The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-04
WHERE ARE WE AT?
Dr.. Hough Asks Business Men Per-
tinent Question.

Editor Herald was asked to go to
the late meeting 10 organize board
of trade. and was very glad of the OPP
portunity to attend a gathering where
the interests of this city were to be dis
cuSsed. 1t having been not more than
so days since the old board of trade
went out of business, and its furniture
and effects offered for sale, felt some
little curiosity as to the action to be
taken Permit me to express my sur
prise in finding only a bakers dozen
present, among them our energetic
governor, two merchants and one
banker. The proposed plan of organiza-
ton did not seem to me at all feasible,
so l quietly withdrew, not wishing to
interfere with the harmony of the oc-
casion and hoping for good results. [
know something of the resources of
this great state. I believe it is, in
that. respect, unusually favored, and
l do not eXaggerate her possibilities.
1 have heard much about her fields of
coal and iron, her immense deposits of
the precious metals, as well as her
beautiful and fertile valleys-noWhere
to be excelled. 1 have heard much and
often of her projected railroads, to the
great mineral camp of Deep Creek,
southern California, ST. George and the
coal fields. In fact, ! have heard of
every kind of resource that should
make Salt Lake a large and prosperous
city. While we have annually had
these things preached to us and
preached at US, what have we done
and what conditions do we find. In
stead of an active and populouS city,
the mart of the intermountain region,
we virtually have a viIlage-provincial
in the extreme. This people should not
be angered with a man who has the
courage to remind them of a truth.
There is not another town on the
American continent. SO far as know.
where there is both ocean and altitude
within a stones throw, so to speak, of
its city hall. Denver boasts of her eli
mate and publicly offers it for sale to
the world, having lost no opportunity
to advertise it, and has made many
big. sales. While l would not in the
least detract from that pushing,
aggressive and most hospitable city, l
must remind this people that Denver
is less favored in regard to climate
than Salt Lake is, and if she had at her
very door our inland ocean and Salta1r
pavilion, that her population would be
double what it now is. There is q spell
hanging over this city. She appears to
be hypnotized. Where is the citizen
don't all answer at once-who, by MAJ
terial aid and suggestion, will awaken
her from her lethargy into a business
and progressive activity that will bring
her the glory she so richly deserves.
There is not a spot in this country that
can be made more beautiful and more
desirable to live in than Salt Lake.
but to do this we must have business
activity There is nothing more pleas
ing to God than applied intelligence
and energy-these gifts are for the
purpose OF building to his glory. The
higher the intelligence and the greater
the energy, the nearer we are to him.
We ought to shake off this hypnotic
spell We should awaken and take our
place as the brightest if not the oldest
star on the beautiful emblem of liberty
and progression, that has so lately
challenged the admiration of the world.
Instill energy, public-SpiritedneSs and
observation-disclosures into our people, and
all Utah will blossom like the rose and
Salt Lake will reflect its beauty. This
will be the queen city of a western EN-
pire-grand in its architecture, great
in its commerce and famed for its
beauty 1t will be the abode of the
Jealous business man actively in search
of wealth, as also of him who, having
ensnared Mammon, wishes to surround
himself with the beauty and plenteous-
ness of natures gifts to this, the only
inland ocean and mountain city. VIII
we encourage and stimulate A. w. Nc
Cune & Co. In their energetic EFFORT 10
bring US to the door of the Angel City
with forged bands of steel that COM
merce and travel, long diverted, may
come this way? Or shall we rather
shrink from that which will disturb
our present slow, but apparently con-
tented. pace. With the general bust
ness activity and population that Salt
Lake is by virtue of climate, natural
surroundings and geographical loca-
ton entitled to, it would be preferable
as a place of residence to almost any
city on this continent. Why is it not?
CHARLES PINCKNEY HOUGH.