The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-21

headquarters, out new people nave Deen
coming all the year from all over the
country, some TO mine, some to go into
general business, some on account of
the climate, and some for health's sake.
I think the total increase in population
since Jan. l.. 1897 may safely be put at
1000 to 5000
The building Inspectors official re-
port shows $685. $40 of building improve
ments during the year, an increase of
S257, 1875 over 1886.
The death rate for the year was S.24
per 1000, the lowest, 1 think, of any
city in the country. The rate for 1891
was 1926 and the great falling of is
attributed not only to the efficiency of
the health department, but TO those
who, in public office, have, during late
years, accomplished the construction
of sewers, the sprinkling Of streets, and
the enforcement of important SANTA
ton methods. This low death rate
ought to be factor in our future bus
mess, for il is an official, and therefore
an uncontradictable announcement of
the desirability of Salt Lake as home
city.
The achievements of the chamber
for 1897 do not cover a very wide range,
but all was done that the chamber
could do. handicapped as it was by
poverty and public Indifference. 1t had
something to do with the success of the
jubilee-three of it's directors being
members Of the semi-centennial COM
mission. Prior to the jubilee no special
work was undertaken; the directory
contenting itself with the doing of
routine business. 1t was felt that the
additional support needed to make it
effective could not be obtained in the
face of appeals being made by the
jubilee commission, and as the work of
that commission was in line with the
work of the chamber and as an effort
on our part would have impeded the
progress of jubilee preparations, the
board made no active effort beyond the
transaction OF routine business, prior
to the jubilee.
During the year, the book on Utah
prepared by the secretary, and pub
lished by the Union Pacific, has been
placed in circulation and many thou
sand copies of it have been distributed.
directly and indirectly throughout the
country.
Speaking of this book. Mr.. Ira D.
Bronson, a prominent capitalist in
Boston, in a recent letter to the secre-
tary says:
Permit me to thank you for the
book Utah. which you compiled and
were so kind to send to me. The little
book merits the title Multum in parvo:
or That is best told which is well told
1t for the size than any work Of Its
kind that l ever saw. I had but read
it through hurriedly when d friend COM
ing into my office, who is interested in
Utah, saw it, begged to take it to read,
and he in turn loaned ii to another.
and it seems TO have started on Il long
journey, as it has at last got beyond
my knowledge as to its Whereabouts. I
hope soon TO get trace of it again, and
if not, ] fear I shall be testing your
generosity by making another requisi-
ton.
IF your chamber of commerce knew
how much good it would do your state,
they would levy a contribution upon
its members for fund to purchase Of
you a goodly supply thereof and cause
them TO be distributed largely through
out our eastern cities and states, to
the end that people here could be made
acquainted with the great resources of
your state, which appear to be I'M
limited in quantity and uneXcelled in
value. 1t is a difficult matter for those
of US who have Travelled through your
great western states and learned some
thing of your resources. to make our
people here understand and compre-
bend the magnitude thereof, and such
WORKS as that of yours ought to be
placed in the hands of our people so
that they might become educated on
that point, which would tend greatly
to benefit your people and make it
much easier for them to procure east
ern capital to devlop your various in
dustries with
VOLUMINOUS CORRESPONDENCE.
The correspondence for 1897 covered a
wide range of subjects, and involved
the answering of almost every question
possible to be propOunded about the
cir nd tot ,fy,1- ' h 8
this correspondence was somewhat
Ian ger than during any year of my in
cumbency here, and l therefore con-
clude tndt orr resources and attrac-
tons are becoming better known in
the east.
This portion of the work of the cham
her is of ever-increasing Importance to
the city; and the returns for it are
found in the presence here of hundreds.
perhaps thousands of citizens, who, if
asked, viii say that their coming was
in some measure determined by pre-
liminary correspondence with the
chamber. This correspondence is not
confined wholly to inquiry received di-
rectiy by the chamber, but inquiry of
officers of the city and state and os the
postmaster, as we'll as inquiry made to
residents. whose friends write them
from the east for information-the let
ters being referred to the chamber for
reply.
An investigation of the truth of these
facts, 1 think. will answer the question
so frequently mouthed by those of large
professions, but little deeds-What does
the chamber do?
AT the request of Mr.. NJ. B. Hirsch.
president Of the Lake Bonneville COM
pany. an official statement was made
by the chamber in reference to the soil
and climatic characteristics of the pOr-
ton of the state wherein his great pro-
ject is to be carried out. This state
ment, Mr. Hirsch has been kind enough
TO say, was of material value to him in
establishing 4 belief in the feasibility
of his enterprise in the minds of east
ern and foreign capitalists, with whom
he conferred.
This circumstance suggests to me to
say that it frequently becomes neces-
sary, in attempts made to interest
eastern capital in Utah investments, to
present facts in reference to the state
from some official body supposed to be
in possession of accurate information,
and the assist ance of the chamber has
been frequently extended in this way
il being the only institution in the state
devoting itself to the accumulation of
statistics and similar information.
The secretary, with the consent of the
directory, appeared before the eXecu-
1--WE committee OF the NdIloHdl Gdu-
cation Association at Chicago, early in
December. as representative of the
Salt Lake board Of education, and at
tempted to influence that committee to
select Salt Lake as the meeting place
for the association in 1898. 1t is to be
regretted that these efforts failed, for
the meeting win have an attendance Of
probably 5000, and the local trade of
the meeting place viii be materially
stimulated thereby.
Salt Lake, except, perhaps; in the
matter of central geographical location,
is essentially a convention city. Its no.