The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-01
Former Salt Laker, Returning
After Absence of Decade,
Finds Town Transformed.
MOST OLD LANDMARKS
HAVE BEEN 0BLITERATED
Joe Y. Smith. Once Prominent
Here. Maryels at the Great
Changes Wrought.

Joe Y Smith. former ~eu-known
mining man OF this city, who is now a
resident OF Spokane, Wash, whore lie
hns lived for eleven years. is playing the
leading part In "a Stranger Within our
Gates" In Salt Lake City At the present
time
Mr. Smith driftei into Salt Lake city
from the cast about forty years ago and
resided here continuously until 1900. Soon
after his arrival In Salt Lake he became
interested In mining and followed that
pursuit during ell of his residence here,
In the fall Of 1900 Mr.. Smith. who also
had become interested 10 a considerable
extent in politics. was nominated for
sheriff OF Salt Lake county on the Re-
publican ticket. He made n good cam
paign. but that was a Democratic year
in Salt Lake county and he was de-
fcated by G. Ham Naylor.
Shortly after his defeat Mr.. Smith went
10 Spokane, where he has since engaged
in mining.
Finds Town Transformed
Sunday Mr.. Smith returned TO the city.
He has not seen the old town since his
departure and while he had read Tho
Tribune regularly and had n general Idea
Of the changes that the last few years
had wrought. he was not prepared FOR
what he saw.
Il was simply lost" Mr.. Smith said
to a representative OF The Tribune. In
town that j had known since l was
a boy. When I lived here 1 had owned
for come time a cottage on the north
west corner OF State and Fourth South
streets. / concluded l would drop down
there and look over the old place When
1nl ad
and in its place | saw the handsome stone
and brick building Of the Federation or
Labor hall. Then I looked across the
street, where there was formerly hole
beautiful little Moxum hotel, then con-
cluded that l would go over on, Main
dence. Just above Fourth South street
which had been landmark In Salt Lake
for many years at the time that l left
the city. Instead Of the old familiar
residence. 1 bumped into the New Grand
hotel. and just above. where there was
q large plot OF vacant ground. and ono
or two small buildings. when / left here.
and the new Felt building. I also no
ticed the Federal building just across
the street, and the new Walker building,
now in course OF construction.
and wandered up Main street where
tho old Gardner store formerly stood. I
was nearly overcome when ] saw that
the old squatty brick building had dis
appeared and that the Kearns building
one of the finest structures In the entire
and credit to any city on the
globe. had taken its place.
Old Landmarks Gone.
Still perscvering In the hope that
would see something familiar. ! wan
dered UP to the site OF the old tlthing
yard. Here I saw the new Hotel Utah.
Of which / had read much In the past
year, This discouraged me. but tried
Temple street TO where the old school
house stood. surrounded by the familiar
adobe wall. Well, you know what saw
there, I saw the magnificent Bransford
apartments. and just over on First ave-
nue. I saw number OF other fine apart
ments that had not been dreamed Of when
I left here.
Right at that point I quit didn't
see anything except the Eagle Gate, the
Beehive house and the Lion house that
looked familiar. and I haven't seen any
thing else that looks familiar. Every
time ] look out over the city I am In
clined to think that I am dreaming. but
OF course ] am not.
You just have one OF the biggest.
cleanest and most progressive cities In
the entire country. and I believe that
Salt Lake City has just begun 10 grow"
Mr.. Smith has a number Of relatives
and n host OF warm friends in the city
and ne Is having good time. despite
the fact that the old town. In a few
years. has virtually grown out of his
memory.