Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-02-23
An OVERLAND TRIP TO CALIFORNIA.
SALT LAKE. CITY.
sAlr LAKE. err. UrAn. Oct. /. is


= Ma. EDIroR: When last wrote VOC was
% Weber rsse. This stream discharges itssli
into Salt Lake, near Ogden. . Mormon town Of
about 2 900 inhabitants. This town, like all
others In Mormoudom. Is laid OF into lots Of
from one acre TO eigh, acres. With orchards.
grain 6elds and gardens ysriegsting the seene
blending the habits and pursuits Of town and
eountrv. The streets are broad and generally
lined with shade trees, While bright little pebbiy
ssresns Of clear. cold water. from the irigsting
eanals on either side. gladden. and refresh Al
the rear Of the town rise abruptly chain OF high
nouatains. through the gorges and canyons OF
which numerous creeks rush wildly down into
the VALLEY. In scme Of these canyons pine tim
Der. large enough for lumber purposes. Is found
The buildings Of the tom are generally Of adobe.
bus are oftimes In good taste, in modern style:
large sndscommodiour.
A description Of one Mormon town answers
for all. except Salt Lake City. They all have
plaza or public square. an adobe church. tishing
eftice. irrigatng bitches, broad streets, shade
trees. grain fields. gardens and o.chards. The
tthing Office IL an institution peculiar 10 the
sainss. and II By no means an uninterestng
feature Of Mormonshp- Here. the followers OF
Joe Smith deposit. 10 kind. a tenth Of their an
NAL products. for the benefit of the chafeh
The store thus accumulated is sold, and the
proceeds paid over. . portion TO take of the
poor. portion 10 support the ministry another TO
build the temple. another 10 foreign missions,
and Jet another is deposited in the name Brig
ham Young. in the Bank OF England. to be ap
piled. say the faithful. 20 take the Mormons to
some other. conntfy. in the event they are driven
from this. The sum thus deposited in the Bank
of Esglsnd makes Brigham the third heaviest
depostor in that institution.
Al these tithng Offices you see vegetables,
grain. poltry. &c, oall the offerings OF the seints
A bishop in each district, comprising town or
county and called ward. has charge OF all the
temporal Affairs Of the church in his locality. and
especially The .tthings. He reports to the
higher functiorsries az Salt Lake city. The
bishop at Ogden looks more like Wall street
broker than a Mormon saint. he is the hero
and claimant of eight wives In one instance he
married two sisters. and, when was in the town,
vas celebrating his nuptials with niece OF the
sisters. He is fast man in appearance and
manners. drives fact team. loves good cheer.
fns hunting. and sports sundfy establishments.
presided over by fair women. much akin 10 an
eastern harem, but under less surveillance.
IL 10 Difficult: for an outsider to penetrate the
privacy which surrounds domestic lite. and look
&C polygamy as IL really is. There is not. how
ever. that discomfort and gloom among the
women that one would be led to believe existed
In Mormon female life. from the statements OF
superficial observers On the contrary. with rare
exceptions. they look cheerful the women
public meetings. in the theatres and places OF
amusement, as is TO be seen elsewhere. The
reason 10 10 be found in the basis upon which the
practice Of polygsmy Is made to rest. Ii is an
essential OF their religion and in most instances,
Is claimed TO be the result Of direct vision,
commanding the husband TO take unto himself
another rib.
The fanatic, who leaves home aud friends.
and travels over ocean and desert amid sands
in M nd mil
10 The inhospitable shores OF Salt Lake. locked
Ia the embrace of granite mountains alkali
wastes and sandy plains in the bosom of the
great basin. to practice the rites end wOrshi? al
ter the fashion of the latter day saints requires
no additional stimulus to become firm believer
in polygamy. Ii Is practiced from every pulpit
in Utah. and thoroughly engrsfted upon the
church faith
IL is not often the case that Mormon pos
sessor Of more than wife, has them in the
same building. Ia fact. il often happens that
they reside miles apart. Instances Of inhdelity
among them are rare, much more so than in the
States. attributable mostly TO the deep vein of
religious enthusiasm that pervsdes them. But
generally they are entrenched behind such a
desrth OF feminine attractions as to dissrm lust
OF its rest. and render the sanctty of Mormon
domestic life free from invasion. Drawn from
all countries. especially from the lower classes OF
Europe. che women are neither rem ukabe tor
educstion or beauty. but are generally coarse
i'll favored and uncouth--of course there are ex
captions: and women Of great personal attrac-
tons and most delicate refinement. like the rose
Of the desert. shed their fragrance upon the des-
olation about them English and Scotch pre-
do2inate. though the Danes numerous. and
- ugly - can well be conceived. The English
readily take on the habiliments OF the church.
Their familiarity with the tthipg at home max es
them adopts in its mysteries. Hence the deli
cate and swelling notes of the "'af and af'
cockney are heard through the easements OF most
tithing Offices.
am aware that these observation touching
the charms of Mormon women will be received
puspiciously By those who read the gossip con-
corning those Indians appon,ees, whose precpi-
tate flight from Utah was curiously blended
with aroused Mormon Jealousy. But. notwith
standing these worthless are reputed to have left
trophies behind them in the possession of in
eensed husbands. | cling TO tho opinion above
expressed. and insist that until Brigham mate
rally improves the quality of his female beau
ties bars and bolts will be unnecessary in his do
mnions to protect his marital rights
The country Immediately soout Ogden is
fertile. and, with irrigation. produces we'll. The
T:-i1 :. -neat is from 40 to 50 bushels per acre
and about as much barley Ind oats. Corn is
raised. but. owing to early lrosts, is not sure
crop. The vegetables usual in Indiana are
6. peas, plums and cherries are easily grown,
and bit oitener than Indiana. These observa-
tons apply generally 10 the Salt Lake VALLEY,
though certain localities are subject TO earlier
and severer frosts than others. But whenever
irrigation eau be applied these crops can be
readily grown in great abundance. The wheat
produced here is the finest ever saw
From Ogden TO Salt Lake City, save an inter
val of about eight miles. the country bordering
on The lake. and to the very foot Of the noun
tains. from 10 Is miles, is a continuous set
Element. with numerous towns and villages,
abounding 10 orchards and gardens. and beauti-
ful farms 10 . high state Of cultivation.
Near the city you pass within a few rods of
the hot and warm springs. situate at the base of
the mountains. and about one mile apart. The
hot spring consists OF deep. transparent pool OF
water a rod square. OF sulphurous smell and
taste. and hot enough TO boil coffee or an egg
It is said that invalid was recommended TO
battle in The warm springs. and. mistsking the
directions. plunged into the hot springs. from
which he vas extricated badly scalded. The
water OF this strange freak Of nature flows of
into the lake. not far distant. What occasions
the heat of these springs is the subject of much