The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-14
THE B. & M. SITUATION.
It Is Believed the Mines and Shelter
Will Be Started About the LIST.

AS TO the prospects for resumption
of operations at the mines and smelters
of the Boston & Montana company. the
Great Falls Tribune of Thursday says:
The directors of the Amalgamated Cop
per company are to meet in New York to-
day to declare a dividend and transact
other business. 1t is possible they will
adjourn until next Thursday without TAX
ing any action, but if they do transact
business today it is likely that they will
fix a date for the resumption of opera
lions at the Boston & Montana smelters
in this city,
1t may be stated positively that, de-
spite the reports to the contrary, there
Is no one in Great Falls who knows just
when the plant is to be started up; but
1t may be stated that, unless there
should intervene something that is not
now anticipated, the plant will be run
ming again just as soon after the list of
January as the plant can be placed in
readiness. That statement is not made
by any official who is at the smelter
but it has been officially made elsewhere
ana 1t gives the situation exactly and is
full of encouragement to the people of
the city.
1t is not likely that the plant will be
in readiness to start up on the LIST of
January, but that is due to the fact that
the repairs improvements and enlarge
ments IN progress are much greater than
were anticipated when the plant was
shut down, and when operations are re-
Sumed they will be on a scale of such
great magnitude as has never been
dreamed of by the general public, and
in realizat ton of the recent prediction by
an official that $500 men would be en-
ployed at the works within year.
Practically all departments of the great
works are now in readiness to be started
whenever power is available; if orders
should be issued today to start as soo,a
as possible, delay would be caused only
by the work that is being done to secure
an immense increase in power The
portion of this work is the deep
ening of the tail race by three feet and
the addition of two great turbine wheels
at the power house. That means an enor-
nous increase in capacity and a CORE
spending increase in the number of en-
ployes.
Tomorrow will be the monthly payday
at the works. and while less than the us
ual number of men We're employed in
November, it is satisfying for the public
to bear in mind the fact that the amount
of wages to be disbursed tomorrow will
the month of November, 1898, when the
plant-of it's then capacity-was in full
blast throughout the month.
Nearly all married men Who were in
the employ of the company prior to the
shutdown are still employed. To those
who have heard the iule rumors that very
many men have been laid off, visit to
the works is revelation. There are men
employed in construction and repairs in
every portion of the plant and when the
work in progress shall have been COM
pleted the plant will be far greater and
much more adequate than ever before.
All about the plant there are evidences
of an intention to have it in readiness for
greatly increased output, and while the
exact date of resumption may not now
be stated there is no reason to believe
that smoke will not be rolling from the
stack on Indian point very soon after the
beginning of the new year.