The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-26

ana Ogden pass through trying time.
since last the Christmas bells wer
ringing Influences have worked agains
Ogden and Weber county that woul
have been disastrous to comnunitie
with less ample resources and indus
tries less diversified. But the city an
county have come out triumphant, an
stand today in the main prosperous
People have adapted themselves to con
dltions, and the work OF bringing on
the latent wealth of this region goe
on. A year ago the outlook wa
gloomy; predictions, When people dare
TO make predictions, were gloomy. Tn
power works stood practically com
plete; scores of laborers and skilled me
cnanlcs We're out of employment. TIL
railroads were reducing forces. Parl
City, with interests indissolubly linke'
with those of Ogden, was on the eve 0
business stagnation caused by the clos
ing down of its mines, which haC
seemed the pride and the power o
Utah. There were changes among thu
railroads which men said would speed
lily make Ogden a mere way station
The community felt the shock of the
blow delivered to its industries by the
backset to the silver cause.
1t was even predicted that the power
works would never be completed, ano
that all the work and treasure eXpend-
ed on them would come to naught. But
people did not repine. They set about
the work before them and the result has
been that one of the most prosperous
years in the history OF the city and
county is drawing to a close. Enter
prises of which even now the citi-
zens hardly realize the Importance and
magnitude have been started.
OGDEN'S POWER WORKS.
In May last water passed over the
wheels in the power house and showed
to the world the mighty forces that are
given to The use of the city by the
fall OF the Ogden river. AS yet only
a fourth of the more than $1,00O,000
power plant is being utilized. A pipe
line has been constructed capable of
generating 10000 horsepower, but gen.
Grating machinery has been put in place
capable Of creating but 5000 horse
power. The other machinery will be
supplied as the demand for power in
creases. This power must give Ogden
tremendous pres tige among cities of
the west. Conditions less favorable
than this made Minneapolis advance
from village to a metropolis in a few
years. Already the city of Salt Lake
40 miles away-receives its chief sup
ply of power from Ogden. This city
being centrally located and having such
superior distributing facilities, is an
other source of commercial prestige.
Since the erection of the works the
Pioneer Electric Power company has
merged into the Union Electric COM
pany.
SUGAR FACTORY.
OF hardly less Importance to the COM
munity is the beet sugar factory pro-
fars TUa1aaf Tho
works wrest the latent wealth from
the force of water, the sugar works will
distin the wealth from the soil. The
sugar works will enable thousands of
acres of land to be farmed profitably,
and will open up dozens of other ave
MES for profitable industrial effort.
The company to build this factory has
been recently organized and incorporat-
ed With a capital stock of $1,000 The
great popular movement resulting in
this incorporation has been described,
step by step, in The Herald. The fac
tory viii be ready for next years beet
crop, and the work stands as another
illustration of the faith of Weber coun-
ty in her own resources and in the abil-
ity Of its people to profit by them.
WATER SUPPLY.
Methods for preserving and increas-
ing the water supply Of the region are
being put in practice. In East canyon
the Weber & Davis County Canal COM
pany is building d great reservoir,
which viii insure to the western part
of this and Of Davis county
ample water for irrigation the year
through. In Ogden canyon seepage |
dam is being constructed, which will
keep much of the water supply from |
going to waste by percolation under the |
loose upper strata of the river bed |
This city, too, is taking vigorous steps |
to recover its water system, and 1t /
looks IS though this result is about to {
be accomplished, either by purchase or !
by the aid Of the courts.
SHEEP RAISING
The sheep industry has developed in
Weber county with surprising bounds /
during the past year and the business
now brings hundreds of thousands OF I
dollars TO Weber county men. This (
is not suitable for the /
ranging Of sheep. but its being the |
center and natural distributing
point makes it the base of operations
for drovers east. west, north and south.
The breeds of sheep are being scien-
tifcally bettered and the price for wool
advanced. The Cats
wclds. Shropshires and French Meri-
nos, of Weber county, are becoming
NEW MILLS.
Two new grist mills have been added
to the milling facilities Of the county,
and that Of Peery Bros, the first to
utilize the electrical power, the other
he mill at the old Taylor mill site,
which was put up by the Ogden Mill
ng & Elevator company.
OTHER FACTORIES.
A new canning factory, the Pioneer,
las been operated successfully and viii
leSt year increase its capacity more
han treble. The manufacture OF
sewer and drain pipe with thing and
pottery has been started successfully
~ the Enterprise Clay company.
HONEY PRODUCTION.
Rec culture has been developed to
;uch an extent that now the Office OF
county bee Inspector is of much inn
Dortance. The old, careless methods j
ire being done away with and the in t
iustry is being made profitable.