Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-07-17
ENTERTAIN THE STRANGERS.
n short time since, the following
letter was submitted:


letter was submitted:
To the First Presidency, Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, City!
Gentlomen-The Utah Semi-Centon-
NAL commission having in charge prep
arations tor the Utah Pioneer Jubllee,
which will occur July 20lh TO 2ith OF the
present year, anticipate that the attend
an,e on that interesting occasion VIII
approximate 10000. The people OF Utah
have invited these strangers, and must
SEQ to 1t that they arc provided with cat
ing and sleeping accommodations.
disregard OF this, the plain duy oil
host, will subject tho city and State to
much adverse criticism, and disgrace us
wherever the news OF our failure may
DO carried. Alter carefully estimating
the capacity of our hotels, restaurants
and boarding houses, wo find that facili-
ties will be wholly inadequate to care for
our guests, and 70 meet the emergency
tho commission has organized the
bureau of public comfort and placed ut
the head OF 1t Mr.. ID. q. Dunbar. Ihls
bureau will Mt once make thorough
canvass OF the city with Wow of ascer-
tanning what may be expected from pri-
vato families In tho matter OF entertain
ment. An appeal is made to every citi-
zon to assume his portion of the respon-
our expected guests. There must bo
no vacant rooms in the homes, and no
vacant seats at the tables in Salt Lake
during the Jubilee. Accommodations
are NOT expected to be furnished free.
The bureau will not question the charges
ma u in any case. The commission Is
simply discharging the duties given TO II
by law in preparing for the celebration.
Ii cannot be expected to provide those
ada finng UhnFn must he NlnOT-
GUS work done ut once-the community
must awaken TO the immediate need Of
action, and united efforts must be taken
without delay to provide accommoda-
lions for Jubilee visitors On behalf of
the commission and the bureau OF pub
lie comfort, respectfully request you
to bring the contents of this lettor TO the
notice of the members of your congreBa-
ton in meeting assembled, and to urge
them to extend every courtesy and aid
to the representatives of the bureau dur
ing their canvass.
The citizens of our neighboring cities
during times OF public celebration have
been equal to tho demand upon them.
Let II not DO said that the people OF salt
Lake have failed in this emergency.
Respectfully,
SPENCER CLAwsoN,
Chairman Utah Semi-Centennial Com
mission.
The suggestions contained in the
foregoing received the unqualified
approval Of the First Presidency, who
desire the people ito do everything in
their power 10 promote the comfort
and pleasure OF the thousands who
will come here during Jubilee week.
q The time is now at hand Tor the &C.
lual duties OF hospitality which rest
upon the people OF Salt Lake City. On
Monday next the visitors will COM
mence to arrive from NORTH, south,
east and wet. There is certainty
that within a day or two the city will
DO taxed to Its utmost to afford accom-
modations; and II is only by the
active cooperation OF private iami-
lies that the situation can be
met satisfactorily. Upon thle point
there should be no standing back, no
Withholding for ultra formal ceremO-
ny. The people here have good, COM
Portable homes; they may not fancy
81 80
but they are such as to afford cordial
welcome to visitors, and there should
be no family in the city which
has the ability and refraiGs from
ueing 1t for the entertainment Of the
strangers within our gates.
1t 10 the earnest wish OF the FRS
Presidency, which the NEWS ia re-
quested to express at this time, tina
the Bishops and other leading mer
give their urgent attention to Thu
matter. They are requested to direc
notice 10 1t in the ward meet
iBgs in the city and adjacen
wards on Sunday, and to impress
upon the people their obligations
in this regard, to see that none are
turned away or maize to suffer inc0r'
venlence for lack OF courteous hospl'
tally. The loads Of passengers which
the railways will bring in ere Of
worthy people, who are guests Of th'
city and State upon invitation, anu II
is a supreme responsibility Of the resi-
dents here to fulfil the obligations o
host to the highest extent OF genera NJ
AID courteous hospitality. Let thi
,i,,ty lao mail p.rf1runpr