The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-29

|
Salt Lake has always been theatrical
| town, dating from the days of the STOCK
company organized by Brigham Young at
the historic theater which is still dong
| business and booking only first-class at
fractions. The new Grand Opera-house'
opened on Christmas, employs first-class
stock company from New York ana san
Francisco, and has been great success
from the day of its opening, a stock COM
pany being an innovation which seems 10
have struck the fancy of the public.
| 1t is the establishment of these seemingly
unimportant things which have he1peo
revolutionize local society, and many more
features could readily be spoken OF which
| have had their share in building up the
attractive place of the present day, the
city and Territory which has so many
| charms for the visitor, the tourist or the
| resident.
Salt Lakers returning from California
are enthusiastic over the projected San
Joaquin Valley road which seems, to the
careful observer, to be an assured fact.
Others recently back from la fiesta In the
| City of Angels report, in much the same
strain, that the people there are anxious to
| have the Salt Lake and Los Angeles con-
| Meeting line also.
The dispatches tell US that Bishop
| Taylor of Utah has been in San Diego for
some time on one more Utah-California
line, a line which is proposed to run from
the neighborhood of Cedar City, virgin
| country, yet untouched by the bands of
steel and in a region Astounding in a
wealth of natural resources, mainly eco
nomic material. The dispatch also states
| that Mr.. Powers has started for Utah to
investigate the Cedar City region-and
this fact is significant when coupled with
the information that yesterday afternoon
party of railroad magnates started from
Salina, Utah, the southern terminus
OF the Rio Grande Western, on a trip
to Cedar City. The party went in
wagons, was equipped for camping
and carried pack animals. With the party
were General William J. Palmer and A.
Foster Peabody of New York, president
and vice-president of the Rio Grande
Western Railway. General Manager Dodge,
resident engineer yard and Superintend-
ent Welby are also supposed to be of the
party, as they left Salt Lake together on a
pleasure trip" Perhaps the gentlemen
are merely on hunting trip, but as Cedar
City is their destination, and as an ennis
sary from San Diego is also bound for that
locality, and as the Rio Grande Western
sees the Importance of extending it's lines
the impression has gained ground that this
trip is the first of series of investigations
which will lead to the extension of the
"Western" to the southwest corner of Utah,
at least, there to connect with the San
Diego projected road.
The Rio Grande Western sees the import
ance ofheading off the San Pete Valley road,
which also points to Southern California.
This road has connections with the Union
Pacific, and operates about 55 miles to
Manti and Morrison, owing to extensive
coal properties at the latter place. 1t is
an English road, and though the local Off
Gals refuse to be interviewed on the sub
ject, it is known that money is behind
their road and an extension is confidently
looked forward to by those who know the
general standing of affairs in the railroad
world.
But the San Joaquin road is the one to
which Utonians should pin their faith, as
it is feasible project, backed by the solid
men of San Francisco and planned to build
up the territory through which it will run.
Salt Lake should and probably will take
steps to cooperate with the promoters of
this line, which will be the means of en-
riching this Territory tenfold. Unfortu-
nately this city has had but little of that
hurrying, busting and pushing spirit of
the San Franciscan, but it is coming to it,
and men of this description are going into
business here right along, entering into
everything which helps to build up the
commercial interests of their home.
While affected in measure by the low
price of silver and lead, two of the leading
products of the Territory, the business con-
ditions of Utah are by no means bad.
While other towns of the West were hav-
ing their phenomenal growth in the
eighties Salt Lake was conservative.
The honeyed words of the boomer failed to
plunge her people into the recklessness
which eventually comes with unhealthy
growth, so that when the crash came and
banks were crumbling in other cities Salt
Lake withstood the strain. Not having
been overboomed the people were not over
bought. Not so much as suggestion of
''run" on any Salt Lake bank occurred at
this critical time. There were but few
mortgage foreclosures, and but two or
three important failures. In the very CEN
ter of the stringency, when money was the
most timid, the city sold 100000 in
twenty-year per cent bonds in the open
market, at premium.
Inquiry among the representatives of
companies holding mortgage securities
discloses the fact that number of such
companies have not had single default in
either interest or principal. Well-situated
real estate has not deprecated in value
The city has been slowly but steadily
growing, and, as matter of fact, to-day
there is greater demand for modern resi-
dences in well-situated portions of the town
than can be supplied.
Recent discoveries of sufficient amount
of natural gas to practically eliminate coal
from domestic use, the possession of
greater diversity of resources than can be
claimed by any other area equal in size to
Utah, the early coming of statehood, the
presence here of the Great Salt Lake, hot
springs and other unique attractions and
the wonderful character of the climate of
the Territory are circumstances which