Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-12-09
OUT WEST.

was surprised at the frequency with
which was asked: "Have you been in
Salt Lake City? and have you seen a
real Mormon ?'' L could readily under
stand how all interest in Salt Lake was
centered in the Mormons and their Pc
culiar customs, for these same peculiari-
ties. coupled with the tales which go
out into the world, and the mystery
which attaches to anything not fully
understood, tend to divert the minds of
those who have never visited the place
from all other points Of interest, and
cause many of them to overlook the fact
that Salt Lake is something besides the
nome OF polygamy, and that Utah is
not bounded by the limits of the city.
Every visitor to Salt Lake goes there
thoroughly alive with curiosity, and 1
venture to say four-ffths of them are
happily disappointed.
was on the tip-toe of expectation
from the moment started for the depot
of the Utah Central, which road was
commenced Immediately after the COM
pletion of the ans-continental road and
finished to Salt Lake City, distance of
thirty-six and half miles, inside of
eight months.
Guide books inform their readers that
they will find luxurious cars waiting to
take them to Salt Lake. May be so.
but | never did. I've made the journey
to the Lords Kingdom" twice, and,
must say, the cars in which 1 was trans
ported thither were neither luxurious or
elegant. And right here let me say, for
the benefit of the managers of the Utah
Central, nice and polite though they be,
they ought to be ashamed to charge
trst-class rates and then compel passen-
gers to ride in second class cars, for
while | do not expect to
"be carried to the skies
On Howery beds of ease"
l do calculate on riding in comfortable
car. if pay for it, whether 1 am tick
eted to the "City of the Saints" or to
Sodom and Gomorrah.
Bear in mind, please, that we have
been on Norman ground ever since we
crossed the line from Wyoming, and
right here in Ogden is town claiming
six thousand inhabitants, about evenly
divided between Mormon and Gentle
faith. By "Gentile." mean everything
that isn't Mormon, and use the Nor
7T0r word da'"ti"nAr" in NV application of the
Leaving Ogden the road goes almost
due south, through what was only few
years ago, sandy, barren desert, pro-
ddcing nothing better than sage brush
and grease wood. Seen now, with its
fields of grain, its abundant growth of
grass, its thrifty fruit trees, it seems
incredible that such change can have
been wrought in quarter of a century.
Barren and desolate as it was, when,
in 1847, the little band of Mormons sent
out to find the promised land first looked
upon this valley, l do not wonder they
saw, as with prophetic eye, its capabili-
ties and peculiar adaptability to their
wants. A direct result of the persecu-
tions suffered by them was the develop
ment of the powers of endurance, and
an intense determination to succeed.
Like the little band which set sail in
the MayAower, expressions had made
them brave enough to face danger aud
suffering, and they blindly followed
their leader, their faith strengthened by
every abuse intended to destroy it. Had
Joseph Smith and the little band which
gathered about him iu Ohio been let
severely alone by both press and people,
the effort to hoist into popularity such
absurd doctrines would have proven SC
complete a failure, that Smith and his
crazy ideas would have both been sunk
SO deep they could never be resurrected.
But the people talked and the press
discussed, until all the world was agoe
with curiosity, and, to quote Mormon
authority; "there was daily added unto
them such as should be saved" IL
put it into common sense terms, there
was attracted to them a large number O.
foolish men and women of class which
is always ready to fall into line wher
there is anything new started; Away
running after notoriety willing to sac
rifce anything and everything for th'
happiness of being made martyrs.
If we would gulp down as facts al
that is found in Mormon history, wei
might we wonder if the people who re
fused to receive Joseph Smith as thei
prophet were not new edition of th
Jews, ready to cruelty one but littl
less in power than our Lord. Here is
scrap from their facts:
In Ohio they built tabernacle. Whe
it was dedicated, among the numbe
which came from great distance
witness the ceremonies was a youn
mother, with her baby boy of eigf
months. But the leader had said tina
no babies could be taken into the ten
pie. Bitterly did this sister grieve an
the heart of the prophet melted and b