Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-10-15

Lii Desert-Tne Stream OF Zion-A Sa.
cred Herd Of CattIe-The Black Sea
GuUs and tsse Flying LIZARDS -Syvi inn.
ming in he Great Salt Sea-Ehc Mys.
teriOus Worm "a rle the I'll idsen vVhirl
pooi-A Sad Oyster Experimens-TTl,
Mormons to be Drowned Gut.
Correspondence of The N. Y. Sun.
SALT LAKE City, August 2S.--Yester
day visited the Great Salt Lake. But
few strangers 90 to it. A tourist might
spend mouth in the city before he
would find out how to reach 1t. Prob
ably half Of the residents of the Nor
shores of this great inland sea. Black
and Profile Rocks, the main points Of
interest, are twenty miles from the city.
Accompanied by the Hon. Standlsh
Rood, formerly of Milwaukee, and a
party of ladies, left Salt Lake City at
a. N. We had Fms span of horses.
Running out of town through afshady
street turning at the Tabernacle, we
struck for a mountain iutting into the
lake apparently but three miles away
It's true distance is Is miles. The at
mosphere is SO clear that it is sone vast
field of glass, making the mountains
appear much nearer than they really
are. At times they seem to be within
rife range. Occasionally, however, the
valley grows, hazy andsthe dark, rocky
peaks loom up above the smoke-like
island cliffs above the ocean. 1a0t,W
-,rr THE SACRED RIVER,
The road to the lake is intersected
by irrigatingi bitches and the river
Jordan. With these exceptions it is as
level as floor. For short distance it
is bordered by fields Of grain. There are
but few fences. The most Of the land
is desert. Even the hardy sage brush
refuses to grow. The soil is so strongly
impregnated with alkah that in many
places 1t looks as though somebody
had sprinkled it with pulyeized lime.
The Jordan is a quiet stream, several
rods wide. The water IS clear and
pure. There are no trees upon It's
banks. The Mormons look upon it
very much as the Crusaders regarded
the original Jordan in Palestine In
their eyes it is a sacred rivers They
declare THAT the spirit Of Joe
Smith appeared to Brigham Young
upon one of the mountains back of the
city, and pointed out to him theJ ordan
as it wound it's way over the valley like
a narrow silver ribbon Joserh told
Brigham that the Great Salt Lake was
the promised land. He selected the
site of the city Of Zion, and ordered
the erection of the temple upon chosen
SPOT. s2laGAA - - - fTl
THE GREAT SALT LAKE MARSHES.
A dozen miles from the city we ap-
preached the marshes fringing the
Great Salt axe. They are miles. in
extent, aiand were covered with large
herds of fat cattle. These grazing
herds are owned by the Church Of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The real foundation of this church is
its tithing system. Under this system
each saint turns over one-tenth of all
bis earnings for the benefit of the
church. Many of the Mormons pay
their tithes in cattle. The church herd
is said to include over million head
of stock. 1t is source of never fail
ing revenue, for the beeves are of the
choicest kind, and command the best
prices. The herders are appointed by
the dignitaries of the church, and the
Bishops keep a careful account of the
stock.
The marshes of the Great Salt Lake
are the resort of thousands Of wild
fowl. They present a splendid field
for sportsmen. Among the ducks and
snipe we saw large white swan pad
ding up little lagoon. The grasses
are said to be very nutritious. Acres
OF wild beans are scattered over the
marshes. The stalks grow to the
height of three or four feet, and bear
fragrant pink flowers as large as balls
OF cotton just bursted from their pods.
THE GREAT SALT LAKE, s4 81,
AS we neared the mountains. a thin
blue streak appeared beyond the
marshes. 1t was the Great Salt Lake.
Gradually the streak expanded, until
the surface of the sea was spread before
us. A strong wind came up from the
northwest, and caps of foam danced
upon the bosom of the waters. They
were Of dazzling whiteness. The lake,
however, was as blue as indigo. In
seme places it was streaked with green,
as though veined with streams of sui
phur water. We drove along the base
VI oilC W1I1C11 oiiAo ohC1.
rocky spars to the shore line. Looking
to the north, nothing could be seen but
the water heaving against clear sky
1t was like gazing upon the Ocean a
Long Branch. The lake stretches
toward the Central Pacific Road over 6
hundred and twenty five miles. Fifty
miles west it washes the borders of the
Great American Desert. It is a large
body of water. Delaware and Rhode
Island might be thrown into its depths
and there would still be room for {
slice of New Jersey. On our right was
Church Island, a mountain etched will
sparkling springs and green valleys
nearly thirty miles long. A similal
island arose on the left. The lake i:
dotted with those mountain islands.
THE SHORES OF THE LAKE.
Profile Rock is a cliff which projects
into the lake about twenty miles from