The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-06-15
THE ASYLUM.
SALT LAKE Cry, June IA, 1880.


SALT LAKE Cry, June IA, 1880.
Editors Herald:
In his letter in the HERALD OF the
18th, Anon" seems to take it very
hard that the people OF Salt Lake
County disapproye OF the location OF
the asylum at Shepherds Canon, in
Davis County. He thinks their dis
approval is prompted by mercenary
motives, especially those who have
had their disapproysl published in
the papers. He evidently fsvors
Davis County. and he takes colunn
and third 10 say so. He is Davis
County man, but of course he has 10
mercenary motives for his preference
for q site for the asylum 10 that
county. | do not say that he has.
As for himself, he msnifestly thinks
that be is the only writer on the sub.
ject who has none. Immaculate
man Put him On pedestal, as the
solitary mortal untsinted By thoughts
of self or pelf, faithful among the
faithless found. Yes, raise him up
on high, so that others may see him
as he sees himself.
He says speculation sticks right
out" of all the articles he has read On
the subject, and that they all tend to
the same point-"How much shall |
get for my share?" l suppose l am
speculative and mercenary, in COM
mon with all the lest Of your cores
pondents on the subject, Anon"
alone excepted. | suppose l am
looking out for fat contract as my
share of the spoil. Possibly so. Still
l don't see exactly where my spec is
likely TO come in, should the asylum
be located in Salt Lake County. ]
have no expectation of furnishing
anything for the asylum, neither
location, directors, material, labor,
supplies, professional or other atten-
dance, nor inmates; nor have any
idea that any of my relatives have.
Yet l suppose l am speculative and
mercensry, and am looking out for
my share of the spoil all the same,
just like everybody else. everybody
but Anon"
He claims that the site chosen is
not in the north part of Davis
County. Does be claim that 1t ia in
the south part? 1 have always
thought that the grand natural
amphilhestre embracing the Sessions
section was at the south end Of the
county.
Anon" presumes that the direo.
tors thought the Shepherds Canon
site the best. That might have been
go, or might not have been so. They
might have considered it the beet site
that q majority of them could be got
to vote for, which is not exactly the
same thing rs the best site abso-
lutely.
That this is the railroad centre OF
the territory appears from the facts
that travellers from the various parts
of the territory can come to this city
by rail with less change Of care than
to any other point in the territory,
and that there are more railroads
(nearly twice as many in operation
and in construction south than there
are north Of this city. Further, |
think l shall be right in saying,
though have never measured them,
that those railroads south run more
miles endBays than the railroads
north do, 10 the territory.
As to walking from the depot TO the
asylum, this is not a walking country,
it is a riding country. Everybody,
even the poor tramp, rides when pos
sible.
l 90 not wish to bulldCz9 the diTec-
tors, nor do I presume that your
other correspondents do. neither do
/ wish the directors to bulldozs each
other. But l think the ate OF the
asylum should be determined upon as
the law directs, and that, after the
Limitation as to the eligible counties,
the four other requirements of the
law should be held in this oTder-1st,
healthfulness; End, sdsptability; 3rd,
accessibility; and Alb, cost of material.
The first two are about equal in
importance. The third is very
important also. I place cost OF
material last and least in importance
because it is only a temporary matter
of few hundred dollars at the outset,
whereas the three other requirements
rescnarscterized by permsnence and
will continue so long as theinstitation
endures. being coeval and ever con-
temporaneous with il.
Anon" thinks the asylum Will
become a great and important insti-
tuition. 1t will be important, no
doubt. But l hope the people of this
goodly territory will maintain better
control Of their senses than to furnish
sufficient candidates for residence in
the asylum for it ever to become a
large or great institution. We are
not all going to turn lunatics | trust
it will always be thinly inhabited. and
that from the lmpossibility OF filling
it legally, no matter how small it may
be.
Finally and personally, l don't
care a fig in which county tae
asylum is located.
GREAT SCOTLAND.