The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-10-11
A Property-owner,s Views
u IfUPtIty 70 " uCk . lONb'
To the Editor Of THE HERALD:

A Property Owners Views.
To the Editor Of THE HERALD:
There seems to be preconcerted move
on the part Of the persons interested in
capturing the "Old Fortn and other valu.
able franchises to rush the matter through
the city council in undue haste before fair
expression OF the citizens at large can be
had.
The springing of the petition Sunday
morning, the rushing of resolution
through the chamber Of commerce Monday
morning, the calling for citizens meeting
by the chamber of commerce Monday
night with speakers selected ahead, favor
able to the scheme), the calling of a meet
ing OF the Real Eatate exchange for Tues
day morning, all point conclusively to de-
sire to work up the appearance of public
opinion and rush the scheme through the
city council before the people have time to
catch their breath.
1t would seem that a request so sweep
ing In its demands. should be thoroughly
discussed before final action is taken.
The asking for one of the most valuable
pieces of property owned by the city as a
free gift for building railroad to Deep
Creek, is rather an extraordinary request.
from SIDE, 900 to $500, 600.
But this is not all.
MIR. Bacon asks for a franchise from the
east corporation line on Roper street, along
the south side of Liberty park to Second
West, thence north on Second West to the
OLD Fort property, thence west on Third
South street to the corporation line.
What does this mean!
1t means the right of way over five miles
on Roper street, one ana a half miles on
Second West street and three miles on
Third South street, in all nine and half
miles. Some Of this property is valued at
so, 900 an acre. AS the granting of rail
road franchise on residence street means
its total conversion to railroad purposes
and its destruction as residence property,
the granting of this franchise will cnange
the general aspect of nineteen miles of res
ldence frontage. Should the road be COM
PEELED to buy its way through the city on
the route it has asked a free franchise, it
would cost the company half a million dol
lars. In nine and half miles of streets,
132 feet wide, there are 152 acres of land
If the council would grant the petition of
Mr.. Bacon it would give him franchises
worth half million dollars and present on
top Of this bonus of the Old Fort property
worth $3.50, 900. This magnificent gift is to
secure a road to Deep Greek over country
where railroad construction is cheap.
II is the biggest bonus / ever knew rail
road company TO ask for a like return.
1t is customary for towns in the east of
less than 10000 population to grant free
franchises over the streets, but in cities as
large as Salt Lake the rule is to compel the
railroads to buy their way through. Local
aid is sometimes raised in money.
Right-of-way and terminal grounds are
very valuable in cities as large as Salt
Lake.
What led Henry f. Ives into the most
daring railroad speculation of the age was
the fact that he figured that he could buy
the entire stock of the Cincinnati, Hamil-
ton q Dayton railway cheaper than he
could secure the right-of-way and terminal
facilities at Cincinnati for a new road
believe that if Mr.. Bacon was forced to
buy what he asks the city council to give
him free gratis 1t would cost him more
than the entire expense of constructing the
balance OF the road. Railroad construction
is cheap ana the difference between throw
ing up little dirt, scattering a few ties,
and stringing couple of rails to capture
valuable right-ofway and terminal facili-
ties, and that of building and operating a
great railway is so great that the city
council must guari any franchise it grants
with proper restrictions.
Another objection to the request is that
Tor the right of way Mr.. Bacon asks on Sec
ond West and Roper street, (six and half
miles, he does not offer to construct a mile
of road in return. All the right of way he
needs to reach Deep creek is along Third |
South to the Old Fort property
The policy of giving away ground that
will be needed for public parks IS not wise |
The Old Fort could not be better located
than 1T is for small park. II is the only
land the city owns in that locality. The
best sanitarians of the country now agree
that large number of small parks. well
distributed where they are accessible to the
people are more beneficial to the health of
the city than a few large parks, placed be-
yond the reach Of the great majority of the
population.
It's az important that Salt Lake be made |
beautiful as that i acquire more railroads |
Large hotels are being built to accommo
date tourists. Tourists contributed greatly |
TO Denver's wealth and growth To make |
Salt Lake an inviting place there must be |
public parks. The Old Fort property should |
be connected with Washington square |
with boulevard, and the latter with Lib !
erty park. so that persons can drive over
the city from park to park via boulevardes. |
The clai n that the building of the road |
vii put 10000 miners to work is at least |
$500 out Of the way There are not LOCO |
miners in all the camps in the territorv
However, railroad should be built To
Deep Greek, and the council should not
only make reasonable but a liberal
grant, but it should force the road to
utilize the same streets as are Or |
cupied by other roads. 1t should not allow
the road to cut in two the valuable resi-
dence property south of Liberty park. but
rather grant franchise parallel TO the |
one granted the Salt Lake g. Fort Douglas |
road. Should the council be inclined to |
convert the Old Fort property TO railroad |
purposes, it should hold 1t open to all the |
roads that will come into the city to be en-
1oyed in common. PROPERTY OWNER