The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-27
UTAH HAS GOOD YEAR
AND DEF|ES DEPRESSION
Mining Industry in Fine Condition and Ready
for General Forward Move
ment In 1909.
Farmers Livestock Men and Manufacturers Make Big
Gains-Raroads in Good Working Order.

ton of meat and all other farm pro-
ducts is increasing rapidly as the result
of the rapid growth of the cities of the
state is having a marked effect on the
profits of the farmers. Good prices are
secured for large portion of the stun
produced in the state, while the mining
camps. with their thousands of men,
furnish a good market for the output
of the garden, orchard and farm This
home consumption naturally yields the
producer a greater margin of profit
than he receives for supplies shipped to
distant markets.
All Gates Are Wide Open.
Outside of the growth. of Utah's prin-
cipaI cities and the development of
the mineral resources of the state, there
is a world of work going forward that
will play an important part in the
making of the commonwealth. Dry
farming, still in its infancy, is working
miracles on the deserts; irrigation, in
the hands of the federal government,
in the hands of great private corpora
tons, in the hands of individuals, and
backed at all times by the influence of
the state authorities. is Transforming
great sections of the state from patches
of sage brush to centerS of plenty. and
beauty. Scientific methods are taking
the place of slipshod ways. Good citi-
zens are coming into the state, bring
ing with them new ideas from their
old homes; modern habitations are
taking the place of shacks in the coun-
try as in the towns: the whole face of
nature is being altered by the enter
prise and ingenuity of progressive men
and women. The spirit of progress is
in full possession of the state, and the
movement is radically forward, wheth-
er it be among the residents of the
cities or the residents of the rural dis
tricts. Better mail facilities whereby
the farmer is kept in touch with the
world by having his daily paper each
day; telephone communication, better
roads, better means of transportation,
better schools. farmers institutes, sci
entific instruction of the young men in
the schools-all these influences and
others are combining to make the life
of the farmer a fuller and better life.
They are adding to his pleasures, his
profits and his usefulness.
Good Railroad Work
1t IS not easy to realize the benefits
the railroads are comforting upon the
state without taking a retrospective
view-without recalling the time when
transportation facilities were at a
minimum. In the year just closing the
railroads represented in Utah suffered
from the panic and depression in COM
mon with all other interests in which
capital cuts an important figure. There
was a marked reduction of working
forces and retrenchments in other
lines, made necessary by the bad BUSH
ness conditions in the great financial
centers. Even yet some of the roads
70 I'D
themselves TO changed conditions; bul
every company having interests in this
state is showing a disposition to do its
full share to bring about a quick re-
turn of the old prosperous conditions
Men are returning to work, material
is being purchased for Improvement
and extension, the Hartman interests
are pushing their new station in this
city. the San Pedro is reaching out for
new territory in Nevada to bring it
into closer touch with this city, the
Western Pacific is pushing work to the
west with commemorate speed, the
Gould system is building a union depot
in this city. and other big improve
ments in the state. while the roads
that run through Ogden are inaugural
ing improvements of many kinds. No
less important was the completion of
the Bamberger interurban from Salt
Lake City to Ogden with the an
nouncement that the line would be
completely electrified within the COM
ing year
The Educational Advance.
No man can consider what is being
done for the education of the youth OF
Utah without feeling that the seed thus
sown is certain TO bear harvest in the
way of a much better citizenship in
the years to come. All over the state
school houses of a higher type are go
ing up; higher priced instructors are
pushed to make possible better CLASH
fication and supervision; the high school
idea is growing in popularity daily,
and the high schools are being brought
into closer touch with the university.
thus bringing about regular courses of
study from the lowest grades to the
finish in the highest institution of
learning in the state. In the cities
good school buildings are being added
and in all feasible ways the work of
education is being promoted In the
realm of music and art the same spirit
of advancement was more pronounced
than ever: nor did the various religious
organizations lag behind in their i'm
portant field. Taken all in all, 1903 win
go down in the history of Utah as a
fruitful year. as a year in which there
was radical advances made in many
lines that go to make up a great COM
monwealth. II will be recorded that
while there may have been a setback
IN material lines. Utah made splendid
advances in many other very important
directions.