The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-09
WHY SALT LAKE is GREAT.


According to the American" city ad-
ministration. Salt Lake would be a lit
tie Water-tank station on a pony eX-
press route across the great American
desert If Ezra Thompson and A. J. Da-
Wis. and n E. Mulvey and T. r. Black
and a few other chosen patriots had not
consented TO assume the burdens of
civic duty and rescue Zion from obli-
WON. Naturally, the spokesman of the
Americans DO not put it just that
way, but the inference is to be drawn
from their song.
According TO d veTaCious interview in
the American" newspaper with an un-
known but sapient citizen, the forward
movement in Salt Lake began only
after the returns showed that Ezra
Thompson had been chosen mayor. To
be sure. Seuat Clark had spent some
millions here in railroad construction
before Ezra election; the Western Pa
oihc had begun construction on its
thousand mile line 10 the coast; the
copper mines OF Bingham had begun
hANl dAloilo bAA a 6A6oAAAiN 7NeAiNF 81 II
City and Tintic had been producing
their millions in dividends for some
time. and Nevada had begun making
millionaires OF people all over this in
termountain region. All these things
had happened, and in the usual course
Of events Salt Lake might have been
expected 10 profit by such a concatena-
ton Of good luck.
But-according to the Americans
all these common factors in the devel-
opment of great city were as moth
ing compared 10 the impulse that Went
forth from Zion on the night the world
learned that Ezra Thompson had been
chosen for mayor. A waiting. breath
less multitude il Chicago and New
York and London and Paris shouted
for joy and rushed for the telegraph
office TO pour their millions into Utah
a soon as they heard the glad tidings
Mr. Hartman could hardly delay until
morning to buy the street railway sys-
tenn MIR. Newhouse cabled his general
manager TO buy the whole city if he
tbuAu SCI H. eAAAN BeN "a = DNAAN-A-c7"'' 49,
Angeles men rushed for trains without
waiting TO pack their pajamas in grips
so anxious were they to get in on the
ground floor while Ezra was on the
throne.
To be sure people right here at home
had known all along that Salt Lake
was a great city and destined 10 be
greater. Even before Ezra became
mayor the wisest OF the Americans
themselves had been buying real es-
tate on and of Main street-and MAX
ing money at il. They didn't care
whoop VINO was mayor or who con-
trolled the city administration, because
they knew Salt Lake was all right any
way They had seen the Morris admin
lstration plan successfully the acquisi
ton of a splendid water supply for a
city twice the size OF this; they had
seen the same administration pave
streets and order others paved they
saw hundreds Of miles Of sidewalks
being laid, and they knew the Rio
Grande and the San Pedro Short Line
systems were 70 DGllu Immense new
union stations. The commonest garden
goat could have bought real estate and
made money on il whether Ezra
Thompson or Bailey Youngson hap
pened TO be mayor.
The cold, indubitable fact is that Salt
Lake was destined to be great by its
location and environment from the day.
Brigham Young drove his stakes in this
valley and decided to reclaim the desert
around IL. Unfortunate but inevitable
differences among the people have re-
tarded the growth of the city, but the
power of favOring material conditions
has been Irresistible and the city is
coming into it's own noW-not because
Of. but in spite of the little coterie of
political malcontents who cali them
selves American" and happen TO be in
power for a brief season.
Salt Lake would have been as pros
porous or more prosperous under an
other term of the Morris administra-
hon as II is now; it would have been
much better of in its city finances, and
It would have had all the municipal
improvements it is getting now and al
much less cost.