The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-17
IN BUSY VAUDEVILLE
The City on the Hill is City
Without a Debt.
BIGGER THAN BUTTE, ONCE
1t Has No Smoke, 1t Is Well Lighted
and the Streets are Well Kept.
A Talk With the
Mayor,


The people of Walkerville will spend
| happy Christmas. There is probably
not a destitute family in the hill city,
| and that counts for much. While the
Alice and Moulton mines are working
only just enough men to keep the
shafts in repair, still the city lis full of
prosperity. The great syndicate mines
of the Anaconda company and a few
others employing a proportionately
large number of men furnish the neces-
sary funds to make the holiday ring
with cheer-the inhabitants of Walk
erville are not complaining to any
great extent. OF course they would
like to see the mines running full blast
the mines which first made the set
tlement up there necessary.
This quiet little city at the head Of
Missoula gulch is entitled to recogni-
ton among the municipalities of the
land which have in their Golfers money
enough to run their affairs without the
aid Of any other city on the face of the
earth. It has money to burn, it is out
Of debt and has funds of it's own. The
council IS composed of careful, palms.
taking, thoughtful men. During its adj
min1stration of the affairs of the city
all indebtedness has been Cancelled and
the new year finds the city doing bus
mess, on a cash basis, and where is the
other city in Montana that can say as
much?
We have cause to celebrate in the
good old way" said Mayor Briney
we are out of debt and can see a
clear road ahead. During the past
year the city has done great deal of
necessary improving of its streets and
sidewalks. We have a good sanitary
sewer system. a good water supply,
Iresh air to give to Butte and the pref
tlest girls In the state. Besides we can
snow and take delight in showing
record for department. Not a murder,
not hold-up, not one elopement, no
burglaries of account during all of the
year. Our police court has been as
quiet as the tomb, and Police Magis-
tfate Roberts has almost forgotten how
to pronounce sentence on violator OF
the dog tax ordinance
Il think the records of the police
court and the city marshal ought to be
framed and copies of them sent to all
the cities of the state. They show
magnificent condition Of affairs for a
city of this size. The working men,
the miners, who make up the bulk of
our city's population, are representa-
tive of the best class of men on earth
They are thrifty, honest, Industrious
and make the best citizens. They are
intelligent and won't tolerate misbe-
havior. This is not good place for idle
loafers. The picking is not good and
they soon die off because FOUNDERS and
their ilk can't mix with the class of
people constituting our population.
This year the city has built a plank
walk which connects with the reguIa-
ton walk in front of the Masonic hall
over the hill to Centerville. All these
years the citizens who walk, and they
are in the majority, have plodded
hI01 1fI L, ~.
hill, and it is strange when you stop
to think that this Improvement was
not made years ago. Now one can go
from Walkerville to Butte all the way
on board and cement walks. The coun-
Gil also placed on the hill near the
Lexington mine an arc light, after
years of wishing and guessing how the
darkness could be overcome. Now you
can go from this city to Butte after
dark without running into wagons and
pedestrians. Another very important
improvement was the addition of a
room to the fire station. where the fire.
men may sit evenings and read and in
other ways spend their time. We have
a competent and willing volunteer fire
department, one which the citizens de-
light to honor. We have furnished up
a room for them and they appreciate it.
1T was the desire to have Daily
street graded in places this fall, but
this will be done at the earliest time
possible. The aldermen have been
punctual in attendance upon meetings
and have at all times had under con-
sideration the welfare of the city's peo-
pie in the transaction of municipal af-
fairs. The several officials of the city
nave done their respective duties we'll
and eonscientiously and they are en-
titled to the good will of our citizens,
which | think they have.
The street railway, did you say?
wen, pass. do not pretend to know
what the street railway people propose
TO DO on this end of the line. We used
TO nave street car service, a cable way.
Last winter it looked as if we might
have a line, but the plan fell and as
far as know it is still down. Yes, We
need the line, and I for one would like
TO see one doing business here.
Sanltarily,. the city was never in a
better condition. There has been very
little sickness in Walkerville this year. |
You can extend to the people of Butte |
a cordial invitation to come I'D here |
and enjoy themselves during the sea. |
sons Of smoke down that way. We |
have. the best air in the country up |
here"
Not SO very many years ago Walker |
vile was what might have been termed |
by the pioneer residents of this part of |
the state the big end of Butte The
days of its superior Importance among |
the f1ourishing mining camps of Mon |
tana are within the memory of rhe |
younger generation in this city. Girls |
and boys who in recent years gradu-
ated from this city's High school do |
not have to stretch their memories to
recall the days when Wal1erville with |
its great Alice mine and mills contain |
ed as many inhabitants as did Butte |
proper, Indeed, in the days when these
young people studied their lessons in
the little school house which stood |
where the library in this city now |
stands and listened to the teachers tell
about the wonderful prospects in store
for Butte and of the great and mex
haustible silver deposits of the Alice
mine, their faith in the unbounded re-
sources OF the mineral hill upon which
the silver mills back of Walkerville are
situated grew with time. They were
proud of Butte and it's principal sup
A1iaa did