The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-31
Do Net Want Streets Filled With
Tracks.
PROPERTY OWNERS MEET
THINK RAILROADS SHOULD PAY
FOR PROPERTY.
Committee Appointed to Ask the
Council to Defer Action On the
oetitions-Think the Tracks VIII
Damage Property Along the
Street-Favor Union Depot.

West side property owners gathered
in force at the Westminster Presby-
terian chapel on Fourth West street
las. night, to protest against the grant
my of tracking franchises along
Fourth West on The conditions stiDu-
lated IN the petition. presented TO the
city council by the Short Line and RIO
Grande Western.
Ex-City Councilman Hugh watson
acted as spokesman of the property
owners with real estate abutting the
street which the railroad corporations
seek to occupg, and made vigorous
rerlonstrance against what he termed
the ruinarion of property without re-
enumeration from the parties instru-
mental in causing it. He said: Those
who are fortunate enough TO possess
real estate contiguous to the proposed
site of the new depot will, no doubt,
profit by it, but what is Ito become oil
the interests of the rest of the prop
erty-owners on Fourth West street
between Fifth North and Eighth
South? The abutting property on
Fourth West has already deprecated
N value, and as soon as the franchise
E; granted and the tracks laid the run
ming Of locomotives, ringing OF bells
had footing of whistles at all hours OF,
the night will render it practically
worthless for any other than railroad
purposes. TIE railroad corporations
will then own the street and pracu-
cally the property on both sides of 1t,
obtaining the first by consent Of the
council. and the latter by force of cir
cumstances. They will be the ga4kers,
and the property owners and taxpayers
the losers by the granting of the petl-
ton as it now stands. Let us protest
against the practical destruction OF the
western portion of the city by the greed
OF the railroad corporations. If they
wish the property, let them pay for IL
and also reimburse property-ownerS
whose holdings are deprecated IN value
in consequence of being situated IN the
ueighborhood. Let the council, not the
railroad companies, select the site LOT
the union depot; let them centrallze the
tracks, and not spread them all over
The western part of the town; let them
condemn the property, if necessary,
and reimburse the owners thereof at
an equitable valuation. We do not
seek TO antagoniZe the railroad COM
9anies in the project to erect the union
depot: we want to have 1t bult, but
we do not want it placed in such a po-
sition that the streets leading TO II
must be filed UP with tracks to she
detriment of the property-OWnerS on
both sides of the streets 50 occupied
Chairman S. H. Tolles then appointed
A. b. Jenkins, Hugh Watson, sam VIII
hanson. 7. p. Lewis and JOSIAH Thom-
as a committee of five to draft a pro-
test against permitting the railroad
corporations using the streets Tor
trackage purposes without some re-
nuneration to the owners of the prop
arty that will be deprecated in value
by such q proceeding. The same COM
mittee viii wait upon the council al
the meeting this evening and request
them to defer taking action upon the
petition presented last week until the
west side property owners have been
heard from
The meeting adjourned until Friday
evening, when the protest of the COM
nnittee of I'VE will be discussed and
final action taken.