The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-08-26
THE ROCK RAILROAD.
A Plea for the Road by q
Disinterested Citizen.
SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. rs, 's4

In 'ernRl tmproV ements are, IN
a general sense, the pride of every
city, county, state and nation. Why
there should exist such pertinacious
hostility to the building of the Rock
Railway is strange mystery. For
months the projectors have leglt-
imately sought to obtain franchise
for its construction, but without
avail. In my opinion Second South
street is the street for this me- ded
improv ement. Il is central and
direct between the two objective
points. To ask the company to
build around the city, like al Den
yer, as some suggest, would be de
handing entirely too much. Our
city would not sustain such q road,
but there is traffic enough to
support the one purposed,
which could be constructed,
maintained and operated incom--
parabiy cheaper. hops the City
Council will see that the heft Of the
opposition comes covertly. mind
you, from the disappointed projsct
ors and interested supporters Of the
defunct cable tram way. doubt if
the total value of ali the property
on Second South street, represented
by the persons who met as protest.
ing committee AT the City Hall
Saturday evening last, would
amount in value 20 as much as one
block either way from the old Ele-
plant corner.
No one will claim that the streets
belong to the people living O them.
They are the property OF everybody
In the eastern part OF the city we
want a coal, lumber, rock, lime and
ice depot. In Red Butte canyon are
by far the best lime stone and brick
clay ever yet discovered in this range
of mountains, and ice from Red
| Butte creek taken say two miles east
of Camp Douglas will be iDcom-
parably purer than that new in u.e
all over the city. It is we'll known
that the ice generated on the eastern
bench is below the sewerage Of
Fort Douglas and that the river Jor
dan, whence comes the most of the
Ice in use, receives the sewerage Of
Salt Lake and Utah coun ties, in
cluding the mines aud smelters
But ice could not be brought here
from Red Butte by teams. By raj
it will pay to bring it. This great
sanitary consideration alone-purs
ice-should offset all the objections
offered on Saturday evening, which
to my mind, were not logical
and in no sense cogent but indie
fensible. Come of the speakers wers
very with g that the road should
traverse any ether street but theirs
How charitable Not unlike Arte.
mus Ward-this nation must and
. shall be kept intact if at the sacri'
fee Of the lives OF ell his near and
dear relatives!
l can't believe that the property
on that street would detefiorate II
value if the railroad be built. Or
the ether hand confidently believe
that it would appreciate in valu'
and the amount of good to thu
whole people would run up int
many thousands annually. Rock
brick, superior lime and pure ic
could be delivered ia all parts O
the city much below the presen
prices, while coal, lumber and al
kinds OF general supplies for mel
and animals would be carried to tn
= eastern parts OF the city and t
Camp Dougl s, at a cost for trans
portation greatly under the presen
7 figures. Are not all thes
considerations Of sufficient I'm
portancs to be well p,ndersd b
the city fathers? and should the
not prevail over the narrow an
selfish views of the few who opp Oh
! the scheme? Cities elsewhere al
penetrated by railroad systems
their very centres and in man
places the cars are drawn by engine
m and that too over narrow an
crooked streets not at all like OF
q wide, straight avenues. One j
Philadelphia has it's depot on Mint
and Green streets and its trains a.
going and coming night and day.
u | live on the eastern side OF II
ID CITY. Further than this / have I
interest in the road nor has any OF
T. seked me to pen these lines in fav'
of its construction. AS delica
com plaiat to the chief protector
the r. ad, who was present at II
meeting aforesaid, il was suggestt
% that he might sell out TO 9th
.. parties who perhaps would disrega1
the conditions OF the franchise, ju
u as though q new company cou
y with IMMUNITY, set ash
III the provisions of the gran
No matter how often L
property changes hands, the co
Dr. diti MS remain precisely the sam
io' and if at any time the owners
beyond the charter the city has 4
= only the right, and in duty bon
would be obliged to restrain the
~ ths read and road bed would esehs
III to ths rity, but within sixty da
nd after ths trespass which could tn
as, possesslon of them and operate
road in the interests of the citizel
&c By all means let US have this 70
|Ss without further provoking della,
Tour motto should be: "the great
ing good to the greatest number" "
We Sucb q road in successful operatl