Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-21
Gen. RICHMOND DEMENT,
Utah's New Surveyor-General Sub.
mits to the Inevitable Interview,
In Which He Gives the IS DemOcrat !"
His Opinion on Utah Matters
i'm General,
Including MormOns and Gentiles, Fed
eral Offices and Other Subjects
of Interest.

Il
porter dropped into the office of the Uni
ted States Surveyor, and in the from
room of the Office found General Rich
mond III. Dement,, the late appointee tc
the position OF Surveyor-General of this
Territory. Upon introducing himself the
General welcomed the reporter and asked
him to be seated. After a few introduc.
tory and casual remarks, the following in.
terview took place:
Reporter-When did YOU arrive?
Turning in his chair, and looking out
of the raised window upon the scene OF
the city and valley to the westward, the
General replied: Sunday night N.Y.
self and brother, Ambrose E. Dement,,
whom have since made my chief clerk. %
Reporter-What are your impressions
of the city?
General am very favorably inn
pressed with Salt Lake City. With the
people we are pleased far beyond what
we expected to be. [ have met in a
social and semi-official way something
like 200 leading citizens The Alta Club,
through the courtesy of Mr. Receiver
Wallace, were pleased to extend to nv
brother and myself the privileges of the
Club, and We have met many of the GEN
tlemen to whom refer there. | am quite
sure, as [ have already written home.
that 90 per cent, or probably more, will
compare favorably with our best Eastern
commercial circles. In my opinion Bos-
ton and Chicago are more nearly repre-
scented here in the character of your peo-
pie than New York, however. There is
a popularity about our Eastern people
each city has its manners and customs,
and while have met very few here who
would be called New York people, have
met quite number of Boston people and
a still larger per cent. of the higher class
commercial people of Chicago.
Reporter-What do you think of the
Territory?
General-We arrived in the night. and
have not even been able to see beyond
the limits of the city. I came at once to
my Office and proceeded regularly to take
possession, which did the day after nv
arrival. since which time, the business
having accumulated to considerable
extent IN consequence of desire not to
run the old business of the office into the
new, found much that required imme-
date attention, and have already dis
posed OF some of the more important
cases that were pending. 1t will probably
require some days before | shall be able
to look about much.
Reporter-Can you give any idea about
the changes in the present employees of
the Office?
General will not make any further
changes In the office at present, having
already appointed my chief clerk. The
machinery of this office is doubtless of a
more complicated character than is gem
orally understood by the public. To
make change in the working force of
the office, until the office is prepared for
1t, and new men prepared for the DO
sltlons, would be like putting new and
lmperfectly adjusted cog wheel into a
delicate piece Of machinery. As soon as
1t is proper from this consideration and az
soon as it will be to the interest of the
government, it is my purpose to replace
from time to time some of the present
employees with gentlemen who will be |
loulu at least equally capable and in |
sympathy with the Administration.
heporter-Do your assistants include !
any outside OF the office in this city?
General-Yes; but it is not to those |
outside OF the office that referred in what |
have just stated.
Reporter-Give ME an idea how those
are affected by this office.
General-All employees of the govern
ment acting under commissions and !
directions from this office, are, of course
responsible to the Surveyor General for
the fidelity with which they perform their
dutles; this includes quite large num-
Der OF deputy surveyors and examiners
Of surveys.
Reporter-Are these deputy surveyors
and examiners of surveys, county sur
veyors? '"i
General-No, sir. L have NOTHING to
10 with the appointment of county sur
veyors. Jul
Reporter-You spoke, in the first part
d the interview, comparing our people
With Chicago and Boston people. Am
o understand that you intend TO classify
he Mormons and Gentiles?
General-No sir In the conduct of
he Surveyor-General's office there shall 3
'e nothing that shall conflict with strict +
BUSINESS principles. Iregard my position '
S OF purely executive character and +
that it is no part of INV duty t
Q consider anything but questions of a
BUSINESS character pertaining to the
ifce. In word, as United States Sur
eyor,General of this Territory repre-
ent the interest of the Interior Depart a
lent, and am in nowise connected with n
ne Judicial Department. n
Reporter-Do you refer to Mormons or
entlles in comparison with Boston or Y
hlcago people? q :.
General-To that question | must ra. g g
y that l do not know. Doubtless most :;
the gentlemen have met are classed :,
It'll what seems to be known here as the a.
entile element. Still, 1 do not know n II
hat proportion. :"
Reporter-Will you be kind enough TO
We your view of the Administration
General-While am supposed to he
ell pleased with it, taking nv own an IN
ointment into consideration, yet bevond al
is and leaving it entirely out of the &
lestion, do not hesitate to saw that. in 81
y opinion, the President has done what to
Is been wisest and best for the interest
the country and for the political partv So
inch he represents. With others. + was
little impatient at first for a more rand ce
ange in the offices, and had it been in Oh