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Show 1 THE CITY'S ADVANCEMENT. Salt. Lake City has progressed mar. vclously during the year just closed. It has been a year of increasing population, popula-tion, of enormous betterments, of building build-ing beyond all precedent or anticipa-lion. anticipa-lion. The city has increased in population popula-tion by many thousands. This is evident evi-dent prima rirly from the patent fact that dwelling houses have been put up by tho hundreds in the cit3' during (he past year, and every one of them is immediately im-mediately occupied upon completion, and there are no houses vacated and very few torn down. The building permits per-mits for tho city have shown an increasing in-creasing value month by month during tho year. The greatest value in permits per-mits 111 issued during nny one month, was in November, in these the amount represented being $983,100. The next highest was iu December, with 72 permits, valued at $750,600. In May, 307 permits were issued, with a value of $001,5(59; all of tho months making mak-ing good showings, but (heso three are tho chief. The total number 01 building build-ing permits issued up to tho beginning of tho week .just closed was 1150, of a total value of $1,909,33. It is safe lo sa3' that (he additional permits issued tho last few days of December carried Ihc total valuo of building permits issued is-sued in the citj- during the year to (i round live million dollars. The buildings build-ings constructed range from the eleven-story eleven-story sky-scrapers, big business blocks and stately mansions lo the modest cottage. cot-tage. The public improvements of tho.j'ear show also in magnificent volume. The paving extensions cover n value of $3Go,-004.19; $3Go,-004.19; the sewer work, $3ol,03S.0S; the silewalk extensions, $79,59o.4S; wator main extensions, $35,SS2.1-i; curbing and guttering, $lG.nS.09. The paving of East First South street was done at a cost of $13J,2S4.99. The repairs and miscellaneous, including repaying', as- rillfllt. sideivnllr inlnreniHnnc cf $58,700.37. The grand total of 'all is $1,0SS,2S9.3I. Tho record is a splendid tribute (0 the benefits of American party administration. Tho postoffice makes an excellent showing, gaining largely in the salo of stamps; cards, envelopes, box rents, and in every department. It shows a large volume of business handled and a fine incrcuse'in (lie money order business. The banks show tremendously better than a year ago. both National banks and State banks. Tlie deposits, counting count-ing all the banks iu the city, aggregate $35,000,000. The bank clearances for the year arc below those of 1907, although al-though the j'ear closes upon them showing show-ing tremendous increases'-over the corresponding cor-responding weeks of the year before. But 1907 for almost ten months was a phenomenal year, whereas 190S had to struggle along under the terrific blow dealt to business generally by the currency cur-rency stringency of (he last nine or ten weeks of the previous year. An important addition to the railroad facilities of Salt Lake during the year has been the extension westward and opening to traffic of the Western Pacific Pa-cific line out well into Nevada. This line will be pushed through during the present year to completion. The San Francisco end of it will be connected with the construction from the Salt Lake end somewhere in (he western part of Nevada, perhaps near the State line. The grenl; and costly work on this line is in California, and chiefly in tho Feather Eivcr canyon and at Bcckwith Pass. The prospect for other railroads coming-to Salt. Lake in the near future is excellent. We hero offer to all connecting con-necting roads a choice of four lines lo the west coast; tho Southern Pacific direct to San Francisco, the Oregon Short Line to Portland, the Salt Lake T?outc to Los Angeles and San Pedro, and the Western Pacific also to San Francisco. Tho Chicago and Northwestern, North-western, the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul, the Burlingtou, and the Hock Island; will all necessarily have lo build here, thereby getting the choice of these four lines to the coast, and also ndding a thousand miles of haul over their ov.-u lines for transcontinental traffic handled by them. There is also building to this city from Denver the Denver and Northwestern, North-western, called the Moffat line, which is now constructed to tho head of the Yampa river, and will be rapidly pushed down that valley . the coming season, perhaps reaching the Utah border. It is expected also that work on tho Utah portion of this line will be undertaken during the ensuing season. The general trade of the city has been first-class duriug the year. The additions addi-tions to the population have caused great accessions to the stocks carried in all lines of business and in the variety of ihc articles offered for sale. Salt Lake City is now a metropolitan city in all respects, and is bound to be the great interior city of tho western portion por-tion of Ihc United Stales. We have horc an area of couutry to draw upon unrivaled anywhere. Salt Lake City is in the commercial center of a region' bound! on tho west by tho Sierras, on the north, by tho Dominion of Canada, on tho cast by the groat Rocky Moun-tain Moun-tain chain, aud on the south" by the Mexican line; in all of which area" there is no opportunity to build any city that can in the least compote with" Salt Lake for greatness. With such an extent of country as this a thousand miles in every direction, and the country included in-cluded rich beyond compare there is not tho least possibility of discount on tho , prospects of Salt Lake's future. Accordingly, the real estate market here lias been good the past year, and is likely lo bo even better in the year to comis. Every ono kuowa (ho advantage I of owning, realty in a city with the un doubted future that Salt Lake City has; therefore, tho demand for Salt Lake Cit- realty is always activo and brisk. And those who hold that realty know the value of it, nnd, while disposed to be reasonable in price, aro not willing to pail, with their holdings for a song. Prices, therefore, remain firm and good, but fitill at such figures as will pay well for investment. Looking over tho wholo field, we can say that Salt Lake City has had a rc-marknbly rc-marknbly good year, all things cou-sidere'd, cou-sidere'd, and is looking forward to tho ensuing year as one which holds yet richer things iu store for her than any year in her progress heretofore. |
