The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-12-22
THE ROCK RAILROAD.
The Mass Meeting In the Twentieth
Ward Against it.

rock quarrieS In Red Butte canyon
and even stakes had been put dow
on what was formerly known a
Wall street, now Fourth street. an
thence into City Greek canyon. an
down the stream along the sqae
duct to the Utah Central Rallwa
depot, still the people along the pre-
posed line seem not to have beel
thoroughly aroused until the incor
porators presented their pe,itloI
for right of way to the City Council
, The opposition to the road culmin
, ated last evening in mass meeting
at the Twentieth Ward school
house, and though the night was ;
very unfavOrable one in cOnse
quence of the rain, q1ite humber
were present at the appoin ed time
7:30 pm, In accordance with The
published call for the meeting
| John n cholson was chosen chair
man, and George Smithen secre
tary. The pres dent stated hat the
object of thu meeting was to take
steps toward preventing the Goa
structlon of the TO ID over the pro.
posed route. as it would be detri-
mental to life and property in the
vicinity, and especially so. as Fourth
street was but four rods vide, and
also the principal business street in
that part of the town. Mr.. Fowler
here presented the following:
Whereas, In view of the fact that the
construction and operation of the Sal,
Lake and Camp Douglas Railroad
through the Eighte nth Twentieth and
Twenty first wards would endanger the
safety of the lives and property Of the
| residents OF that section of the city and
subject them in many respects to great
Inconvenience; be it 80 - Il
ResoiUed, As the unanimous sentiment
of this meeting, til t the City Oouacii Of
Salt Lake City be reep=c fully petitioned
forthwith to refuse to grant the right of
way 10 said railroad rs prayed for by
said company, and that petitions to that
end be circulated among the people for
signatures.
In defense of the above Mr.. Fow
Ter argued that the street on which
the proposed road is to run Is but
four rods wide, has two sidewalks,
and the large Twentieth Ward
ditch, and with a broad gauge road
running through 1t, would be prac-
tically useless asa street; also that
the water of that ditch would no
doubt be rendered partially unfit for
culinary purposes, and this is a very
important matter, as the whole
bench above depends for water
supply on this ditch. Children,
women and old men who must cross
the track to reach the water would
be in great danger of their lives
from passing trains. He saw no
reason why the road might not be
build farther up on the bench or
lower down in the fields south of |
the city. He in common with 9TH
ers had rights which should be
as he lived on the bench !;
be enjoyed but few privileges, and
did not want these curtailed The |
clamor of the dry benchers is for
water, mot railroads.
George Reynolds, one of the
prime movers in opposition to the
road, also addressed the meeting in
support of the resolution. He OBJ
jected to the road because of its run
ming almost through the centre of
The city. and at the same time was
no public benefit. He could not see
now it would be profitable invest
nent to those who intend to build
it, as after all the rock must be
hauled from the cars to where it
would be needed, and il many
Eases as far as from the quarries
1t present. Our mountains here are
one mass of rocks, and shipping to
other parts is not very probable.
The rock-haulers would be thrown
,ut of employment also. 1t was a
benefit to private concern, and
lot to the public. The streets are
he property of the corporation,
md hence the citizens have a right
o protest against apprOpriating
hem to private uses. Even if the
DAD is to be a public benefit, it {
'ught not to run on the surveyed l
Inc, as Fourth street is more thickly
populated than any other in that
ectiOn, except South Temple.
Heavy moving trains are said also G
o endanger the foundations of I
near by. Though COM S
any may have the right according
o law to construct its road where
pleases, still he believed that the
legislature had no constitutional
light to grant any such extensive I
rivileges. P
Mr.. Maitland, Of North Temple
treet, stated that the water in the l
queduct would be befouled, and t
the road were built over the q
queduct it would prove great in. q
1nvenience to those swho are &C t.
TO get their water there a
rom. tt
I'll. d. johnson stated that he C
light as well explain his position. O
lie had always been rather retiring, Il
ad not made much noise in the G.
'orld but had always been a good e.
ublic-splrited man. He knew Mr. IL
/. L. SlOan-a man Of fine ability, t.
I'D an able writer = whose equal 2
ad not been known since his death, b
Id by whom, when he originated p
BE HERALD, the speaker was in.
ted to correspond for the paper,
hich Invitation was repeated
? W. c.. Dunbar, and in re-
'onse TO this, he had written L
r1oh anG ~ooaiuod Hbo rooo- c~,ox, =