Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-09-01

y the founding OF a city among tn,
mountains. a region remote from th'
settled sections Of country. it is not
TO be wondered that perhaps peculiar
features moulded out OF the deserts
clay. so TO speak. exist In our city
today A dreary scene It must have
been that first greeted our pioneer
fathers and mothers when they reached
the valley. In these prosperous days
II can scarcely be imagined. A des-
ert waste covered with sagebrush
Yet dependent upon themselves. they
set TO work to build city all their
own, unique and without interference.
All this We admit and glory In. but
tina, is no reason why certain homeiy
features should mar the otherwise per-
feet city Of today.
Salt Lake City. as We know. was
largely divided into ten-acre blocks.
and these into lots so that within the
city itself each owner should have so
much ground TO cultivate. for in the
early days. the home garden contrib
uted mainly TO the maintenance OF the
family. But today where gardens
have been 10 quite an extent aban-
doned. great is the waste Of land
within the center Of these huge blocks.
unsighty. oyerorown with weeds, or
put 10 uses disagreeable and I'M
attractive
Tenement houses built I'm resrs
chickens, dogs unkept children run
ming heter- skelter in unsi~'''-' alleys
tumble down fences and dump-heaps
crooked signs nailed on trees TO be
read from the street. and directly fac
ing fine residences: this is common
use put to many Of these block-inter-
iors that could be made 10 flourish and
blossom as the rose In one instance
from one Of our nicer streets. directly
opposite a row Of superior houses, two
alleys running parallel With a few
scattered boards nailed together for a
fence between afford vistas not As
"fresh. smiling and far-reaching as
the eye could enjoy resting upon. nor
indeed with breath as sweet as the
morn rising sweet Colored people
come and 20 from one side, the white
folks from the other. This is no re-
Election upon these people, for the for
mer are as peaceable. seemingly, az
could be expected. and the latter hard
working But Il is the general atmos-
phere and utter inharmony through
and over an that turns one away With
disgust. Among the patched-up. tun-
BILE down structures passing for houses,
( inc to time IN such peculiar fashion,
with total disregard OF what might be
ADDED next. and 10 and behold an I'M
expected court. about the size OF
small room. with windows OF all sizes
and designs looking out upon us active
and busy area Of chickens, odors. etc.
II is inconceivable the uses these IN
teriors can be put TO. and 1t is
shame
I'm another block, with fine resi-
dcnces on all sides. looms an old pile
gray and gloomy, like deserted castle
H. the last stages OF decay, whore owl
aud bat and all things weird and
creepy hold night revel. Another.
tired. looking. never-ending tenome"'
Of crumbllng adobe. with no apparent
entrance to Il from any street There
T.. one instance, however. where
good.sized inner court bids fair Of be-
coming more comely and habitable.
1t Is now I'm the course Of much build
ing--a collection OF somewhat curious
looking buildings. but when complet-
ed will be absolutely clean and whole
some, anyway, with a grass plot and
flowers IN front Of each tiny house.
Many poor. hard working people will
live there. especially women Of the
real toll and drudgery type The good.
kind hearted owner says Il am a be-
ginner for The poor This is at least !
step above the uses made Of many |
N these blocks. yet how much more |
could be. and we hope may be and /
MIN be done IN the cnd-and may the |