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


continue the struggle to maintain 1t
against the silent and all-pOwerful OPP
! position of universal public indifference.
/ One thing is certain, there must be
( a change very soon. The living death
Of the chamber is pitiful. 1t is starv-
| ing in the midst of plenty, and 1t
| ought either to be rescued from this
condition of inanimatiOn or death ought
! 10 speedily terminate its sufferings.
l believe that the chamber has been
| of great value to the city, and that an
examination of its history viii furnish
ample proof that this is true. now
! leave the chamber in your hands, with
the assurance on my own behalf and on
| behalf of every present officer of the
/ chamber, that we viii retire from the
unequal struggle, without a regret. and
with a sense OF relief too profound to
adequately express. Respectfully.
W. A. NELDEN, President.
SECRETARY'S STATEMENT.
.Gentlemen:&With this occasion
! closes my fourth year as secretary of
the Salt Lake chamber of commerce;
and the tenth year Of the existence OF
! the institution.
Heretofore-in these reviews, 1 have
discussed at in particular detail,
every noteworthy local event of the
preceding year. This. because it seem
ed to me to be proper to have the pro-
! gress of each twelvemonth marshalled
! before the people generally at least once
year by the institution which is
charged by its charter and by laws
with the duty of encouraging that pro-
gress. and directing it so far as posi-
bic along lines leading TO the greatest
good to the greatest number; and in
part because I hoped that the COM
munity. to which was thus mirrored
the events of general Importance, might
thereby be made to realize the great
truth, that necessary to the prosperity
of the individual, is the prosperity of
the whole; and that the prosperity of
the whole can only be continually guar
anteed through the persistent and in
telligent effort of a cordially endorsed.
solvent association Of business men.
comprehensive of all interests and con-
Quoted in the interest of all.
[ shall not inflict you in this review
with more than passing mention of the
events of 1897; since experience has
taught that one of the ends to be ac-
complished-thIt of procuring concert
ed action for the future through this
body is hopeless of attainment. Rather
will l direct your attention to the fu-
ture, in the womb of which awaiting
vitalization, lie many germs, which if
you will, and have the energy may be
developed into lusty aids to your flu
ture business.
Considering the year 1887 briefly. To
my mind, it was filled with important
events for Salt Lake City, and wit
messed greater material progress than
has any year since the year of the
panic.
The Pioneer Jubilee. the success Of
which was attained after months of
painstaking labor. by a commission
composed in part of members of the
retiring chamber directory; was the
greatest single trade producing event
ever enjoyed by Salt Lake 1t is esti-
mated that $4,000 people attended the
five days celebration; and that from
$4,000 to $1,0G0,0C0 was expended by
the visitors. The jubilee attracted ma
tional attention; and gave the city and
state such an advertisement as it had
never had before. The giving of il was
test not only of the endurance of
those who had it in charge; but as we'll,
a test of the public spirit of the peo-
pie. And while preparation for it gave
prominence to the want of pride, and
niggerly spirit of some, it may be said
that on the whole, the people gave
strong evidence of q determination to
win the approval of the people of other
states, by the heartiness with which
they entered into the movement. Such
an affair every year would be of great
benefit to the city. Los Angeles and
OllGI OdlllOIIlld Clues, ana denver IN
Colorado, annually give pretentious fes-
rivals, for no other purpose than to at
tract crowds and enhance trade. 1t
would be a good thing for us if we fol-
lowed their example; but 1 doubt
whether our community can be brought
to a realization of the adVisability of
doing so, or whether mem Of standing
could be found who would give their
time TO its preparation. Perhaps in
1898, when the merchants contrast the
business Of July. with the business of
July, 1897 and 1896, they may conclude
that the benefits resulting from the
last two celebrations was worth ALL
and many times more, the money they
cost.
SHORT LINE SEGREGATION.
The segregation of the Oregon Short
Line from the Union Pacific, which oc-
CURED in 1897. was of great Importance
to the city, and the establishment of
headquarters and of the new system
here invited our merchants to extend
their trade into the northwest. So far
as my observation and knowledge ex-
tends, this invitation produced but lit
tie perceptible effort upon those to
whom it was given, but it caused the
merchants of Portland, who saw in the
new arrangement a menace to their
trade by Salt Lake merchants. to or
their customers in Oregon, Montana and
Idaho SO that they might not be
Weaned from Portland and Portland's
business. Contrasting the efforts of the
business men of the two cities at that
time, the lOoker-on finds much to adj
mire in the promptness Of the mer-
chants of the great northwestern city
to head off any invasion of its tributary
territory, even though he may laugh at
the false scarce which prompted their
additional activity.
We need railroads. and we needed the
Oregon Short Line as an Independent
system. 1t has done much for us al
ready, and it could do much more if
effort was made to turn the trade of
the vast country which opens to US into
the channels of our business.
Money has continued to grow easy
during the year, and I am informed
that now there is more than enough for
the demand, offered at low rates of in
terest. Speaking Of money. no better
evidence of its general loosening can
be found or of the disposition of those
who control it in the east to patronize
Utah, than the recent purchase of the
Mt. Nebo irrigation system and the
establishment of the Lake Bonneville
Water & Power system in southern
Utah by eastern capitalists.
These transactions, while not local,
will have such a future effect upon the
business of the city that they are to be
classed among the triumphs of Salt
Lake for 1897. l am told that the re-
suit of the Lake Bonneville enterprise
will be to add to the productive area
of Utah an area as large as Rhode
Island, and that as a result of that adj
dition there viii be built in southern
Utah many considerable towns.
POPULATION INCREASED
The population of Salt Lake has ma
teriallY increased during the year. This