The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-01


compiled review of Ezra Thompson S
record on the water question.
Ezra Thompson was a teamster. He
started on this career when a boy.
Times were prosperous in the mining
camps in those days, and out of his
wages he was able 20 buy a team and
wagon. In due time he bought more
teams and more wagons, and secured
'ore-hauling contracts in Park City.
Thus he prospered.
He first came into the public eye
through litigation. With c. L. Street,
Robert Gorlinski and others he was in
terested In the NOrthland property IN
Park City. = There was a dispute be-
tween the Northland and the Maytlow-
er over ore bodies. The MayfiOwer was
controlled by Thomas Kearns and 9TH
ers who later became known as the
silver King crowd" After long legal
warfare the Mayhower was awarded
possession of the disputed ground on
payment of the nominal sum of $500,
and the Silver King company was or
sanized on the MaytiOwer and sur
rounding property. Ezra Thompson be-
came one of the silver King crowd. -
holding at first 1000 shares Of stock
and adding TO his holdings later. This
stock made him wealthy. He increased
his fortune later by investments in
Daly-West stock,
Buys City Real Estate.
Mr.. Thompson used some of his rap
idly increasing wealth obtained from
these mining dividends 10 buy Salt
Lake City real estate. His ideas of i'm
provements are embodied in the one
story shacks that occupy his property,
He had one building two stories high.
After going without necessary repairs
for a long time. it collapsed a couple
of years ago, of its own weight. Mr..
Thompson resolved that never again in
a building belonging 20 him should the
second story of a building fall in on the
first. He applied his mind gravely 10
the problem, and after due elaboration
found the solution. He concluded TO
have "A building on the site. but to
solve the problem OF possible collapse
10y abOlishing the second story. Thus
il came about that One-stOry frame
structure rose over the ruins of the for
mer twO-story building.
This one-story mind was confronted
at the beginning of 1900 with the eXecu-
tive problems of the head of a great
municipality. Il was a new situation
for the easy-golng, goOd-natured rich
Teamster, and one far from suited to
his natural lassitude and lack of eX-
perience. In an attitude of helpless
ness he sought assistance.
Establishes His Cabinet.
First he secured the air of the late
lamented Dennis Eichnor. Dennis, too,
was easy-g going and gOOd-natured. and
there was bond of sympathy between
them More than that, Dennis was d
practical politician. He had been chair
man of the campaign committee. Hence
he was made private secretary TO the
mayor, and on him were conferred the
duties of writing all official papers for
the executive and of finding places in
she city government for all the heelers
who had aided in his election.
But still there were The problems OF
water supply, paving. sidewalks, sewers
and other municipal Improvements 10
be dealt with. The new mayor i'm this
trouble found a welcoming haven OF
refuge i'm John T.. Dooly. No record Is
a hand of All instance when John l..
DoOly was aVerse 10 handling other
peoples money. This period was be-
fore his retirement from the bank over
q branch of which he presided as
cashier, Although the supreme court
OF the state had taken caustic cogui-
zance Of his methods of handling trust
funds. and although even then his pro-
clivities were generally known, Ezra
Thompson gave him the most impor-
tant post so far as public expenditures
are concerned by making him chairman
of the board of public works.
Dooly Solves Water Problem.
Having turned over TO Dooly the
spending of the public money and to
EichnOr practically all the other bur-
dens of the Office Mayor Thompson felt
free to so away and leave them, and
spent most of his time in his uptown
Office. This ne did. He could always
be reached there by telephone 10 sign
documents after they had been pre-
pared by Dennis Eichnor.
Thus it came about that Dooly was
called upon 10 solve the water problem,
When an experienced, cunning, re-