Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-07-22

TaE UTAH NEws-Bri9Aam Young's Lyon
House and Nansion.-The following paragraphs
are taken from late letter from Salt Lake City,
which we find in the n. Y. Herald. The graph.
ic account which the writer gives of Brlgham's
mansion, &C., will, no doubt, be perused with
interest by all our readers. The writer says:
They are the first prominent specific objects
that attract the travellers eye on descending
from the mountains; they are near the centre of
the city, on the square adjoining the Temple,
and with it occupy the best sites in the town.
BrighRms home, in the most densely populated
part the city, occupies.a square containing ten
acres Of land. The entire square is surrounded
by stone wall ten feet high, two feet wide at
the top, and four or hye feet broad ut the bot
tom. AT either side of all the gates, and at
short distances along the wall, columns are built
up. They are rounded and extend one foot be-
yond the wall They are also built two feet
higher than the wall.
The wall is very substantial. 1t is built of
cut and cobble stone, with mortar and sand It
must have been constructed at an immense ex-
peudture oftimc and labor. One, in looking at
| it, could not help asking for what on earth was
such wall erected? An answer suggests itself
Brigham did not know but that Mt some time
there might be a movement of the people against
him, so he determined to strongly fortify him.
self against the escape of an outraged, indignant
or revolving wife. 1t keeps secret the dark or
secret things that transpiTe within. None can
see through or Overit; none can enter and none
can escape, but whom, when and how the proph-
ct wills asked one of the faithful why the
wall was built? He replied, iestingiy, t'There
are many women in there; it is to prevent such
GentileS as you from getting at them" He may
have told more truth than he intended to; for
his remark, fairly translated, means is to keep
Brigham's women from escaping, for Gentiles
would not dream of entering the lions den to
seduce them.
Passing east from Temple block we came, by
crossing the street, to the southwest corner of
Brigham's block. A tithing house stands there,
III which every man pays the tenth part of his
possessions and income to the church, and is in
that and other ways annually robbed of one
nth OF what pertains to him. Continuing east
to the centre of the same block, we come to
Brighams Lion House. 1t is two stories high,
about twenty-five feet in 'front.' and one hundred
feet deep; is built in the gothic STYLE with peak
ed gable, and narrow pointed windows project
ing from the steep roof The high stone wall
in front oft, completely obstructed my view of
the lower part of the house. The first story is
built, believe, of stone, on the ridge of which
in front, IS well sculptured lion, "reSting but
watchful." This is understood to indicate the
character of Brigham, for he is known among
the Saints as "the Lion of the Lord" The
house is said to have cost over $4,000, aud
hOulu lIuEe COSl uluCu more, out lot Brigham s
peculiar method of completing it, which is thus
described by an apostnte:
Ut (the honSe) was completed aud ready for
shingling in 1916; the shingles were ready ana
waiting. AT Sunday meeting of the Taberna-
Gle, Brigham announced that he had mission
for all the carpenters and demanded if they
would accept of it. They raised their hands,
and were coolly commanded TO shingle the Lion
House in the name Of the Lord, and by the a,l-
thority of the holy priesthood So Brigham's
Lion House was shingled, for although the car
Penters grumbled, still they obeycd,"
Close by the east side of the Lion House there
is small structure which contains Brigham's
Office and his clerks rooms. The building re-
scmblcs gcntlenans summer house, only it is
smaller. 1t makes preteusions to considerable
architectural beauty, and justifiably too. Close
to the east side ofthc office stands Brigham's
mansion. The three buildings-Rrigham's Lion
House, office and mansion-probahly are con-
nectcd at the side or rear, though they seem in
dependent from the front. BTigham's mansion
is said to be the finest building in the Territory.
1t is large handsome adobe building three sto-
ries high, and balconied from ground TO roof. It
was erected at cost of $780, 900. It has been
plastered on the outside, and the work done re-
markably well; for the sides of the house are
smooth as ice and dazzlng white. On the top
of the house there is an observatory surmOunted
by beehive, which is the Mormon emblem on
the Territorial SEAL and which Gentiles would
say is particularly inappropriate, because there
are no bees in the Territory; but the Saints arc
ready to overcome incongruitics which would
master other people Thus their Prophet Brig
ham has received revelation direct from God,
instructing him where there is a mountain in
the Territory full OF honey, where millions of
bees have been for millions of years lin eternal
SNOWY depositing the sweet fruit of their sweaty
labor in the exhumed belly of the mountain.
Before leaving Brigham's houses l should re-
mark that the most Of his wives live, or rather
have lived, in the Lyon House. His senior wife
and family live in the mansion. He has some
eighteen better halves.
For the 1n.elIlgeneer.l