The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-05-03
PAYMENTS.

'sYoRICK,'' in his breezy and entertain
ing letter to THE HERALD on Thursday,
mentioned fact to which we have fire.
quently referred, namely: That Denver,
the foremost, the richest and the most PRO
gressive city in all this western interior
region, is without rod of pavement. Her
many and long streets are made of the
natural soil Of the country, and that soil
is not of first quality for street material as
we have seen. Muddy as the streets OF
Salt Lake sometimes are, they are never
80 bad as are the roads of the city on the
other side of the range; and during the hot
and dry months, the dust in Denver is SO
much deeper, so much finer and so much
more disagreeable than is the dust in
this city, that comparison would be
odious in the extreme. Denver is con-
stantly, in season and out of it, held up to
Salt Lake as an example Of enterprise and
progress. We are all the time told what
Denver has done and is doing, and there is
perpetual nageing to initiate her. We are
also told that no,city can progress until she
paves her streets; that pavements are the
evidence Of progressiveness and enterprise,
being accepted as certificate of the pros
perity and observation-disclosures Of a com
munity. Our present municipal govern
ment was elected on a platform with pave
ments in it, and it is understood that the
municipal authorities are preparing plans
with which to distinguish themselves as
builders of street payements. Already about
fourteen miles Of expensive sidewalk have
been partly ordered, at the cost of the
property owners, and if some parties who
own little or no frontage can have their
way as many miles of costly pavement viii
be laid within the next two years.
The HERALD is not opposed to paving
the streets; it is in favor of every and al
improvements which are needed and which
the people can pay for without distressing
themselves; but we suggest there is more
danger in trying to do too much than in moi
doing enough. 1t will be ridiculous to lay
the costly cement sidewalks along some
places where they have been ordered, there
being so little demand for them, and it vii
be almost criminal TO require the people II
pay for paving certain streets which it /!
contemplated to Improve" Lots that arr
valuable only for the potatoes and cabbage:
which they Will produce, ought not to bt
required to pay for expensive pavement:
over which not a score of teams viii pas:
in day. There is no need for pavement
away from the business centre whert
traffic is heavy and the street should bt
kept clean. If East Temple from Soutt
Temple to Third South and FRS
and Second South between Yves
Temple and First East shall be pavet
within the next two or three years, tina
will be all the city will demand, and abou
all the property-owners will feel like pay
ing for. To go further in any direction
would inilict q hardship upon the lot own
ers and be an unnecessary and uncalled fol
expenditure of money. If Denver, with al
its enterprise, push and progress, and witt
all its traffic and business, can get alons
without pavement Salt Lake assuredly cal
get along with the streets in the solidlr
built quarter paved. If Denver capitalist.
can put millions OF dollars into magnificen
buildings fronting the muddiest of streets
Salt Lakers need not feel ashamed if he
roads are not laid with blocks of stone ant
daily swept and washed
Let US progress, but let US not move 81
fast that we win stumble and fall. Let u
carry all we can, but let US not shoulde
more than we can move under. Let US no
do everything this year or next, but let L!
bear in mind that after US will come other
TO do what we have been unable to accom-
plish