The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-06
ANOTHER PROTEST.

To The Salt Lake Herald:
The indignant protest of "A Sub
scriber in Disgust" against the horrible
condition of the sidewalks in Salt Lake
City embOldens me TO raise my voice
upon the same question with the hope
that many more of the afflicted will
soon follow suit.
/ have lived in Utah six years. and in
Salt Lake City four years, and have
yet to experience what in America is
the blessed rights of stepping my tired
feet on a decent board sidewalk. such
as every town, village and hamlet east
of Utah is equipped with, and even
such cities as Portland, Ore.
Whenever [ venture TO raise my voice
in protest against the horrible dust in
summer and the seas Of mud in winter
that women and children are compelled
TO wade through in this city. such a
look of establishment greets my temer-
ity that l at once subside.
If I ask. why in the world does
not the city council order good board
sidewalks put down in all the residence
districts where people can not afford
pavements?" a look of such unutter-
able pity accompanies the invariable
repiy that there is an ordinance
against board sidewalks in Salt Lake
City" and that when one is used TO
the dirt walks they are much easier to
the feet than pavements.'
May heaven help us poor womenfolk
and children who must stay at home
year in and year out, or else brave the
dust and pebbles and rocks in warm
seasons, at the risk of contracting
corns. bunions, catarrh. hay fever
and throat troubleS-nOt TO mention the
terrible destruction to shoes and skirts;
or colds, rheumatism, pneumonia and
kindred ills in winter time, Then think
of the poor little feet of the helpless
little one who must tOddle over such
walksi
Our city fathers will even order the
crossings in the thiekly populated dis
tricts to be repaired" 90 with loads
of dirt which the helpless pedestrian is
expected, and compelled by force of
circumstances to tramp down into a
''first-class'' 90 crossing.
While holding forth upon the board
sidewalk. allow me to say that there
are board sidewalks and board side
walks, The ideal board sidewalk is
properly built-say, upon strong high
stringerS with boards one and one-half
inches thick and six inches or less in
width, placed with a space between
each board to allow SfuSh and rain to
run off, and is blessing that the aver
age Utahn has never even dreamed of.
And yet there is an ordinance against
| the DOStFQ SlueNdtih III GAIT Liant NllS :
| What if such walks do need repair
ing? Does not any kind of walk need
repairing occasionally? And would not
the building and repairing of such
walks give employment to many in
need2
When our estimable health board
| carried on such a crusade against filth
| in this city last spring, even to the
! extent of placing the perfectly harm
| less ash pile in the back yard under the
| ban, 1 watched and waited-in vain as
| il proved-for that same health board
| to at least enter a protest against this
! same abominable dirt walk, but never
a word,
| The old dirt walk seems to be held
/ in sacred reverence by the average citi-
4 zen of Salt Lake City.
Or is it the lack of care and consider
/ alton for his wife and daughters that
| distinguishes the average Ctahn that
/ causes this state of things to go on
! and on?
! Then the street signs of this city :
- -
---iii
! Who will sneak uavf1