Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-05-03
Letter from Utah

Letter from Utah.
rCorrespondcnce of the Alexandria Gazettc]
OGDEN, Utah, Apsi 21.-Tbis beautiful
city at the foot of tho Wahsatch range pos
sssses come rather unique advantages. Ihe
OGDEN canyon, besides being one of the de-
cidedly attractive scenic gorges in Utah's
stately mountai, s. furnishes water power
that has scarcely an equal west OF Niagara
Fails. The river that pou,s through this
gorge snd through the northern end of the
city on its way tc Great Salt Lake, has sufi-
cient volume to form one of the finest water
mowers on the continent a company oi
Ogden and San Francisco capitalists, recog-
niziug the opportunities afforded Dy this
generous stream, have formed company
known as the Ogden Power Company with
a capital of $3.50 900, purchased vast tract
OF land which carries with it extensive We
ter rights and are now eDgsged III building
works in the canyon fer the storage OF re-
serve water power there.
The dams are massive stfaiIs firmly an
chored 10 solid rock and ought 20 prove as
enduring as the bills 10 wbicn they are al
tsched. At the NOUN ofthe canyon ground
has been broken for the erection Of large
machinery piaut capable OF driving great
dynamos TO generate electricity. This will
furnish factories with motive power all over
the city and suburts by means of wires
It is calculated that The power can be
supplied al about one third the
ccst of steam. The scheme although
not entirely new. has enough nov
e!tv about it TO attract much attention in
| Industrial centres and manufacturers from
mauy places are making active inquiries
about il. When taken In connection with
the excellent city water supply and the low
water rates charged here it would seem that
OGDEN ia destined to become a considerable
industrial point.
There Is another great work DoW being
rapidy pushed here that has received great
attention from the leading newspapers OF
the country end civil engineers interested IN
the great and growing question Of irrigation
for the waste lands of the United States.
refer to the work under ne control OF the
Bear River Canal Company. This compa-
| nv is building cana! from the Bear River
| beginning at O point about 45 miles north OF
| Ogden. The scheme includes two canals.
| one on each eide of the river, having total
length of 120 miles, depth Of 10 feet, a
bottom width of IA feet and surface width
| of 24 feet. The aggregate volume of water
| passing given point will be 1000 cubic
feet per sec0ud. TIE irsieating capacity OF
| the canals is estimated at more than 500 .OOO
acres of land 1t will bring into the market
about that quantity OF wild lands lying IN
| the northern end Of Salt Lake val
! lev and capable of sustaining farming
| nopulation OF more than 1905 ,0OO souls. The
east branch of th canal will be brought 10
this city. The whole work will De finished
! this year st cost Of more than S2OO0.OOO.
This matter of irrigation is very important
| to the people west Of the Missouri river. IL
iuyolves the reclamation Of millions OF sores
that would prove of fabulous value with &C,
pious supplies of water The people OF
Idaho are interested In several large ifr.gs-
ton plans that will bring under cultivation
! large areas OF fine farm lands now classed
| as srid.
| OGDEN is greatly in need of manufactures
| of ali kiuds. I am of opinion that there Ia
no finer point in the West for industries.
The field is comparatively unworked, the
shipping facilities over the seven railroads
entering here are ell that Can be desired.
The territory reached by these roads ls vast,
embracing Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Colora'
do. Arizona and Nevada. This is the nat
pral centre of supply for much OF this terri
tory, and no doubt factories would lind a
ready market at round profit for their
products. The city has, at present, about
90 900 inhabitants. Two years ago there
were lees than 10000 people living here.
The cousus for this rapid development may
| be rounded up in one sentence: Ogden
! il the natural commercial centre OF the inter-
mountain country and has been made the
terminus of all the railroads hereabouts,
while the five or six other railroads pointing
towards Utah have this city as their o6lec.-
i've place. The city is growing very fast this
spring. The people here think the place
will nearly double it's population during the
current year.
Building is very active, there being no less
than / 500 houses at present under contract
at an aggregate cost Of So 100000 The re-
tail, wholesale and the business OF the city
generally amounts to over $50, 100000 an
nualy. That is, it did exceed that last year,
but 1t is likely to be much heavier this year.
There are no houses standing IDLE. All
structures of every description are rented as
soon as the foundations are laid Essl ee-
| tate ia feeling the building activity and is
advancing under lively demand. The city
ia we'll provided with churches, schools and
charitable institutions. The Methodiets are
building university to cost S50O0OO. 1t
is to be conducted upon the plan OF
the university at Lincoln, Nebraska.
Ogden is we'll built in its business sections
and the dwellings for the most part are
pretty and commodious with pleasant sur
roundings. In the summer the place is al
most park and has come foe drives. They
ere now constructing grand boulevard
| from Great Salt Lake on the western cub
urba of the city east, and along the base of
the mountains to and up Ogden canyon.
The drive will have length of shout 20
miles and will be one of the finest drives iu
the world. 1t will, for greater part OF its
length, overlook the valley and lake and
comprehend the many surrounding noun
tain peaks, forming altogether one OF the
grandest psnorama5 in America.