Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-11-22
When the Route of News Carrier
Led Near Indian Burial Ground

by those two streets. the Jordan river
and the Hot Spring lake. Riding enough
within that territory certainly TO salts
~ the most eXacting demands OF health,
hunger and exercise
The first afternoons route seemed
never ending one. IL was before the
days Of directories or house numbers OF
street names The total subscription
list for that broad district this first day
was is copies; but In getting them de-
liVered that poor pony travelled many
a weary mile. IL was long after dark
when the last subscriber-the city post
master-'Rho dwelt in a little house not
far from what Is now the southwest
corner Of the Oregon Short Line pas
senger station, received his paper. The
last one before his was delivered at
"Bill' Players. the old time blacksmith,
whose later performances IN won
drous wiid-mul farriery I'm pho
neer street-car days. filled the
boyish heart with blissfu enthusi-
asm. In locating the Jcremys and
Iloyds and Parrys and others Of the
first subscribers. the same streets were
several times traversed. the boy career
ing gaily away from one extremity Of his
route to tho other upon being informed
where So-and-So lived. He confesses
now that he was sorely tempted to
omit the delivery OF the postmaster's
paper that dark night-this for the rea-
son that his timid soul shrank from
entering that neighborhood save in
broad daylight. Across the street % the
north lay a gloomy block. vacant eT-
cept Tor a single house IN the northeast
corner that held untold terrors for the
urchins who lived farther Up town.
This lonely block was bounded on the
south-that Is. on South Temple street
by a yawning, qufvering swamp. whose
treacherous paths none might tread
safely except those acquainted with
their devious mysteries. Within the
block were various mounds which
proved 10 be well-hiled places Of Indian
burial Juvenile imagination had fixed
this as the site Of n mighty battle IN
ages gone by and I'm the minds Of the
uptown" boys az least it was Inn
rlcitly believed that the place was
haunted. and that on particularly dark
and dismal nights the painted braves
whose bones mouldered an the mounds
were wont 10 issue forth 10 engage
again In ghostly conhict All these cir
| cunstances united 20 make tho place
mcauny and dreaded by one who had
heard and believed. but who living a
! block and a hair away. had not ac-
| quired that contempt which familiarity
Is said 10 breed and Il was with feel
ing Of lndoscnhable relief that, having
| handed his last paper 10 the patient
| subscriber who was al tho fence wait
ing for II. ~ turned bis horses head
| homeward. put him down 10 hard
guuop and never checked him until at
| hts own stable door The boys fond
| mother. who bad become anVioua al his
| unaccountahle absence never knew how
/ glad he was 10 get home that night
| her pleasure at seeing him wasn't a
| circumstance % his own az getting
safely into her shelterng arms.
A. he covered that same carriers
route until early the following spring
during which time Of course there was
a ranld increase ln the number of sub
acribers he made n rule % deliver
| the postmaster paper and others m
/ that weird ncighhorhood first. ana III
was npt until after the tracks. cars and
| engines Of me Utah Central had con-
vertod tho Indian graveyard Into a
modern railroad depot and the boy had
gained somewhat in years. sense and
oourage that be entirely overoame the
! timiditY which seemed % have taken a
hrmer bold ON him after that fnst night
az n carrier
n thiH sketch wore intended 20 be
historical instead of reminiscent, men
ton mieht BE- made OF many names and
Incidents connected with the event
above rafsrrod 10. II made a vivid i'm
r'roaFiau upon the youthful mind of
the writer ana ho recalls ne actions
and locks of TIE principal pereonasea AZ
plainly Hs n a were a few months IN
1 ste4a ~ foriz~tao iong geaFs ago