The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-09-19
Another Protest Against the
Fourth West Route.
W. P. NEBEKERS STATEMENT.
His Compliments to the News-The Injury
Done to Property on That Street-A
Fair Offer.
To the Editor of TIE HERALD.

letter the NelpS had received on said subject,
but declined to print for three stated
reasons, one Of which being that it was
''scurrilous rather than argumentative."
That seems to be a somewhat serious
charge, and in fair and dignified journalism
ought hardly to be made, without giving
the public an opportunity of judging
whether it was warranted or not
Consigning communication TO the
waste basket and giving its uwriter
an editorial black eye is certainly no great
feat in Journalism. And the testy manner
in which the NetCs editor disposes of John
L. Nebekers letter is but little if any bet
ter. There is some difference between a
man doing his regular daily work to sup
port his family and writing letter be-
sides, and q trained writer earning his
bread and butter while picking flaws in the
others production. Said letter may con
tain some unimpOrtant Mistakes but in the
main it is correct. The editor strains to
make it appear that John l.. had said that
the NeiCs had urged because the road is
born in the city, etc. His letter as pub
lished in the NelCs says nothing as to who
did the urging AS regards the flew per-
sons that have changed their positions, -
7 can assure the NCpS editor that had he
as industriously gathered information on
both sides and printed it, as he did on one
only, he could have learned that at least
one family, reported as favOring the laying
of the road on Fourth West street, We're
much opposed to it and by no means
relished being misrepresented in the mat
ter Perhaps other families were in the
same fix, as possibly some of the reported
neutrals could be accounted for in that
T., h 1aAAa T,h,. I
was trying to defend against aggressive
encroachment the home in which he was
born and reared to manhood, in which his
father died, in which his mother now lives
and where she is likely to die much earlier
than otherwise would be the case if she is
unable to leave it. If not killed by a pass
ing train, her nervous force is likely to give
way under the pressure.
My affection for the street on which /
grew from boyhOod to manhood, and my
sympathy for old friends and neighbOrs ON
said street, who have already suffered
much annoyance and damage to their homes
and depreciation of their property, on ac-
count of a railroad having been laid on
said street. with the prospect of vet further
trouble of the kind being, unnecessarily
as they firmly believe, heaped upon them,
led me possibly to write with what may
seem undue force to those not fully
acquainted with the circumstances sur
rounding the case in issue. But that l
used scurrilOus language | am not yet pre-
pared to believe. and l doubt the Nctcs
editor being able to prove it. | certainly
intended nothing of the kind. | try to
avoid all such language in the most ordi-
nary conversation even, saying nothing
about writing for the press. Ifmy letter
contained scurrilous expressions, | fear
that some of the NelgS' late editorials will
come under the same head. Possibly few
months Sunday school discipline would be
beneficial to both the head of the Nous
staff and to your correspondent.
On arriving in your city found several
of said old friends and neighbors in much
distress, on account of the trouble men
toned, and the day apparently gone against
them. Later the current took a slight turn
in their favor, which inspired some hope.
Then ominous squibs began to appear in
the Nous, followed finally by an editorial
bearing heavily, as was thought, upon the
people already in such trouble. This was
a stunning blow from a hitherto uneX-
pected quarter, as the NeWS had for so many
years been looked upon as the safe cham
pion of the peoples rights, in cOntending
against the entertainments of soulless cor
;S9rations and oppressive influences gener-
ally.
Having a venerable mother living within
half block of the i'll -fated street. whose
house is shaken as if by an earthquake
whenever train passes, several relatives
living on the street and myself owning land
within ten rods of it, l was naturally eX-
pected to take an interest in the matter.
And it would hardly have been manly in me
to have avoided it AS the matter was eX-
pected to come up in the city council on the
Tuesday evening following the appearance
of said editorial, no time was to be lost, and
it was thought that what was to be said
must admit of no uncertain sound. In re
ferring to the expression in the NclCs edi-
tOrial as to 1.-The greatest good for the great
est number l queried, l think, as to
whether the owners of homes on streets to
be affected or the protector of the Utah
Western and those interested with him
comprised said number, as there appeared
to be no public necessity for the
road No doubt other things crept
into my letter of doubtful relevancy in
the NeUS editors mind. | tried to draw a
dividing line, if remember Alright between
those owning homes on the street in ques-
ton and those having vacant land there,
but fortunate enough to have homes else
where. But the NClcs editor appears to
have regular carpet-bagger's conceptions
of the difference between vacant land and
that on which homes were made over
thirty years ago. l also said in effect, if l
mistake not, that it was an insult to the
intelligence of the majority of the owners
of homes on Fourth West street, to state
that they desired yet more railroad
nuisance in front Of their doors; also that
il might as well be said that the great bulk
of the Mormon people would like Pat
Lannan TO manage their spiritual affairs.
Possibly that was drawing it somewhat
fine or strong, but ] was quite sure that
the facts warranted it, and nothing scar
rilous was intended, any more than when
the NelcS editor refers to anti-Mormon
adventures" "schemers," etc, trying to
bring oppressive influences to bear upon
the people. AS an evidence that | was
honest in what ] said, wrote over my
proper signature, not trying to shield my
self behind nom de plume.
In the NelCs editorial in the semi weekly !
of the 9th instant, the editor endeavors to
show that the NeWS has been impartial or
non-partisan in the matter in controversy
Yet if that "succinct statement of facts
was not intended to help the Utah Western
people, and TO bear down upon the owners
of homes protesting against more railroad
annoyance, it is unfortunate that it was
ever written, as certainly not many could
read it and come to any other conclusion.
And while exhibiting such zeal in gather
ing material calculated TO help the Utah
Western people, did the editor ever
send a representative of his paper
to interview any of the protesting
home owners l have never heard of his
having done so. In the ''succinct statement
of facts editorial, the NolCs editor uses
commendable plainness in stating what the
Utah Western schemers considered un
fairness. Just as if people, trying to de
fend their homes against aggressive mea
sures. calculated to destry the pleasures of
the family freside. must consult and con-
form to the ideas of fairness the intruders
NAV put forth. Following up such line of
reasoning would most likely lead to the re-
suit of refining fairness to the extent of be-
i,c, ,,,oe+ circunSDect when in silVerV tones