The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-10-23
j LOlisialfan Among the Mormons.
WHAT HE sAw-wHAT he DIDN'T SEE.

ty, stopped on their return from San
Francisco in Salt Lake City. Here is
what he saw and what he didn't see in
the city of the Mormons, as set forth in
letter of the 2lst from Louisville, to
the Shreveport Telegram:
Our visit to Salt Lake City was a
very interesting one. The ladies of the
party seemed to be curious, yet almost
Mortified at the idea of going among a
people who degraded their sex after
the Asiatic fashion. The gentlemen
were complaceat and disposed to phil
osophize on The wonderful power of a
religious idea, which, in contravcntion
of the statue law, WAS preaching and
practicins polygamy, and asserting its
merit by binding together in fraternaI
good will large community of indus
trioHs and prosperous men and wo-
men. All conceded to Brigham Young
! the need of praise for his splendid adj
ministrative and executive ability in
keeping people so vel! in hand, and in
preserving the most perfect order them,
without a Jail, penitentiary, whipping
post, or temporal punishment of any
kind. He has made the mountains
pour their fertilizing streams of water
down into the barren basin of Salt Lake
and beautiful orchards, gardens and
farms now decorate The plane as far as
the eye can reach, where. at his advent
nothing was green except the wild sage
and the dwarf sunfiower. His poor
and starving colony of a few hundred,
in the fall of 1917, has grown into a
population of about 100000 souls. A
beautiful city, laid off with mathemat-
zeal regularity, having broad streets
flinged with rows Of trees and running
streams of mountain water, under eve
~ row, presents "a strong evidence Of
the sound practical sense, untiring in
lustry and boundless faith of this
strange people. The Tabernacle, near
the centre Of the city, is study in it,
self. 1t is $50 by $50 feet, and so feet
high. 1t will seat $4,000 people com.
fortably. The room is archud and un.
supported by columns, except those Of
the outer wall, from which the arches
are sprung. All the material was fur
nished aud the work done by Nor.
mons. The organ in this Tabernacle
is the next to the largest. in the United
States. The front towers of this organ
are fifty eight feet high, and contain
thirty-two feet of gilded pipe; the side
towers are nearly the same height az
the front. 1t is well played on Sunday
and its sonorious notes fill the entire
Tabernacle to perfection, making {
glorious accompaniment to the hun
dred male and female voices of til,
choir. The theatre is also large. fin.
building, but the acting was very mucl
such as we have in Shreveport whel
Crisp is not on the boards. The no
tells are large and elegant and p:ovi
ded with all the numerous modern con
ducers to luxurious comfort. Ever,
house has an orchard, aud farm, ant
except in the business part of the cit.
the houses are some distance apart
There are no tenement houses. Ever,
Mormon lives in his own habitation
no matter how humble, and cultivate
his own ground, no matter, how small
a patch it may be. Brigham 1oun
and many others have plain but hand
some houses. You see evidence of con
slant and persistent industry on ever,
side. NJ thing gives you an idea tina
cash or capital, as it is called, with hi
Aladdin's lamp has caused splerdi
mansions to rise from the plain with
ont soiling his dainty fingers. "Piec
, to piece" '.little by little" keep al
ways at it," seems to be written on ev
erything of human production in Il,
valley. The story is written on ever
side that a plain people, full findom
table energy or lofty faith, in the fac
Of countless obstacles, has built up th
city slowly, steadily, patiently, work
a ing to accomplish a great work will
out assistance, except from on higl
. And this same people are building
! temple which. they designate as 9TH
! House Of the Lord" ont Of solid eranit
which, when finished, will cost million
of dollars, apd though unornamente
e and unique in it's architecture, will |
one Of the most splendid places {
g worship in tile world. Here, as in tt
q case of the followers Of Mahomet,
shown the overmastering power of
!. religious idea when it. once firmly Ell
j. gratis itself upon the mind. Thei
n people are not humbngs nor hypocrite
% They are religions zealots who belle,
themselves to be the elect of "the la
"A. last days." and who in their blind b
lief look forward to the time VIII.
Il Gods visible presence will occupy 70
p. ever the gtanite temple they are cree
:, ing for the Most High. We heard Q
q son Pratt preach an eloquent serm,
,s of an hour or so. When one looked