Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-11-15
Sober Truth About Salt Lake.

Some OF the writer's who have made
glowing descriptions OF Salt Lake. says
letter to the Philadelphia Ledger,
have fingered long in telling about the
streams of sparkling mountain water
that roll and babble along the edges
OF the streets. nourishing the trees and
grass and imparting GOODNESS and fresh
ness to the atmosphere. The accounts
may have been true when they were
written. They could not be repeated
now with any regard for the truth. 1t
is true that the water from the noun
tains, taken from City creek, does flow
through the streets.
1t is carried in little bitches, about
two feet wide, planked at the sides.
the planks being stayed up by cleats
nailed across at intervals OF six feet or
more. When the water supply is
abundant, as it is now, these bitches
may not be nuisances. 1t is difficult
TO imagine the flow of water TO be so
strong as TO rid these little "catch alls"
from refuse of all kinds that is thrown
into them, that is blown in by the
wind, that accumulates wherever build
ing is going on, that gets into them in
the many different ways that dirt will
collect In cutters.
Instead of "babbling" through these
open sewers, the water now runs in a
stream SO thin as to be insufficient TO
carry away even the bits of paper that
litter them. 1t is mere trickling rill.
and sometimes an infragrant one. The
great canal through the center of
| A.fh IL - ia a.
carry off the excess of water in City
creek, is dusty and dry, and in places
hidden from sight by dead brush and
grass Off the main street the little
livulets in the side bitches are lost TO
sight under mats of grass that have
never been cut or trimmed. While
most of the shade trees are in fair con-
dition, there are many dead ones that
with a watchful and tasteful city
government would be replaced by
young trees.
When you have praised the BROAD
streets and the miles and miles of
shade trees that are the outcome OF
Brigham Young's foresight, and have
admitted that nature never furnished a
more beautiful setting for any city
than ii has for Salt Lake, you have
said almost all that can be said for the
city as it is. There is one little green
spot within the high cement wall that
incloses the block occupied by the
tabernacle, the assembly hall and the
unfinished temple of the Church OF
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. But
ii has every appearance of recent
growth; the trees are all saplings, and
one cannot help thinking that this
suggestion of taste for the beautiful
has been from one permitted expression
since the death OF the greatest man the
church has produced.
If you climb the hill and walk along
the road that Brigham built early in
the settlement of the city to enable his
followers to get into the canons for
! tirewood and you pass under the
curious four-legged arch, with huge
eagle resting with outspread wings up
on the keystone, you are told that here
under the arch, Brigham took toll OF
each OF his fuel-hunting followers,
until he had recovered the money ex-
| pended in making the mountain high.
way. Then he removed the tolls. leav-
| ing the toll-gate and its eagle TO recall
the story of early vicissitudes and his
own enterDriSe