Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-22

| 10 inquire. L MS 1nuCil, HoWefeIJ ulu
learn: Brigham has two residences or
harems in Salt Lake e.ty-these l saw
where he keeps his wives, and he has
others in the different towns under his
dominion in Utah. Besides, he has a
number of wives-old women chiefly
| who have been "sealed" to him, but whom
he has never seen. The janitor of the
Tabernacle, with whom l conversed
freely, is perfect enthusiast. He really
believes that the Mormon religion will
some day be universal, and he spoke of
Joe Smith, Joseph he calls him solemn
ly, with all the reverence and piety with
| which he would speak of the Deity.
These Mormons are composed mostly OF
the lowest class of Welsh and English.
The great majority of them, l infer,
have but one wife apiece. Apparently
the Mormons are contented, but L know,
from the nature of things, that they must
be miserable. They are bigger dupes
than l ever imagined. They pay one>
tenth of all they produce to Brigham
Young-to the Church, they say. Brig
ham has the control and management of
these tithes. Out of them he builds
and keeps in repair the Church; the re-
mainder he puts in his pocket. This
system has been in operation ever since
| the Mormons settled in Utah, twenty
two years ago, and during this period
Brigham has never made any report Of
the amount of tithes received or what has
become of them. No truly loyal Nor
mon dares to question the integrity of
their leader. They say he is the Head
of the Church, and he will manage as
God directs. And so, this arch swindler,
this pseudo high priest, this hypocritical
apostle, this vile fornicator, this deSpiser
Of God and his holy laws, this arrogant
lord, this tyrannical satrap, grows fas
and rich upon The subsistence Of his ig-
norant dupes, who fall down and worship
him, and who are too humble and slaviSh
to inquire into the conduct of their mas
ter. Brigham Young is perfect despot,
and none disputes his authority or mur"
murs at his tyranny. He is said to be
fabulously wealthy. He owns many fine
mansions, all the good mills in the coun
try. the finest horses and carriages in
the territory, etc. He is said to be the
heaviest depositor in the Bank Of Eng>
land, having many millions to his credit
there. He had contract on the Union
Pacific Railroad for $S00,000, which he
sub-let at 100000 profit He furnishes
the mines with flour ground at his mills,
at S25 in gold per sack. He is undoubt-
edly a smart man. Seward, who is now
in this city, but who was in Salt Lake
few days before me, says Brigham is one
of the most intelligent men he has ever
met; that he is Thomas II. Benton.
He is tyrant, everybody knows; he is a
murderer, every Gentle suspects and
he is a beastly, vulgar man, as every
Mormon and Gentle can attest. 1t is
said that his sermons are Outrageously
obscene. have never read any OF them
and give this upon report.
Mormonism is, in my opinion, on the
wane, and is bound TO die out with the
present generation. All the young of
| the Mormon families, of both sexes, are
opposed to polygamy, as am informed ;
| and | made careful inquiry upon this
| subject. | have not made myself con-
| yersant with the doctrines ofthe Mormon
| church, but | think l can venture the
opinion that with the fall of polygamy,
| the whole institution would tumble to
| the ground. | do not believe, as many
| do, that the construction OF the Pacific
railroad will greatly accelerate the des
cline of Mormonism. The valley in
which Salt Lake City is situated is SO
sterile that the ground has to be cults
waited like garden and irregated to pay
the husbandman for his labor, and even
then he is poorly paid. So no man who
| is not lunatic-I consider the lnfatua-
ted Mormons lunatics-would settle IN
such q country. OfcOurse l except such
as NAV locate in Salt Lake City for pur-
poses of speculation or Of pleasure; and
about one, tenth Of the population of the
city, | ought to mention, are Gentlles,
settled in the city for such purposes. As
to the cultivation of the land | should
state further that for twelve to fourteen
miles between the railroad and the city,
the land is divided into little farms OF
from five 10 ten acres, upon which one
family resides. This much land was al
lotted 10 each individual by Brigham,
and is kept in order like garden. These
little farms are separated by broad
streets. so that there is continuous VII
lage for dozen miles. The mountains
rise upon one side, the lake with noun
tains beyond it, on the other; so the
whole presents quite a picturesque ap.
pearance. We entered the city at 4 P. NJ
and found it quite warm. Later in the
afternoon the temperature moderated
and the breezes were perfectly delightful.
Snow rests perpetually on the peaks OF
the mountains in sight Of the city.
Perhaps I have bored you long enough
about Salt Lake city, so | will pass on.
| ought not to omit to state that Miss
, Anna Dickinson recently visited the city
, and created great CONSERVATION and
alarm amongst the Saints, by holding
! private interviewsswith the Mormon
women, indOctrinating them with her
woman's rights views. She promise
I some day to ventilate the institution.
5 The Central Pacific railroad begins, a'
, | have before intimated, near Salt LAX
S station. The route still lies through
7 desert. Whilst traversing tbs ari'
!. waste, ] can not entertain you IN as bette
t way than by speaking Of the accommo
S tions along this Pacific route. The roa
t is in better condition-barring numoel
y of hastily constructed bridges-the car
!, are finer and kept in better order tina
I, the East Tennessee and Georgia or tn
s. Nashville and Chattanooga roads and tn
h cars on those roads. There is no jOltln
N or rocking on this road. Good eatin
n houses have been put up by the railroa
It company at regular intervals along II
Q entire route, where excellent meals ca
e be had at 81 currency. On the Centr
o. road seventy five cents in coin is charge
Of Presto change We have now reache
n. the Sierra Nevadas. | despair of CO.
IS, yeying to you even dim picture OF Il
er magnificent scenery which here NEE
1t the eve. The ascent of these mOuntai
. is rapid, and the work heavy. There a
e. a great number of tunnels, and she
ty over the road-snow shed-thirty mil
of long. We pass along the brink OF Sc
ne seral precipices more than a thou
or and feet. high Trees at the botto
ID look no taller than men. On the SUI
ty nit of the Sierras is Donner lake, t
n. most enchanting sheet Of water | ha
90 ever beheld. The railroad passes alo
he the slope of the mountain, about t
h. hundred feet above it. The atmoSpht
1ct here is very bracing, and this lake
ion said to be favOrite summer resort,
x> account of its beauty, cool invigoratl
cto climate, the romantic scenery around
he and the interesting and tragic histt
lps connected with it. The snow renal
the on these mountains all summer.
pes descend from the top to the bottom
Gle four or five hours. 1t is midsummer
A the hnttnm. On the western slope