The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-26
he PASSED THE CIGARS
Merry Christmas Enjoyed at the
Fire Station.
CITY is VERY FORTUNATE
No Accidents and No Lives Lost in the
Department-The New Fire Sta
ton Will Be Ready in
January.

Merry Christmas. boys" was Chief
Sanger's greeting to the members of
the fire department yesterday morning
when he came from home to see how
things We're going at the stations. En-
joy yourselves, for Christmas comes
but once in whole year. If we can't
have a fire We can have a smoke" and
he passed the cigars around among the
boys and a number of visitors who
happened to stroll into the fire sta
ton.
We have been particularly fortu-
nate this year" said the chief to re-
porter for the Standard, "ana if the
next year does as well for us in the
matter of casualties, we will have no
cause for regret. For this year has
been kind to the department.; there
have been no accidents of great conse-
quence, no lives lost and the boys get
along we'll together. We have had
some pretty big fires this year, but
fate has been on our side, and while
in some cases the pecuniary loss has
been large, the contests with the flames
Were not attended With any fatalities.
Yes, think the city is very fortu-
nate in having a splendid fire depart
ment. I say this without a feeling OF
any personal ambition, further than
that manifested in the general inter-
est I hold in the department. The boys
of the department are all worthy,
conscientious and Industrious servants
of the people and would rather fight
fire than play whist any time, and
that is no josh. They all like to play
whist, and I might say every one of
them is a good whist player. We en-
ioyed our annual banquet last night
and it was a great spread, tell you.
We have some good musicians in the
department, and maybe some time we
will give a dance and furnish our own
orchestra. That would be a decided
novelty, wouldn't it?
''The new fire station in Arizona
street will be ready for occupancy by
the middle of January, but l do not
know just how it will be equipped, for
the fire committee of the city council
has yet to make definite arrangements
in that respect. But we are going to
have a swell-equipped station, and we
are glad of it. Now, the next thing to
do is to establish a station on the west
side of the city. and then fire in Butte
will have. to work hard to get the
best of the department..
I'VE all realize the possibility of a
great cOntlagratiOn in this city, and APP
preciate the fact that so far there have
been no disastrous, sweeping fires, such
as swept over Helena two or three
times. Aside from the awful explosion
of the warehouse. Butte has not had
what you might call great fire. There
are whole blocks in Butte which are
open for engagements with a fire, and
some day maybe they will go down in
flames. We are fortunate in not having
strong winds here: especially favora bic
have been the elements in times of
fire. But who can say that the blocks
of wooden shacks will not go up some
day in smoke?
However, We can only look at the
past and congratulate ourselves on its
fortunes, the future must be taken as
It comes. Take a cigar and tell the
people that we are feeling quite we'll,
thanks