, 1870-07-07
UTAH REVISITED.
The Hot Springs Of Salt Lake City.
The Tabernacle and the Great
Temple.
A View OF MOrmonism.

4CuJ4ta
View OF Mormonism,
FFRoA OUR sPEc1AL CORRESPONDENT
SAN Francisco. June is, 1870.
From the lodge where we procured the
grass lenonades," :" we drove to the famous
natural hot baths Of Salt Lake City, situated
at the foot Of the hill ut the northern end of
the town. These springs were in dispute for
years, being claimed by Dr. Robinson, Gen.
tue, as private property, md also By the cor
porstion Of Great Salt Lake City, and the title
WIS qrieted at last by the brutal murder of
Dr. Robinson, an event which produced m in
tense feeling throughout the community, aud
intensified the hostility between Gcnt1les and
Saints to such an extent as to cause grave ap-
prehensions OF an extended civil war. The
tragedy took place sorne three rea1s sinces and
s1nce that time the springs have remained in
undIsturbed poecesion of tue CITY, The cor
Poration il now erecting new and capac1ous
batlinE houee, Will, accommodations for
large number of vis,tnrs- There is an unimi-
cd supply Of mineral waller. just as warm
1s one can we'll bcar, and swim in tho lrge
tank after 4 1uety ride over the
hot deserts is one Of tho great luxuries
OF a Whole lifeime- I do not know the exact
chemical combinations found III these waters,
but l know that snda and white sulphur
are contained in all the thermal springs from
idaho to Central America, in greater or less
degree, and that they cleanse the skin and re-
intlgorate tue partially exhausted system to a
Wonderful degree have bathed in dozens
ef these springs in California, Arizona, Neva-
"a, snd Mexico, bnt never found one that
went beyond this one On the shores Of Salt
Lake There il one Of great size at Elko On
The Central Pacific Railroad, which resenbles
th1s much III the character OF its winters, aud
has The advantage Of being In tho centre Of m
Old volcano, OF, ut least, very wide and
1athomless natural reservoir, 80 that no exca-
saaon or other work, except building a shelter
1or bathers from Sun and wind, WAS required.
The water from the Elko spring is 60 hut and
alkaline, that tho Chinese have established
into the Humboldt Mre1, and thus save both
fuel and soap, tho allali cleaning ont every /
particle Of greAsy matter from the clothes, and
rendering the work Of washing exceedingly
Light and SIMPLE
There is, at present, but one tsnk in use at
the Crest Salt Lake springs this is, in some
respects, an improvement On the arrange-
1ncntat Guadalajata, Mexico, where the city,
ss 1T Salt Lake, OWNS the fine natural baths,
and provides cheap battling facilities for the
public, and derives handsome revenue from
them at the same t1me. There are three tanks
or reservoirs at Guadalajhra- The water wells
mp from the bottom in great volume in the
hrst, aid flows od At the top. thence to
the second aud third. In the first you simply
scIuh yourself with knots Of the clean white !
fibre OF tie Magues plant. the uae Of soap be- !
ing forbidden. You pay 25 cents for an hours |
swim in this bath No. l. In No. 2, y0u use AZ /
much soap rs you please, and pay l21< cents |
for an hou1. In No 3. no soap Is needed, and |
you can drown yourself, or swim all day Il yon |
choose, for 6A cents am naturally of q !
luxurious disposition, and inclined to reckless |
1.,k1 xo1 1.-N NJ
when visiting The city some months since.
We-Gaylnrd, Stenhouse, and the writer
bad h glorious swim in the warm medicinal |
waterH, dressed. aud started ont, refreshed,
for visit to
This immense structure, only second in size |
to the great Ieatyo -N1ciondl in the CITY OF \
Mexico, is now nearly finished, the gallery |
running around the entire hal save at the |
western END which is occupied BY the ros-
almost equal in size to @Ss'a.e nc
ordinary dwelling house, is slowly
1rptoA ching completion, and Is already used !
ster structure has nothing 10 recommend it |
beyond it's size. The 2butMents, some fifteen |
feet in height running all around the building |
to support tho weight Of the roof, are Of solid
wood ~erk, and all unpainted inside. The
Fooi il Just in the slope OF half watermelon. !
with the convex side out, and is wholly sun,
ported by the abutments at the sides, not
Illl'r prealng the view from end to end Of
the great edilice. This vast ellipticll arch Is
lined with cotton cloth, and covered outside
with shingles. Tue gallery, seats on the Hoor
OF the hall, and the furniture Of the. rustruu.
