The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-11
MILES CITY is OF ACE.
1t Is Old Enough to Vote and It's
Record Is Good.
WHEN THE TOWN WAS NEW
In the Early Days 1t Had It's Share of
Ups and Downs-The City
Run at Bed Rock
Cost.

Staff Correspondence of the Standard
Miles City, Mont, June S.-This city
| passed this spring the 21st anniversary
| of it's birth There was no celebration
| attendant on the occasion; the city
council did not see fit to pass any res
olutions in observance of the occasion;
no fireworks were discharged; no can
non were fired, and it is doubtful if any
of the local papers made mention of
the fact that the city was of age. But
whether recognized in any public man.
ner or not, the people of this city can
look complacently on the past, smil
ingly on the present and hopefully on
the future. The citizens may well be
satisfied with the present, for at this
time there are only two vacant stores
in the limits of the city. and there is
not a single vacant house, the total
population now being fully 1000 people.
Perhaps instead of saying that Miles
City was born q years ago it would be
more proper to state that it was on
March %, 1873, that the city was moved
up 10 It's present site. FOr tnefe was
an old Miles City. 1t is the general
impression of outsiders that Miles City
is located on the Yellowstone river.
That was true of the old city, but the
new town was moved up on the
Tongue river. which enters the Yellow
stone two miles below the city's pres
ent site The original Miles City has
now grand total of one inha bitant.
Old Dad Grimes never could be recon-
Ia ri
its original site. He watched the tear
ing down of his town, where he had
been from the very start, he saw one
resident after another going up to the
new site, the buildings carted away
and rebuilt up the Tongue river, and
he always maintained that he would
never desert the old town and was
convinced that eventually the citizens
would all come back and join him. But
they never did. At present only a few
dilapidated and deserted shacks mark
the site of the old town where Old Dad
Grimes reigns the undisputed monarch
of all he surveys.
Miles City was named for General
Miles. The original settlement was
right after the disastrous Custer de-
feat General Miles established Fort
keosh at this point with the intention
of maintaining a communication from
| Fort Buford through to BoZeman, pre-
! vious to this time no one venturins to
| penetrate this wild and hostile region.
/ Near the fort sprang up the city,
| since, however, as stated, changing its
! location to little ways up the Tongue
! river. This spring considerab BILE por-
| ton of the city was flooded, in conse-
quence of which there is now a plan
| on foot by the city council to slightly
| change the course of the river so that
there will be no danger of a recurrence
of the trouble
The city gives every indication of be-
| ing admirably we'll governed. 1t is the
| pioneer of Montana cities in the expert
| ment of municipal ownership cf light
and water plants Thu city acquired
these plants in 1896, buying out r"i-
vate corporation which had contracted
heavy debts and finally failed. It can
not be said that the plant is a paying
| proposition as yet, but this is owing
to the fact that the city has, since ac-
| curing the plant, almost entirely re-
| fitted it. Expensive machinery has leen
put in and improvements If AL kinds
made, and now at last the cl-y has
reached point where everything is Gp-
parently complete and all the machin-
cry is duplicated. The original cost of
the water plant was $4,000. There has
probably been added $780, 900 in improve
ments. The rates for lighting are 81
per light for all night, $1.25 FOR a IL
o'clock circuit and 81 for a 10 O'clock
circuit. Most of the residents, row
ever, prefer a meter charge, which s
correspondingly reasonable. The flee
service is so cents per month per light
The charge for arc lights is 81 per light
per month for a 10 o'clock service, SO
for a u o'clock and SIS for all night
By having its own plant the city hes a
fine street lighting service which costs
1t nothing. 1t also has its own Watel
for fire hydrants and for sprnkling the
streets The water and light USED LH
the city used to cost the munialpalicy
$4,000 per year If this saving were Ia
ken into account, it would be f0UnC
that the plant has very nearly played
even in spite of the large sums that
have been put into improvements There
has been no loss in operation but il
has all been put into betterment OF
the plant There is an interest char g
against the city of $1,0S0 per year which
should be taken into consideration. The
residents are charged for water al the
rate of SIG per year for frontage O
% feet, including sprnkling and all ser
vice. The increase is 50 for every q
feet additional. Those who only U.s.
the city water for sprinklins IN III,
summer pay 60 per cent of the regula1
| rate.
Perhaps the reason why Miles City i:
such a notably wel-governad muniCi
palty is that for the past sig year!
politics has been absolutely ignored il
the selection and election of officials. A
each biennial election for the past si1
years there has been but one ticllet il
! the field, the ticket being nominated a
a public meeting. Hence the govern
ment, while progressive, is careful AK
eminently cOnsiderate of the Interests
of the citizens and the PERMANENT wei
fare of the city itself. Tho present may
or is DR.. w w. Andrews, a very sue
cUsSful and growing Young physician o
the city, and keenly interested in al
that pertains to the city's well being
The aldermen are Thomas Glib, John E
de Carrie, w. S. Smell and w. + Wilson
the city clerk is the veteran and eve
popular newspaper man. Hon. Sam Cor
don. who has broken sill records as al