The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-31

DECEMBER 81, 1899
their money here and in this way
| demonstrate that this city is to be a
city of fine homes and the center OF
wealth for this great mining country.
Nor is this money confined 10 the build
| ing of homes and investments.
Churches. educational and charitable
institutions have felt its influence in
1899 as never before. The evidences of
wealth are noted, too. in the finer car
1 riageS on the streets. the higher grades
of goods in the stores and in the con-
slant stream of travel over this coun-
try and TO Europe.
A Literary Center.
Salt Lake is still too young to rank
high as a literary center. Outside of
the many books that have grown out
OF Mormonisin there has been little yet
produced in Utah that will endure. and
yet the standard of the city in this re-
spect is constantly going higher and
there is no reason apparent why Salt
Lake should not be the literary center
or this part of the nation. as it has be-
come the center in other lines of hu-
man activity The public library,
though but two years old, is recognized
now as great educational factor The
number of books increased from II 763
to 1885 during the year; 136 leading
periodicals. and papers are found in the
reading room. A medical department
was added during the year with many
valuable books and twelve medical
journals. More room is being constant
ly demanded and a library building near
the center of town will shortly be an
urgent need The. work of the public
library is being reinforced by the
school and college libraries and the
literary clubs of the city. at the head
of which stands the Ladies' Literary
club, through which much of the best
literary taste of the city finds express
sion.
In the Realm of Art.
In the realm of art Salt Lake City
takes higher ground each year. In
music much is due to those who, while
tnis country was still a comparative
wilderness, built a magnificent organ
ana brought together a band of sing
ers that still continues to bring fame
10 the city. The Tabernacle choir has
never had many equals on the Amer
ican continent and was never better
than now. Lovers. of music travel
across the country to hear it, and few
tnere are who visit Salt Lake without
remaining long enough to hear the
WONDERFUL music of that choir
ana the organ that accompanies
IL. This choir served as a nucleus
around which to gather the musical
taient OF a vast region. It's success has
given an impetus to music in general
until no city of equal size can furnish
more nor better music, while the love
OF good music is more general and dis
terminating than is the case in ordin-
airy communities.
In painting the artists of Utah have
ranked high for years. some have
won distinction even among the ex-
elusive circles of the old world. and the
exhibition just closed in this CITY DEM
onStrated to all competent judges that
the artists of Salt Lake are abreast of
the best talent of the times in their
held, and are doing better work than
any yet turned out. Inspired with the
gorgeous panorama about them they
VIII yet place on canvas impressions
that will advance them to the front
rank of American painters. They are
spurred to higher efforts, too, by the
improving taste of the people in mat
tiers of art.
Where Fun Rules.
Salt Lake has always been and will
continue to be an amusement center.
start recreation among the Mormon
people, and as the years have come and
gone amusement has come to be a part
of their daily life. The people who
have come in from all parts of the
country, representing every shade of
religious and political thought, have
fallen materially into the ways of the
beginners in matter of amusement I'M
til it is very doubtful if any other
lflr A
versally in innocent pleasure. In the
months the lake resorts, the
parks, the Salt Palace, the canyons. |
were crowded dav after day. The ,
homes, offices and stores were deserted |
on many hot afternoons to permit the |
people TO roll in the lakes, to dance III |
the pavilions, to listen to the music or |
to picnic in the parks and canyons |,
Games and races of all kinds were |
never so well patronized. The theatres |
Of Salt Lake have attracted much OF |
the best talent of the country. Being |
on the natural highway across the con-
tinent, no good attractions that go to |
the coast skip Salt Lake, and for that |
reason theatre-goers are more favored /
than are many eastern cities of five
times the size. Both theatres are well
patronized and are correspondingly
Nor is the city dependent
and instruction. From the
earliest days a strong home dramatic
association has helped to drive away
he cares of the people, and many
bright stars have gone out from this
association to win fame among strang-
RS. For amusement people from all
he surrounding region come to Salt
lake. In the summer large excursions
-un into the lake and park resorts; in
he winter parties come often and from
lfar to enjoy rare musical, dramatic
md literary feasts.
A Religious Center.
Because it is the headquarters of the
4atter-day Saints, Salt Lake has been
rom it's foundation a center of relig-
Gus thought and sentiment. The tenn
lie and tabernacle and the movement
hat led up. to theil. building has sent
he name and fame CT this city throu h
ut the civilized world and turned the
yes of thousands in this direction;
'eople who but for this would never
ave known the name.
But outside. and aside from this Salt
AXE. has for years been growing as a
elgious center, and this was never
1ore plainly manifest than during the
asst year. The start on a magnificent
'atholic cathedral, the opening of the
ewish temple, the movement for a i
Presbyterian college, the enlargement s
the Episcopal school, the prosperity '
hat came to all denominations
the yaor-au taken To- '