Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-09-22
THE PROPHETS BIG WALL.

THE fWOrHEU'S uld WALls
Tho Policy by which Briaham Ysans
Strengthened tho Msrmsn ChSrch.
A writer in New York paper says /:
One dao was riding with Brigham
Young aound the suburbs Of Salt Lake.
Az We came in from the Hot Sulphur
Springs, which run like little river
from the rocky base Of the Wasatch
mountains, about mile north Of the
city, we passed dilapidated adobe wall,
a wall made from the unbaked clay.
The wall had been eight or nine feet
high, but il is now little more than a
ruin.
"What was that wall built for?"
asked.
"That wall was built for two pur.
poses," said the prophet. at once cx-
tended all around Salt Lake. It was
little Chinese wall, with loop holes and
gates and round houses"
"Then Salt Lake was once walled
city ~
eyes, it was walled oil around, and
the wall cost great deal of labor, too.
Hundreds of men worked all winter
on it,"
>" But you have not told me the two
purposes for which it was built" sug-
gested.
"Well, the chief purpose of this wall
was to keep three or four hundred immi-
grants from being idle. You sec, we
had large immigration one year, three or
four hundred able-bodied men. They ar
rived in August, too late to do anything on
their farms. Now, an idle man is always
a bad man. Still, we had nothing for
them to do. How can employ them 2
asked myself. Then thought of this
wall. To make ii seem necessary, We had
to pretend that we were threatened by
the Indians around us. This was easily
done, for several parties of Indians had
been lowering around the town. In a
few days we worked up the enthusiasm
for protection, and put these hundreds
of idle men to work, The wages were
small, but they all worked steadily dur
ing the whole fall and winter"
"And no Indians ever troubled the
town?'
"No, and I never thought they would.
But four hundred idle men would have
troubled it. We were in more danger
from idle men than from Indians. Aud
this has always been my idea; whenever
1 have found an idle Mormon 1 have set
him to work-kept him busy with his
hands and brain, and then he is always
sure to be good Citizen"
This found had always been the
Prophets theory. If poor immigrant
came to Salt Lake without money,
Brigham placed him on farm and gave
him implements and seeds. He made
him seif-sustaining. Everything in Salt ,
Lake was built right there A Mormon
built the big organ in the tabernacle, {
Mormons build and officer their rail- I
roads, and Mormons are building their
great temple. Before he died the {
Prophet had Mormon furniture factories, f
a Mormon mint where they once coined t
their own money, and six cotton and d
woollen factories. In fact, Brigham
Young taught his people to make every n
thing they ate, drank, or wore, except
coffee, tea, sugar, pepper and spice.
The river running down from the
Wasatch mountains behind Salt Lake is
\ good water power with $50 feet fall.
The same water runs through two mil '
ion dollars worth of irrigating canals, ID
md waters the whole Salt Lake plain
before it finally empties into the lake. !. !
Brigham Young was good mechanic.
He could make anything he ever saw, !,
md when occasion required he could in
rent new appliances. He was rough, a.
'rudeman, but terribly in earnest. He was 4
ike Zach Chandler in politics, Sherman II
n war, and st. Paul in the ministry. He q
vas always aggressive. His son, John .,
w., on the contrary, is always on the h
defensive. He is always patting people -
m the back, always tranquilizing and 4
making peace. Heis the most gentleman 4
y and quiet-mannered man I ever met. \;
Ie wins everybody with his smile and 4,
ind ways. The morning we left for ~
Ogden, John W. came down to the cars 7,
With u.s. In going from the depot to the -,
ars no less than six Mormons put their s,
rms around him. Some even kissed =,
i'm. Brigham Young was feared, but Il,
lis son John w. will and has made him w.
elf beloved. He will not fight. All 90
trife will now end in Utah. Polygamy h,
ill gradually die out. John W. will let ~
, die, but the Mormon church, with it's -
90, 900 followers, will stand. W
We double once in seven years, i" the n
'rophet said one day. 81,
How double once in seven years % =,
asked. g.
"Why in 1S49 we had $4,000 people. al
n 1866 we had $4,000; in 1863 we had =" i,
!, 900; in 1870 we had 1000, and to. ~, W.
ay in 1877 we have 49,, 1000" he
"And in 1883 you will have ~
"Two hundred and eighty-four thou T.,
md, and nothing but national calamity 49,
r judgment from God can stop u.s." g,
I'D the Prophet. "
There is no doubt in my mind that
nder the conservative policy of John
7. Young, with the death of pologamy, Pa
lat the Mormons will number 284, 900 SUI
1883, and that they will control the be
'litics of Utah, and perhaps of Arizona SUI
I'd New Mexico. VIII
dit
"A Discriminating Cat. ga
It requires quick hearing, sharp ~,
,servation, and a good memory to know w.,
ways friends peculiar ring of the "a
,use bell, although there is no doubt ~,
Individuality in that as in every .-.'