The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-10
CREDIT IS THE MAYORS
He Is Responsible for the City
Rock Pile.
RIGHT THING FOR HOBOES
And II Furnishes the City With the
Proper Material for Street Re-
pairs-A Reform Among
the Secretaries

Great Falls, July 9.-Chief Guerin
says that all credit for the inaugura-
tioh of the rock pile in the yard of the
city jail is due to Mayor Collins, and
certainly much credit is due to the
mayor on this score. 1t is not a ques-
ton of making money on the part of the
city. The prisoner costs the city just
IS cents day in board and if in return
the city gets 10 or Is cents it is playing
In big luck. Since the institution of
the rock pile seven or eight carloads Of
rock have been broken and anyone
who has seen the result will agree that
1t is the best road material that can be
found in this vicinity. 1t is not the
country rock, the sandstone that in a
few months of wear is ground into
powder, but it is the gneiss brought
down by glaciers thousands Of years
ago. harder than granite, and in that
proportion more durable. Probably the
glaciers Of former ages were not de-
signed with a view to reforming yags.
but that is what they are doing to-day
here. The rock is taken from the lat
eral and terminal moraines which may
be found scattered throughout this
neighborhood, and six hours OF pound
ing on them is warranted to reduce the
arm OF the hobo to a state of soreness
from which he will not recover in
seven days. Two men who We're set at
work pounding up the rock into suit
able size fled over the fence when the
Jailer's back was turned, but as neither
or them has returned to the city it ia
probable that they are haunted still by
the memory of that pile of boulders.
One was character whom the police
had tried to drive from the city for
years without success.
There is another advantage in the
rock pile. The city engineer will no
longer have any excuse for repairing
roads with mud and 'dobe. The ma
teriaf now lies in the Jail yard and can
be used at any minute in repairing
breaks in the roads. Speaking of the
engineering department, the city now
has two claims for damages filed
against it for defective sidewalks, a
matter to which the city engineer Is
supposed to give special attention. That
Is not all Last night b. b. Kelly, while
riding gentle horse, struck defective
crossing and in consequence he is car
rying his hand in a sling, while his
horse is badly skinned up. Complaints
are heard from every quarter of the
city about the bad condition of the
plank walks and the city engineer
should either be given more pay or an
other man appointed to look after the
walks. for the city can better afford to
give up few hundred dollars in salary
than to have thousands of dollars in
suits filed against the city in the past
possibly only coincidence, but the only
suits file dagainst the city in the past
hrn nor-c HI artrn oil 81
negligence in the engineering depart
ment.
The vigorous war waged by the police
department against the men who gain a
livelihood from the earnings of fallen
women has resulted in the establish
ment of a mack" ranch several miles
outside of the city limits. This or-
Cured several weeks ago, it is reported.
and to the initiated it is curious sight
to witness group of these men arrayed
In overalls and jumpers and all the
other insignia of the honest rancher.
Chief Guerin has been giving them an
Honest John" talk, with the result that
not only has the ranch been instituted,
but one of the gang has turned shoe
maker, another has gone into the dray
business and third is making an hon
est living by manufacturing brick. This
reform is one which is being brought
ABOUT, Hot ny dSltdtlUH, Dul Tie quiet
everyday work of the police, and no
one can doubt its efficacy.
The number of riders on sidewalks
since the publication of articles in this
column on the subject has notably de-
creased, but there Is still room for fur
Their Improvement 1t is reported that
there are many who still use the side
walks for bicycle thoroughfares and in
this number is included some who are
members of the city government. 1t ia
possible that this last is an error, as 1t
hardly seems probable that an alder
man or other official would SO far for
get himself as to set a bad example to
the rest of the citizens. The police an
nounce that they will arrest and prose-
cute all offenders against this ordinance
and whenever they learn of violations
in which it is impossible to get evidence
they warn the offender. 1t is a mistake
and a pity that the average citizen
does not take upon himself the duty OF
swearing to complaint against those
offenders whom he may see.