Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-25
SALT LAKE CITY.
BY MAX ADELER.

Salt Lake City, the Mormon capital !!
Let us look at it! 1t lies deep in the
valley, in valley which is 5000 feet
above the level of the sea. To the right,
to the left, to the north, the south, the
east, and the west, mountains Lying
in the midst of them, the city. America
has no other like it. Surveyed from the
distance, it wears distinctly Oriental
appearance. So we Of the far West, who
have only dreamed Of the East, imagine
how Damascus may look. White houses
shining amid rich masses of green foliage.
A dome, tower, spire, that may an
swer for minaret, deep gardens, build
ings with flat roofs, q faint mist of dust
marking the line of travelled street, a
sky of more than the Oriental softness
overhead, and an atmosphere SO pure
that to breathe it is luxury, and to look
through it is to gain such power of vision
that the peaks of the Wasatch range,
twenty miles away, seem within the
reach of the pedestrian who has five
minutes to spare.
In the city there are broad streets,
covered with gravel. Upon each side
where the gutter should be there is a
stream of pure and delicious water hurl-
ing fercely along with the impetus
gained at the top of the Twin Peaks.
The dwellings Of stone, Of wood, Of
adobe or srln-burned bricks, are far
apart, and enshrined among mighty
trees. Shops, here and there, thrust
themselves out to the edge Of the foot
way, and offer their wares to the passers-
by. 1t is queer throng that is thus
tempted. Such one as on no other
street in this broad earth can gather.
Here is Mormon saint, a patriarch
with twelve wives and so many chill
dren that he is compelled to refer to
his memorandum-book for list Of
them. Stout, rugged, coarse in nature
and in feature, he is of the kind that
found this valley q wilderness and
transformed it into luscious gar
den. There is a Utah Indian,
clad, perhaps, in stovepipe hat,
blanket and buckskin breaches. He
wears huge earrings, long straight hair,
thick and black as midnight. Here is a
Mexican, dashing along at break-neck
speed upon shaggy pony. He wears
dress as picturesque as that Of q
Greek, and he is as fine horseman as
the Arabian desert shows. There go
two army officers, wearing blue coats,
and looking as if they were in authority.
They HE to the camp upon the hill
side, from whence the guns that they
control can level the city in day. Gen
tile miners, with whiskers, broad hats,
trousers tucked in boots, and pistols
thrust in belts, swagger about in search
of fre-water. Mormon policemen,
quiet, reserved, but keen as hounds,
stand upon the corners. Huge wagons
drawn by six, eight and ten mules come
numbering down the street, bringing
from outlying settlements Of the saints
the tithes for the Prophets store-house.
Hurrying past them, dash graceful
and elegant pleasure carriages, such as
Hyde Park might be proud Of. But
where are the women? Of men there
are enough. Now and then Gentle
woman passes, but not often and the
Mormon women appear still less fire.
quently. It is Orientalism in the ex-
treme Occident. There is the polygamy
Of Turkey with an approach to the
custom which keeps the woman under q
veil.
It is a strange city, new city, born
within the last half century; city Of
its own kind city that is as striking,
as novel, as interesting, as unprecedented
to the view of the American who lives
east of the Rocky mountains as it is to
that of the citizen of London.