The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1872-05-30
Letters from Salt Lake City
BY A CITIZEN OF HIGHLAND co.
sa,rI,.Kp c1rv NOV 1870

~ NOs IL
ea SALT LAKE CITY, May 1, 1872.
ant This place will one day be tn
," gem of the Great Basin, for from
the way it is laid out it cannot b
Z otherwise. It is situated5n vale,
which for fertility-where it can b
.- irrigated--cannot be surpassed il
the world. The founder of this city
appears to have grasped all The
wants of the people for utility and
comfort.
1tis'said to contain about sixteen
thousand inhabitants, the greater
part of whom are Mormons, butthe
mineral wealth of this country is
causing an immense increase of the
Gentiles, or the "unwashed heather"
q (aceording to Brigham) who, l
think, will one day work social re-
formation in this country. Wheth-
er the change will be for the better
or not is more than can tell. The
Mormon people appear to be con-
tented and happy whether through
ignorance or fanaticism will have
to be determined by those more
learned than the writer. The streets
i
are of the most spacious kind, being
from 10Ofo $50 feet wide, and each
lot contains one acre of ground, all
Well set out in peach and apple trees,
together with all the small fruits
that are grown in any Northern
country. The trees and shrubs bear
4 look of health that ] never have
seen in any other part of this coun.
try.
Most of the buildings here are
built of wood, stone and adobe, and
those of the adobes that have been
cemented look very well, but others
that have not, look very hard, and |
time has left its mark on them.
The more modern buildings are
mostly of brick, and enterprise has
begun to manifest itself. The |
Walker Brothers are now putting
up a large and spacious hotel,
which when finished will compare
very favorable with many first, class
hotels In the East.
There is in this place a Profess
tant Episcopal church, which is a
very neat edifice, capable of seating
from 400 to 600 persons. The Cath
olic church is quite neat structure,
built Of burnt brick, after the same
style of gothic architecture of the
generality of churches of that de,
nomination, and will seat from 300
to 500 persons. The Methodists
have quite congregation here, with
small church, and good prospects
for the future. The Presbyterians
have good membership here, but
as yet they have no church property.
The same is true of the Baptists and
several other denominations. So
this is a place where one can look
after his spiritual welfare if he comes
here with well-filled purse.
! fla person is Of theatrical turn
of mind, he can find food for his
passion, for Brigham's Theatre is a I
very nice building, capable of seat
ing 1900 to 1000 persons. j
There are in the city three Lodges
of A. F. and A. NJ, who have a
splendid hall, and are in a very
fourishing condition. There are
two Lodges of Odd Fellows, also =
doing well. The "Red Men" have
one quite fiourishing lodge. l.
There is a "Liberal INSTITUTED =
here, which is very nicely finished =
on the inside, but it is an adobe
structure, and shows the marks of
rain and frost. Here persons of all
pursuastions can go and advance
their opinions without molestation
mo matter of how wild character.
A few nights since I had the pleas =
ure of attending a WOman's Stuff /.
rage meeting in this hall. They
will not send delegate to the Ma
tional Convention at New York,
but adopted resolutions to be sent to al
that convention. There were two "
delegates present from California,
Mr.. and Mrs. Spear, to whom the
resolutions were intrusted. MIR.
Spear made a few very appropriate v
remarks, after which Mrs. Spear b
was introduced to the congregation s
and made very able plea for her 81
sex, and congratulated the ladies of
Utah on their advancement to the {
right of suffrage, after which there
were several speeches on various a
subjects, showing 10 me that any r
person is allowed large latitude in =
the expression of his views. il
But the great work of the city is c
the New Tabernacle ofthe regular I
Mormons. 1t is the most singuIarly :
constructed building in the world. c
1t is $50 by $50 feet, and is oblong. P
The roof is self-supporting, and rises r
to a height of go feet from the piers a
on which if rests, and it is the larg- V
est self.snpporting roof in the world.
This vast roof rests on stone pillars,
extending all round the building at
intervals of about "A feet. It will p
contain about $4,000 persons, and is
well filled every Sabbath. When
one looks down on the great multi
tude he is almost awe-stricken by
the vast sea of human beings that
1 1