The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-16
NOT SMITH, THE SHEEPMAN
WHO WANTED TO BUY CITY
PROPERTY.
City Council May Investigate the
Charge That it Has Been Imposed
Upon by Bogus Bid.

That no meeting OF the city council
was held last evening was said by. sew
eral of the members to be due to the
apprehension of the friends of the
plan to sell the ground adjoining the
Eighth ward meeting house to the Re
lief society for 81 800, that they lacked
enough votes to override the mayors
veto. More than a quorum of the coun-
ell was present when the meeting con-
vened in the session room of the board,
of education, in which had been ar
ranged ample seats and new supply
of pens, ink and other paraphernaIia
necessary, according to tradition. for
councilman'S use
councilman Fernstrom's motion to
torego the meeting was carried with
out serious objection, and when it was
all over, the members who were not
let into the secret wondered what the
reason was for the disinclination to
mold a meeting. Finally it was told
sub rosa that with COuncilmen White
more and Edgar Howe absent it would
not be possible to override the mayors
oDJectlons to the sale of the land next
10 Une meeting house at a price con-
coded to be half its present reasona BILE
market value. 1t was said that Coun-
Gilman Thomas had consented to vote
with the majority to make ten votes
enough to negative the veto. but only
eight of the required number We're
present.
1t was stated on the other hand. how
ever, that the veto would surely prevail
when 1t came to a test vote at the next
meeting.
1t was on the cards last evening to
spring a sensation by throwing out
the charge that Joseph Smith, the
Sheepman, is not the one who made a
written offer to pay $4,000 for the citys
lot, and that the proposition was made
by a straw man at the instigation of
councilman who has opposed the
sale at half price.
Mr.. Smith, the wool grower, is quite
positive that he never made the offer,
and there is no other Joseph Smith,
so far as known, who is in a position
to pay $4,000 for the property. Several
members of the council are quite posi-
tive that it was stated at tine council
meeting that it was the sheep grower
that made the offer but no one recol-
lectS who made the statement. Mr.
Smiths denial is accepted as conclusive
and it is stated than an investigation
will be set on foot to ascertain whether
the council has been imposed upon by
a fictitious offer. City Recorder Ny
strOm sent an acknowledgment of
Mr.. Smiths letter to the address of
the Sheepman, and his postal card has
not been returned as undelivered. The
recorder declares that a man introduce
ing himself as Joseph Smith called at
his office to inquire if the council would
require him to pay a deposit to make
good his offer. stating that he was pre-
pared to pay any such deposit.
Among the matters that would have
received attention if a meeting had
been held last evening was a petition
from a. majority of the owners of prop
erty on Second South street asking
that the council make preparations to
let a contract for paving that street
from First West to the Rio Grande
Western depot. The petitioners are
willing to have the cost of the improve
ment assessed against their property
on a ten-year bonding plan, a tenth to
| be paid annually.
An estimate on the cost of paving
| Third South street from State to West
| Temple was on file from the city en-
gineer. as requested by Councilman
! Whittemore's resolution, and this also
| would have come up for consideration
| had the meeting been held