The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-05-28
SALT LAKL's DEATH Rate.


of disease and death that person
takes his life in his hands when who
comes within the corporation
bounds. 1t has been printed many
times within year that the town
was the unhealth1est on the CONT
nent, and we have seen the asser-
ton in print that the Salt Lake
death rate amounted almost to a
plague" 1t is easy enough to say such
things. 1t is easy enough for some
people to lie. Some people seem born
and bred to classifying, and others to
grumbIing. When they occasionally
stray into the fields of truth they are
lost and bewildered and hasten
back as speedily as possible into the
broad domain Of lies.
Now, as a matter of fact, Salt
Lake is not so healthy city as it
should be. Neither is New FORK, nor
San Francisco, nor st. Louis, nor
Denver, nor Chicago. Salt Lake is
healthier than either of these. So
much has been said against this
city the past year that the HERALD
has taken the trouble to ascertain
the facts. The National Board of
Health issues weekly and monthly
bulletins showing the number of
deaths in the principal cities Of the
United States and the death rate
annually per Thousand of the popu-
lation. Some of these bulletins are
before us and they all present Salt
Lake in a most favorable light. The
latest bulletin is that for April Of
this year, giving the number of
deaths and the rate per thousand Of
III cities, representing every state
in the Union. Ofthese sixty show
a less mortality than Salt Lake,
while 116 show a greater; three
cities report double and fourteen
more than double the mortality of
this place. Our death rate is 1873
per thousand of population, based
upon the census of 1880. San Fran
cisco is 200; that Of Los Angeles,
500; Minneapolis, 36.2. Very few
indeed of the cities with an equal
population have so small a death
rota DC that OF C~1@ E1'"nAo'
- Ian said, also, about so
many children dying here. The
alarm has been sounded so often
and so loudly that it is a wonder
children are not afraid to be born
within range Of Salt Lake. It is
unfair to make a comparison of Salt
Lake with the ordinary American
city in the matter Of infantile NOR
tality, for the reason that in proper
ton to population there are about
two children iborn here to one
at other places. Children have
come to be known as "Utah's
best crop" According to Congress,
the pulpit and the press of the
country the industry is the most
prominent in the territory, and |
there are special facilities for car
rying it on successfully and on a |
large scale. Notwithstanding all |
this the baby runs more risks of
dying il born elsewhere than if he
makes one of the Salt Lake "crOp.1
The April death rate of children
under years Of age in Salt Lake,
was 81 per thousand. Sixty-one
cities report a lower rate, while
Us show higher rate, many of
them running up to u, IA, 16, IS and
even above 20 per thousand. Less
than twenty cities with a population
equal to or larger than that of Salt
Lake has a lower infantile death I
ate than Salt Lake.
The official statement from which
We have CLEANED the above, is
.ltogether creditabe to Salt ,
lake, and gives the lie to 4;
hose people VINO persist in trying
o give the town a black-eye /;
nd to injure without cause its re- j
utation. 1t shows that Salt Lake '
J not an unhealthy city; on the
ontrary it is remarkably healthy, if !
be comparison be made with all 9
ne cities Of the Union, or with the
lajority Of them. It is true there
re exceptional months. During I
le few last weeks of late summer I
nd early autumn the death rate !
'metimeS runs high. This may be :
le to preYentable causes, but in
lie majority of instances the pre- ]
ention is not a public or commu- 1
-tY matter, but an affair of indi- :
dual families. Last year the NOR !,
lily of Salt Lake was IN I
'ecedented, two months the p
ath roll doubling up y
ID increasing the total beyond all n
ecedents. The doctors could not Il
| q,