| Show THE OLD FORT SQUARE there was a large meeting of citizens held in the sixth ward meetinghouse march the object was to enter a pronounced protest against the sale of pioneer flione er square to mr bacon thomas green was elected chairman of the meeting and A Q G giauque secretary A committee on resolutions consisting of A 0 giauque james poulton and hugh watson were appointed by the chair the members were instructed to proceed at once and get out a set of resolutions they retired and while at their work don fullmer asked the chairman whether the city council bad power to give a deed of the fort square the chairman in reply said the general opinion as well as that of the city attorney was wag that the fort square could not be sold either in the past or in the present by public consent said he the old fort had been recognized as a i park mr lessing leasing bad had a contract for setting a that is pretty good evidence that it was considered a public square the late city council of ogden wanted to sella sell a portion odthe of the square therland there and an injunction was secured the question of what the city council can ao is hard bard to define as the city council can do pretty much as they like they are taxing us to death and now they haiat waat to take away the public property the only cry is that they need the money when the city bonds KO go begging it to is pretty clear that they do need the money councilman hall stated that mr bacon wanted to get the square for and then say to eastern j capitalists that he be had bad a property worth and thus induce capital to come here if the deep creek road will pay capital will come along to build it if they need land there la is 4 plenty of it suitable for railroad purposes ses that can be had much cheaper vohen when the denver rio grande western came here they dil not ask for any public squares I 1 think all citizens with any patriotism would be in favor of preserving the pioneer square because the first citizens here happened tobe to be mormons cormons Mor mons why should the liberal eral council insist on giving away their historical square so dear to them there should be no class clam distinction here bore james anderson was next called for and said 1 I am interested in this matter and want to throw my weight and influence against the sale of this property to any private citizen or corporation po ration we look upon the old fort as the place where the pioneers first brat set their feet on this spot it was the only green spot of ground to be seen in this part of the valley caused by a spring in the northeast part of the square here they set their stakes stake against not the indians here they first rested bested their weary limbs and as a memorial of their early struggles to establish this city now so prosperous and grand I 1 would like to see it preserved as a public park true they had not the money to improve it but they wanted to keep it until they had the population of this city wi will warrant railways to come here without any gifts this reminds me of the demand of the union pacific which wanted so much land and so much money brigham who was a good bood financier said that if salt lake was not big enough for them to come here they need not come I 1 am adverse to making any we sale of public grounds for priva e purposes and especially pioneer square I 1 would rather they would build upon it public 1 or city buildings part of the city council 1 are there by fraud as from three of the wards the members were not elected it should be held as a park rk I 1 am hand in hand with you JL I 1 would mke to see it contested to the end I 1 hope we will be able to preserve it wad and beautify it and improve it 11 newell clayton said that the we sale of the fort square would be contested in the courts and that before mr bacon could get it the supreme court would have to decide james watson said I 1 came here when but six years old the first place I 1 slept in was an old room that was occupied by horses and cattle in the old fort my father gave a yoke of oxen omen for one room in that thai old forhand about all it bad agai was some rough boards laid on the floor I 1 played there when a boy and walked through snow knee deep without boots or shoes every drop of blood in ray nay veins goes out for that block I 1 as much money as an some but I 1 have that will go out to hold the fort I 1 I 1 do not want to see this city give a banker for two years to speculate on I 1 have pledged to mr pickard that we will stand together I 1 am ir in favor of every man having his rights here I 1 want mr bacon to have his own but no more inore I 1 am tired and sick of railroads they want us to te move let them move mr fullmer said that fort square could be used as aa a pleasure garden or public park but he was opposed to putting a depot on it henry reiser said III 1 am surprised that the council had nut taken steps to improve it years ago it is a nuisance years ago plans were gotten out to improve pro veit it there wasa was a contract to plant trees and care for them but this was not faithfully carried out every time A train passes panes my house it shakes the buildings shakes it pretty good I 1 do not thinh think they will get it if we do not live to see it a park I 1 hope our children will miss louie poulton contributed a solo which she sang beautifully the committee on resolutions reported the following which were adopted without a dissenting vote Whereas the action ot of the city council in passing a resolution agreeing to sell the old fort or pioneer square against the almost unanimous voice of the cil citizens I 1 and property owners and residents of the southwest portion of the city is strongly condemned by us and whereas by such action the city coun albors who voted aye I 1 on the pro proposition have shown themselves in the rig light ht of masters asters itin rather than servants of the people having passed a resolution in direct opposition of the wishes of those interested and most nearly concerned and whereas it is an understood fact that the city council is merely the custodian of the properly of the corporation and has no right to dispose of it il conom contrary ayt to the wishes of the p ople therefore be it resolved I 1 that we citizens taxpayer ers and residents of the southwestern portion of the city i in mass emblem em sem bled herein express our most em disapproval of the action of the council in agreeing to sell the old fort block 2 that we heartily endorse the action of the four members of the council who heeded our petition to prevent the illegal disposition of the property 3 that we will in every legal way use jour best effort in preventing the sale PIET effrom being confirmed by applying to the courts to protect us in our rights 4 that we will by our influence and by our means sustain the rolind taken by mr pickard in applying to the courts tor our redress mr claque moved that a committee be named to solicit subscriptions to se auro funds for employ employing ing able counsel to 10 in fight 9 h the matter in the courts thus t ing mr pickard in his action green bisque and anderson were named |
