the head of the department.; but
surely everybody must be well satisfied
| with the able manner in which Chief
Sanger has conducted the affairs of this
| department. He is certainly fire
| fighter of not only courage, but ntelli-
| gence, and it requires intelligence to
|
| due it with the least possible loss to
property. No complaint against the de-
| partment has come to my knowledge
| We will soon have a new combination
hose and chemical wagon. some new
| machinery and new station, and I am
| confident that then we will be able to
| cope with any emergency that may
| arise"
| by the way, mayor, what do you
| think Of the new fire staton?"
| THE location is not entirely satisfac-
| tory to me. / am sure that location
| better adapted to the needs of the city
| could have been obtained. and the cost
would not have been any greater The
| building is erected has not been sat
| isfactory and parts of it have been torn
| down and are being rebuilt. 1 can only
say that the building will be absolute
| ly satisfactory before it is accepted.
| There is no doubt that new station
| is badly needed. In this connection
would say that the west side is sadly
| in need of a station also. l would De
| inclined to favor the erection of small
| house and the location of a hose cart
| west of Missoula gulch. My objection to
| the location of the new fire house is
that it is close to a double street car
line, where traffic is heavy-heavier, 1
think, than anywhere else in the city.
| When the races are on at the track and
| when the Columbia gardens are run
| ming the travel is altogether too great
to make it possible to pass the very
| doors OF a fire station without accident
or Interference. I think q location
could have neen selected just as cen
trail without the danger of the fire APP
paratus being interfered with by heavy
traffic or of being collided with by street
cars"