The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-04
STATE SOLONS
IMPRESSED BY
SALT DEPOSITS
Gould People Dispense HOSpi-
tally in Lavish Style on
Trip to WendOVer.
GOVERNORS PARTY IN
JEFFREY'S PRIVATE CAR
DAZZLED BY WON
DERFUL SPECTACLE OF
VAST SALT BED.

On an immense sea Of salt, Governor
SpTy, the regents Of the University Of
Utah, the members Of the senate and the
house and a number of invited guests
stood in amazement yesterday and sur
veyed with their eyes the dazzling splen-
dor of 240 square miles of solid salt, all
of which was recently granted to tho
state university by decision Of the su-
preme court
The effect was shat Of a polar scene.
and despite the mild weather il did not
require any stretch of the ina ginatiou
for those who had the privilege of seeing
the wonderful view to imagine that they
were in the arctics, approaching the pole.
on solid sea Of ice. From the snow
capped peaks bounding the salt beds TO
the rOadbed Of the railroad track there
seemed to be no room for doubt but that
the entire tract was one Of impenetrabie
and perpetual ice.
lowering above the center Of the vast
area Of salt is a perpetual mirage, reflect
ing in the desert atmosphere the most ex-
quisite mountain scenery. The mirage is
50 plain that the fact that it was not
what 1t seemed to be was scarcely cred
ible. Investigation by the unbPlievers con-
WINGED them that the mountain was only
visionary Farther away. however, WIS 4
real mountain, a huge black pile of Jagged
rocks, rising abruptly from the dazzling
white of the salt surrounding it Still
farther away, skirti1g the edges OF the
great tract of solid salt. majestic noun
tains. white with perpetual snow, seemed
to pierce the Overhanging skies
The snowy sides Of the mountains reach
so far down to the level that it is i'm
possible TO tell where the white snow
ends and the snow-white salt begins.
Value Is Enormous.
The beauty Of the scenery. was so i'm
pressive that the legislators had scarcely
time to appreciate the enormous finan-
clal benefit acCruIng to the state univer-
s1ty by securing this immense area OF
-rH~ u
the MOntellO salt bed, is eight miles wide
and thirty miles long. Telegraph poles
crossing the area have been sunk to
depth Of twelve feet in solid salt The
salt Is free sodium chloride, more than
9S per cent pure.
The value of the area is incaiculable
With the Western Pacific running through
the very center of the tract, Transporter
ton facilities are easy, and the salt NAV
be taken to market through the mere load
ing Of It into cars with steam shovei=
At a rough estimate, which is considered
low. some who have made EtuGy of the
available salt have said that the reYe-
ME to be Obtained by the state univer-
sity through securing these salt beds will
be S20000-000. This makes the University
of Utah the most richly endowed edUca-
tiOnal institution in the world.
eIt-Edged Hospitality.
The trip of education to the salt beds
was given to the governor, the board OF
regents and the members of the iegisla-
ture through che courtesy of President
Edward 7. Jeffrey Of the Western Pacific
railroad.
For this trip the officials of the West
ern Pacific put on the finest possible
/ train For Governor Spry and his imma-
date friends President Jeffrey sent from
New York his private car BaIlyclare. In
this ca were Governor and Mrs. Sprv
and the board of regents Of the state uni
versity. In private car 4 Of the Denver
& Rio Gran1e railroad were A c. Ridg-
way of Denver, general manager of the
Denver & Rio Grande. and F. A. Wsd-
leigh Of Denver, assistant general passen-
ger agent Of the Denver & Rio Grande
railroad.
There were in addition to the two pri-
vate cars three PIllmans, rendered for
the trip by the Pullman company through
II. s. Twining. district superintendent OF
the Pullman company, three other coaches
and two diners.
At the station just before the train left
at $50 o'clock Governor Spry was hand
ed this telegram:
New York. March 3. 190s.-Honorsble
William Spry. Governor Of Utah, Salt
Lake: The cordial acceptance by you,
the senate and the mouse Of my invitation
to inspect the eastern division Of our new
enterprise today IS very gratifying, and
beg to give you and the entire party ny
best wishes for a pleasant and instruc
tive trip over 0 portion of Utah's new
line of railroad to the Pacific coast
"E- T. JEFFREY.
President Western Pacific Railroad"
Three Hundred In Party.
When the start was made almost every
member Of the senate and the house, the
governor, the board Of regents of the uni
versity the state officials and num-
Der OF invited guests were on the train
/ The party numbered about 800. The com
modioUs cars held comfortably all Of the
guests of the railroad company. and no
effort was spared that would tend TO add
/ to the comfort of the party.
At a point 100 miles west Of Salt Lake
/ the first view of the wonderful salt beds
Continued on Page 2.