St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-05-23
Salt Lake City.

OF MOTmOnISm III TINS country. LedN-
ing the overland route at Ogden, the
junction of the two great Pacific Rail
road which runs thirty-SiX miles south
to the Mormon city. Some of this dis
lance is near the great Salt Lake. The
valley through " hich the road passes is
nearly a dead level. and is used for graz
ling and farming purposes. The only
drawback seems to be that the land
must he irrigated to ensure a crop. The
soil looks rich but is entirely barren of
trees. The settlements along the road
are rather sparse. and do not look
thrifty.
Salt Lake City is ii place now of near
" 2O.OO0 people. 5000 of whom vet
cling to the Mormon faith. The CITY
has improved rapidly the past two
years, having adopted many Gentle
notions and put up more modern build
ingS than heretofore. 1t is situated in the
Salt Lake basin. about eighteen miles
from the southern extremity of the
Lake. and right at the foot of the Wah-
satch mountains. All the Surrounding
scenery is bold and impressive. have
never seen finer mountain scenery than
that Immediately about the city. At
the present time these mountains are
white with SNOW, and us they glisten in
the sun. show IA strong and beautiful
contrast to the green and iuxuliant val
lcy> at their base.
y peculiarly of the city is Il clear
mountain brook running along its
streets. between the sidewalk and road
way. From this the people draw for
household and irrigatimg purposes. The
first object seen in the city is the Nor
mon tabernacle. the huge egg shaped
dome of which stands above the Other
buildings. The tabernacle is nhlung
30 10y $50 feet in siar-with the root
one Unhroken mch. 1t is used tor
church purposes aud othci gatherings,
and it is said will seat l3.00O people 1t
is an immense audicurc room. with Il
gallery running entirely about it,
We happened T." come here III Il ia
vnr;,ltlr time to see and hral about this
twin relic of barharism. The church
OF the Latter Day Saints. rs it calls it
self. was holding Il two DAYS Confer
emrc; and the faithful from all TIN. re
gion round about came III 10y families.
The streets were lined with farm wag-
onS and the tabernacle crowded with
people. The business of the Confer
cuce seemed to he the choosing of Il
''tru>tce-in-trust of the funds and
property ot the Mormon church. and
the appointing of -four or five mission
alie> tnr the foreign field Ito 90 abroad
and induce more deluded victims Ia
Utah, | presumed But | reckon the
main object with Brigham was to call
his followers together and strengthen
their faith. and make them pan then
titles for Il tenth of all good Nor
mons income must 90 into the church
tr."-"r>-. S"'"c of DiisiltnI'S followers
are getting a little shaky in their faith.
and consequently slow in paving then
tithcs. But Brigham Young i the
greatest deSpot on earth. and the man
who intends to assert his independence
by doing his own thinking had better
take Horace Greclcy's advice and go
west at once. tor the Mormon prophet
will make it too hot for him in Utah
territory.
We attended services in the Taller
nacle at this Conference. Aside from
the music. which was good. the meet
lngs seemed a sort of burlrsque. Brig
ham har;tngued the crowd for Il halt
hour with very commons place talk
mostly about the duty of good Nor
mons to treat their families well and I,
bring up their children circulmspectly
tie gave several little personal rcminiS-
cences illustrating the SacredmeSS in
which he held the private property ot
his wives and the playthiugs of hi,
children. from Which one might judrt
him t" he Il model husband and father
| Til" President, as Brigham Young i,
called here. is il large stout man. seven.
ty-two Years old. and is neither bad
looking nor IL bad speaker. His sou
Brigham junior. who sat near him. is {;
man of forty or more. black hair am
eyes. very short and very stout.
Brighams oldest brother. Joseph
Young, also addressed the meeting
He is II small, dricd-up. weazen- faced
old man, quite nervous, and after he
became warmed up ne threw himself
about III an excited manner His effort
seemed to he to impress upon the audi
encc the great truth that Mormomisn
was the true religion, and that all Other
kinds were spurious. He said: You
may say | talk like Methodist. | did
use to he Il Methodist and prayed
until calloused both my knees: but
never knew what great religious exalta-
ton was until was baptised into tn,
church of the Latter Day Saints" If il
had not been the sabbath day. | should
have supposed that the expression Seel
Oh the faces of the Gentle portion %
the audience parto"k strongly OF a smiIr
Several others of the twelve apostle,
spoke either Saturday OF sunday. anon.
them apostles Rich. Taylor and OrSor
Pratt. Rich talked forty minutes hu
said nothing. Taylor and Pratt Iii,