Montana labor news., 1934-07-26
HOSE AT PARROT FIRE NOT CUT; DYNAMITE
NFLUME PLACED BY INSIDERS; ATROCITY
TALES ARE USED TO BRING IN MILITIA

the Company in a financial way.
Firefighters at the Parrot also tes-
tify hat the hose at that mine was
never cut. 1t was a worn hose that
broke in two places. The pickets saw
to it that the firemen were not mo-
Tested and aided the firemen in their
efforts to %extinguish the blaze. The
Company tools then phoned the police
to arrest the pickets giving aid to the
firemen. While the blaze was being
battled gunner appeared on the scene
with loaded rifles trained on the
crowd, according to statements made
by eye-witnesses. There isn't one
small shred OF evidence to pin the
cause of these fires upon the strikers.
D%ynamiting the Flume.
The same article accused the strik-
ers dynamiting the flume in Meader-
vile. Here again the ageing brains of
the Company became I've enthusiast
tic in description. They estimated that
two sticks Of dynamite were used.
How they arrived at the figure is hard
to understand and how they knew for
certain that two were used looks bad
for the author Of the Article. He
should be writing serials for the
movies as his logic and evidence are
Of such a standard. Children might
not notice discrepancies but they are
hardly suitable material for adult
minds.
Testimony OF ey~e-witnesses shows
that two carloads of gunners rode to
the flume from the Leonard gate,
leaving the gate open. They tossed
something toward the flume and
dashed back into the open gate. AS
they entered the gate the explosion
took place. It was a dainty explosion
that did about so cents worth of dam
age, making about a l0-inch hole, &C
cording to witnesses. AS soon as the
explosion took place other gunners
dashed from in back Of the compress
sor room with boards, hammers and
nails all ready to make repairs. They
were all set and prepared for such an
explosion.
Wednesdays paper also reported
that two sticks of dynamite were
thrown into the Leonard yard at the
scabs. AS evidence a stick and a hall
Of these two sticks of powder are
presented as evidence. This evidence
is proof enough that the Anaconda
Company just thinks it is hiring brains.
Any ten-year-old schoolboy could do
better. How a stick Of powder can
explode and leave a half Of the ex-
ploded stick as evidence is beyond hui
man reason. There isn't one powder
man who ever heard of just half the
stick exploding. The other stick had
never even sputtered and must have
been thrown over unlightd, if it was
thrown over. 1t sounds like some of
the tales told by safety men after a
number OF men have been blasted in
the mines.
The stories in the Standard are in
teresting thrillers. It really makes us
know a strike is on. If it weren't for
the ballyhoo of the daily press no n
in Butte would know that Butte was
on strike. The pickets have been
%peaceable, there has been no bolster
BUSINESS other than the type that takes
place in Butte week after week in or
NAL times, except what the Company
prints in its daily howlers." More
windows have been broken in schools
and churches during normal times
than have been broken by boys on
Company property during the strike.
More hose was cut at private homes
on Halloween last year than wa cut
during the strike. In peace times
there have been brawls and street
fights every week in Butte. Men
have been shot and stabbed in the
course OF political and economic dis
cussions on Il street corners when
the mines were open. There has been
none of this during the eleven weeks
OF the strike, yet the Company bowls
for militia to protect lives and prop
erty. The Ballyhoo is ludicrous and
%infantile. 1t is the whining Of a
small child caught stealing apples.