The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-05-25
DR.. Seymour 3. Young Dis
CuSSeS Reservoir
Site.

To the Dear Public:
The city council should not order SIS, 900,
nor any sum whateveF. expended on the
present selected site of the ParleY's can
yon reservoir, for the following good and
sufficient reasons
First-The site chosen on the Youngberg
property is not well chosen for it is a
gulch in the center of a deep canyon
where all the flood waters from Parley's
creek and the Dell creek. with all their
mud and filth VIII empty directly into
the proposed reservoir and whether the
water to be saved comes from the melt
ing SHOWS of early spring or from the
more gradual melting of the deeper drifts
piled in the canyons from the early win
ter deposits. or from the clOudbursts OF
summer, ali mud and gravel and filth
coming il the water from the above men
TONED sources viii unaVOiddblV be car
rled into this reservoir. There will be
no way of getting rid of this matter only
by hosting the waste gate after each
storm and thus letting the receptacle
cleanse itself. and what waste of the
water this would mean is apparent TO the
most casual observer.
SecOndly-The reservoir site would have
to be deepeued. squared and trimmed up
10 the amount Of several hundred thOus-
and tons of rock. dirt. brush roots and
SO forth, not forgetting to mention the
dead animals.
Well" say those in favor of the pres
ent site THE city can and VIII do this,
but it may be truthfully said the city
cannot do this without going to needless
expenditure OF the people money Tor the
city lands on which they could safely de-
post without great expense.
This eXcaVated material is situated one
and One-half miles above the proposed
site. and many thousands of dollars would
need to be expended in thus casting
away this. eXtraneOus matter
Third-The proposed reservoir site will
entirely interfere with the travelling public
as coal haulerS- vendors of vegetables and
fruit. etc. TO Park City, and the general
travelling public between Summit and Wa
satch counties and this city would be
turned out from smooth, pleasant can
yOn rOaG up on TO a preclpltOus and steep,
narrow dugWay,tO be Travelled IN a too
near proximity to a very deep and dam
gerOus pool of water, when one misstep
from a balky or frightened horse or team
would precipiJate the load, whether of
coal. merchandise or living freight, into
a unavoidable watery grave.
Fourth-Then comes the danger to the
Rio Grande Western railroad track OF
being water soaked and lOOOSened. and
from any cause from which the safety of
this track might be lessened 0 train so in
water. and drowning like rats IN hole
would be the probable fate of every pas
senger or thing on the train.
Now. the above are some of the reasons
why a reservoir on the proposed site OF
the IOuugberg property should not be
constructed
Now. 1t is said. and truly, too, that OBJ
jections are easily raised, but what rem
edy is proposed against all these supposed
evils or danger
They. can be safely and surely answered
in one sentence, as follows:
Build the. reservoir on lands already
owned by the city.
If the question is asked where2 any
where in the Mountain Dell property,
from the mouth of Branches canyon, in
Guiding the canyon. near the foot of the
Big mountain. down along the bed of the
stream to the sheep trail. a distance OF
four or five miles. where the city at
present owns more than Loco acres of land
and fOur-fifths of the water supply pass
ing through the Den and emptying into
Parley's creek at the junction, thus Civ
ing the city a chance to be benefited by
the land and water already owned by her
citizens. With all this land and water
already in possession Of the city by pur-
chase Of several tens OF thousands of dol
very much of an ancient king of Israel,
to whom the Prophet Nathan said: Thou
vert not satisfied with all thy great
possessions. Thou vert not satisfied
Thou didst take the one eve lamb pos
sessed by the Hittite and dist rob him of
his only one jewel.
And now let il be stated. here ard
now, that should the act of condemning
for city reservoir purposes be submitted
TO Q. fair and impartial jury, they visit
ing the proposed site when the place
was examined and the city'S possessions
all the facilities of the latter and all
the non-facilities of the former duly con-
sidered no citizen. It is believed. would
have reason to find fault with their YER
dict, for no jury of good men would
for a moment consent to a verdict that
would rob the widow of her possessions
to no benefit of the city
Now, after the above suggested way
10 prevent interference with the wagon
road and the railroad in the 4 canyon.
how is IL proposed to save the clean wa
ter and not impound the storm waters