The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-06-20
THE UNION DEPOT.
SpeculatiOns Concerning tn
Proposed Building.
DISTRESSING FATALITY
Young Man KIIi.d-N"tes OF Persons
aud ThIn-- Ca anu About
Ogden.
That Union Depot.

A great dea. has bern sasd and writ
tn cOuceruing the buildiug Of Union
depot in this city by toe Union aud
central Pacific railroads.. That Ia,
comp ny are under moral obligations
10 build his depot no one doubts; aui
people gene. ally seem TO have a vague.
ludehnite Idle rs 10 their legal oblIgd-
ton. The records show that the cOiu
panIes hold I3l acres of land, worth
about $4,000. The conditions upon
which the lite 10 this land was siyen.
are that the companies Immediately
build union uepOt aud make this point
their permanent Junction. The latter
condition has thus far been fulfilled.
but who will say that the former has
oeen7 The only chance that IS pre-
scented for a bubble on this point is the
meaning of the term Union Depot" 1t
seems that railroad officials adhere to
the position that the wooden structure
which has served as a Union depot for
20 many VI airs, Is depot. according 10
while the citizens of gden believe that
another meaning attaches TO the word
They believe that the companies should
erect building that would not be an
eve sors and disgrace To the city; a
building that will afford protection anu
accommodation 20 the travelling public
and give the city an appearance which
Its Importance demands.
As TO the moral part of the question.
Ogden's business interests have for
years suffered for want of sta ability, be
cause this depot has not been built.
Capitalists have been frightened away
from the city because they could never
be certain that this poiLt would
be a permanent railroad centre; because
they feared the junction of the pioneer
roads would be removed TO some other
place. The railroad companies have
held this land for nearly twelve years,
the citizens at least, being under the
impression that something would be
done for their relief. For fiye or six OF
the twelve years, they hav been prom
isi1g to Luild the depot. Perhaps there
is no legal obligation upon the part OF
these corporations to erect n depot
building; but that only makes the mo. 81
one the stronger. Had the companies
made no promises IN relation 10 the
building. we believe they would not now
hold the land. An adverse claim would
have been prosecuted and won. But,
believing that even these gigantic mon.
opolies. would fulfil their agreements,
people have contented themselves with
the very poor comfort contained in their
pro misses. What would any community
think of an individual who would play
il as false as these railroad companies
have PLAYED Ogden7 How long would
that individual retain the patronage
and respect of q cIty3 Would 10000
people sit down and say they were
oowerless TO avenge the wrong, should
any man throw the obstacles in the way
OF their progress and advancement.
that have been thrown in the way OF
this city BY these two grinding, soulless
monopolies7 We think notl But
where is the remedy7 Let Ogden busI
ness men unite and make a ti1al effort.
70 secure Ogden's rights from these
companies. and II they will not yield,
shut off their patronage.
The Central Pacific NAV be hard 20
boycott. but the Union Pacific IS not.
II they vii stop patroniZing the Union
Pacific railroad until Union depot Is
erected in Ogden, the building viii soon
be seen. a-
The business men OF Ogden can do
this. and rather than loose $40 co
annually In freights the U. p. Railway
company will build a depot tina will
cost one-half of that sum alone. Let q
movement be inauguTated having this
end in view. Suppose even few indi-
yiduals should lose a hundred or two
dollarsin excessive freight rates while
the T.. z. is waking up, what would
that amount 10 compared with the rela-
tive increase in the value of pro erty
when the depot is built.
once more. let US urge the business
men OF Ogden to act. The remedy is in
their hands, and If they do not use Il,
tbev have themselves to thank. that
their property is low. that their BUSH
ness IS dulI and that they are crying
hard times.