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Show STILL WORRYING. Jonah Jarvis has not yet been able to return home and is still perplexed. He writes his mother as follows: "Dear Mother: I wrote you briefly last week of my difficulties in trying to write acceptable copy for the daily papers of this city; how I was everywhere every-where turned down. However, I decided to write on general topics and see if 1 could not 'cotch on.' I wrote up the 'Smoke Nuisance,' which is almost intolerable here and carried the article to the News editor. He read it through, went to a window win-dow r.ud pointed td where a dense cloud of 'smoke was pouring from a smokestack two blocks away. Then he softly si id: 'The establishment that is producing that smoke belongs chiefly tc "our people. peo-ple. We do not like to interfere with their enterprise: en-terprise: it is one oV the strong concerr.3 of the city. Moreover, there is no certain proof that the smoke is the least unhealthy. The analysis of smoke phows tnat it contains no urhealthy ingredients. in-gredients. No men are healthier than coal miners, and some of our most sHllf'il physicians hold that when the combustion of burning coal is incomplete Mid a heavy residue is carried away in smoke, that smoke in a measure neutralizes the poisons which in dust are carried all over the city." "It was a knock-down argument, so I retired and then wrote up a communication for the Tribune, Trib-une, denouncing the dirt and the city government for permitting such a condition to exist. To this I rcct'lved a reply that the dust was not duo to any sm of comn is's'on or omission on the part of '.he Council, but to tl.e failure of the usual rains at this season; that while r.he dust was somewhat disagreeable, the discomfort must be accepted in the same spirit that the Michigan man's wife manifested man-ifested when told that her husband, had just been killed oy the falling of a tree. She replied that it was most pitiable, but inasmuch as it was clearly the act of God she felt that it would be wicked to murmur. "There are people who say that the Mayor and a majority of the Council are Republicans; that hence, in a measure, the hands of the Tribune are tied, but there can be nothing in that because I have noticed, since being here, that the Salt Lake City Council is a most peculiar body; it seems subject sub-ject to spells like a Quaker meeting; it will sit as stolid as so many wooden Indians until the bpirit moves it and then the band votes one way. "There have been three or four murderous shooting escapades here of late, two in saloons and one by a wretch whose friends charge was in-sane in-sane through excessive drink. Noting an article in the Herald demanding a closer enforcement of the Sunday ordinance and the ordinance forbidding forbid-ding the sale of liquor to minors, I wrote up a rather brilliant article, nearly a copy of one I was complimented upon some Ave years ago by the elder Dana, pointing out and calling by name some of the saloons which by their methods had clearly shown that they were unworthy of longer life, and demanding that their licenses should be revoked. I carried the article to the Herald. The editor read it carefully. All through the reading of the first half of it he interjected such exclamations exclama-tions as these, 'good,' 'excellent,' 'first rate,' 'just the thing,' etc., but his face grew grave as he reached the point where the article came don to direct arraignments, and at last, with a sigb, he returned the article, saying: 'Wait until after election, Mr. Jarvis. Bring it in then and I will consider it. You must know that we are to have an election here in a few weeks. It is going to be a hard fight. Some people think it is going to require a desperate effort on our part to keep from being shut out in the race, and do you know, that every place which in your article you demand shall be closed, is put down as a recruiting station sta-tion for our forces, and three of those mentioned we rely upon to carry their respective wards. It is tough material, but every vote we can obtain from the bunch will count for just as much as that of Dr. McNiece or President Smith. More limn that, there are individuals in that company each of whom we count on heing able to vote often enough to be equal to President Smith and Dr. McNiece combined.' I "Dear mother, I am still homesick. Your af fectionate son. "JONAH JARVIS." |
