Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-05
Valley Farmers Win Famous Shelter Smoke C,se

more OF them may, at any time here
after, apply TO the court, upoa due no
tice TO the complaiuants for a modilca
ton or suspension OF this injunction
upon a showing which the court ma,
deem sufficient that conditions have
been so changed that the discharge OF
such sulphurous and arsenical fumes
into the air by them or either Of them
may be resumed or otherwise conduct
ed. so as not TO create or continue
or contribute to create or continue the
nuisance complained OF.
IN THIRTY DAYS.
"As the interests involved are large
and the questions decided of great i'm
portance. this Injunction will only fake
effect at the expiration OF 30 days from
the date of the decree, period suni-
cient for the perfecting of an appeal"
PLAINTIFFS NUMBER 400.
The title Of the case is James Godfrey
ct al versus the American Smelling and
Refining company ct al. The plaintiffs
number 400 persons, and the respective
claims were merged into one case by
stipulation on the side of the defense
there are FIVE companies, as follows.
American Smelling and Refining COM
pany the Utah Consolidated, the Unit
ed States Smelling and Refining conf
pany' the Bingham Consolidated Min
ing and Smelling company and the
Bingham Copper and Gold Mining com-
pany.
TO A DECISIVE POINT
The decision brings the long fought
battle between the shelters and the
valley farmers to a decisive point. 1t
has been going on necessarily since
June, 1904, when a series Of south
winds brought the blight from the
Murray smokestacks clear north to the
city limits. and devastated wide
swath of country, which came to be
known as the smoke belt" Since
then the changing winds have trans
ferred and extended the belt In many
directions. Last year 1t went prin-
cipally southeast afrom the shelters.
and this year il came northeast instead |
OF northwest, even burning trees IN |
Liberty park and farther north.
THE SAVING CLAUSE.
Damage amounted to but little in
dry weather, and did its work OF de-
VISITATION whenever rain came with the
wind. The saving clause in favor Of
the shelters, prevents them from be-
ing stopped from running, at least i'm
medlately, and may save them perma-
nently. The farmers have believed
from the first that tho smelters could
control their smoke If they so desired.
II Is known that every smelling plant
has been at,work on the problem since
the petition went to the federal court,
and that some Of them have It parti-
ally solved. When the pressure of
opinion from the farmers meetings
was at it's height, Manager Chan
ming of the Utah Consolidated put
force of specialists to work at his plant,
and gave the farmers free access, to
zee what efforts were being made. 9th
.r plants also experimental, and ex-
oensive special fues were built to catch
he iue dust. while the sulphur bear
ng smoke was given a water treat
nent by means OF sprayes In special
lues, in the instance of the Highland
Boy.
THE FARMERS ORGANIZE
The farmers took their fight to the
all of 1904 they began to organize
n small mass meetings held at Gran
er. Murray. Taylorsville, Sandy, and
ther towns IN the smoke belt Of that
cdooils many lHtot ihctNiibo 'ui- /
minated In central mass meeting of
he whole county, held at Murray, A
entral committee was appointed, and t
tax was levied on each land holder
{ 10 cents per acre to meet expenses.
COMMITTEE NAMED.
Besides the central committee. sub 1
ommittees were selected on finance, s
,gislation, law, and publicity, The :
rst measure was for the farmers TO {
y by peaceable measure, TO effect an
with the shelters. They
anted them TO try to solve he ques-
on, and while some of the shelters
'eated the petition respectfully 9TH
IS sent the committee away convinced
rat It had been insuted, and also
onvinced that the management felt
was none OF their affair what tho
METERS proposed to do.
SOME WILLING. ONE NOT.
An appeal was then made to the coun-
: commissioners. One smelter refused
allow the commissioners to inspect
5 plant. while the others offered every