The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-08-31
CITY STREETS.

Salt Lake City has entered into an era of i'm
provement that will soon place it among the
modern cities of the country. For many years the
town by its geographical position has been more or
less isolated from the rest of the country. The
mining industry hereabouts has thrved and the old
town grew with the country. 1t became an over
grown country town while the people did little to
force it's growth The natural attractions the ever
lasting hills, the mild winters and long summers
with warm days and cool nights attracted many
people from the east Climate alone in the Salt
Lake valley is almost enough to guarantee big
city therein, and Salt Lake furnished the start.
The pioneers of the valley were evidently a
far-sghted and level-headed set of men, at least,
the men who laid out the capital city of Utah made
pretty good job of it. They planned wide streets,
some think too wide, but in times of fire they are
a good protection to property the other side.
Then, too, they planted trees along the Sides and
the shade has been enjoyed by countless thousands
Now the city is improving the streets Side
walks of cement stretch for miles in all directions
from the center of the city, and the thoroughfares
are being paved with asphalt. It gives the old town
a nifty appearance, these smooth, clean streets.
The re nice to, drive over, to push bicycle over
see the improvement going on; even those who have
to pay for it say the improvement is all right, but
it costs a great deal of money. Curbs and cutters
and sewers are being extended in all directions
and the town is being modernized with great ra-
pidity. New buildings which will lift their proud
tops high in the air are under course of erection
But the improvement in the streets is only
physical improvement The mud holes and long
stretches of dust in summer and mud in winter are
being done away with. The asphalt is kind of
veneer built on a concrete foundation, upon which
we can walk and not soil our shoes.
But there is not even veneer on the vice and
depravity which stalks about on the streets. Day
light reveals little of the beastiality which the
night turns loose The graveyards yawn about
midnight and the morally dead come forth from
their graves-male and female totally depraved
And there are some young folks who ought to be
at home under parental care under the opera
ton of the curfew law who make the night hideous
by their behavior. Brazen, fippant loose of
speech insolent, immodest, the girls parade their
lack of virtue to young men and boys all too re-
sponsive to the lure.
We could not conscientiousy ask anybody to
spend few hours Main street between nine
o'clock in the evening and two or three o'clock In
the morning, except it be to get a knowledge of
conditions first hand. Ask anybody who knows
about task the policemen, the newspaper men or
the street car conductors. They have become hard
ened to the corrupting influences of the street. Or
90 yourself one of these fine summer evenings, you
parents of hayward boys, you Christian workers,
you of the youth of the land use your eyes
and your ears, and then ask yourselves if there is
an intelligent appreciation or even the slightest