& aEe al Of plsin unpain:ed lumber not the
having been made Eriglan Yoaug preschas
every Sunday from the rostrum, standing by a
small Imprinted desk, and surrounded By The
Apostles. The choir is ranged ut the front Of
me rostIun, AID the organist sitting with his
Of the LEADERS, baton reelected IL = mir1or IN
front Of hlm- The organ is the largest ever
built IN Arnsrica the finish VIII bo plain black
walnut and gold. A nnmuer Of amateur
the President, male and female, sit in front
of tho speaker at low tables and take down
us dlscourscs, Which are published regularly
IN the local paper; il is said that they undergo
considerable tetouching and touing down be-
building can seat l., 900 persons comfortlbiy.
and, On pinch, IL, 600 persons can gat within
hearing distance on the door and IN the gal
leIy. But the structure YVES planned and
principles Of acoustics, and it must be terri
pic place to speak IN, an unpleasant echo CON-
lng back upon the speaker upon the slightest |
whisper The building is also unpropo1hon-
ately low for its length and bresdth, and =
silly be conceived by white map. The ae-
commodations for escaping, in case OF a fire, \
are inadequate to the size Of the structure
and the audiences which assemble there, and
fHghttul loss Of life may be occasioned by
panic from any cause, At any time.
TEE GREAT TEMPLE.
Within the same enclosure As the Taber-
naele is the fomoation for the great temple of
although q million dollars, or the1eabouts,
have already been expended on the structure,
tie walls arc only up to the point where the
floor will be laid. and at the same scale
OF expense, it viii require at least two mill
ple:e it. I doubt il it is ever completed, for
If the Mormon faith and polity, in their pres
ent shape, retain their vitality undiminiehed, !
or SO nearly 70 At to keep the people under
one hand, and subject to q single VIII, as at
present, Tor half thst period of time, there is
nothing in the "Eigns Of the tines
Ihe foundations rezch down twenty feet in
TO tue solid earth, and the walls of fine,
bright granite, qna1ried in the neigbboring
on ages, unless exposed to the force Of an
earthquake more terrific than any which has |
get shaken our continent
ABOUND THE cITy.
From the Temple and Tabernac1e we drove |
around for an hour OF two through the vide,
clean streets Of the city, passing the Lion
House, Bee Hive House, and tie minor dwell
ings occupied By the wives of Brigham Young,
4]4a Lao null Jusepa A. 1OuDS. |
All these, together with the Tithing House,
and other public and private buildings, have
been described 60 often, that viii not 70 into
d&tails Ut this time. The general aspect Of the '
city, as We Witnessed it, ia extremely quiet |
comfortable, and Lomelike, and with its pure {
nnontcin air, fresh invigorating breezes, !
glorious baths and fine drives and rides
up and down the valley. know of no more
attractive place in which to while awny a few !
days in the heat Of summer and rest from the
fatigue Of the overland trip, or recuperate the I
energies Of mind aud body exhausted bv toll
and excitement Of life in great city East OF
West. But with all it's natural and artificial !
attractions it is about the last place On earth {
Which I should seek out ,dor 4 permanent {
home The more see OF the ss peculiar insti- {
tution' Of Utah, the more satisfied am thAt {
it amt uice to pc = Mormon or Mo1mouess | E
As the school boy wrote il his composition: ~ {
don't know which is tie worst to be, = horse or {
= Cow, but don't want to be both" don't t
know who lae 1t the rouShest, Hormua or | !
Mormoness, but don't want to be either. I
The children We sAw Oh the streets were all
veil though plainly dressed, and respectful in /
their behavior, but the women. what few We {
taw, were neither attractive to the eye. nor I
intellectual ana Intelligent in appearanoe. {
5rmedmes We saw two or three together evil
deuuy the wives Of one man coming into the q
:ity 10 make their purchases They were I 7
generally dressed in homespu1l, with calico or f
yirgham sunshadcs upon their heads, and J
we're kadly tanned and tunhu1ned by exposure,
probably from working in the open fields. {