Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1882-06-30

the then melting snow, or ice rather.
still among the rocks on the north side of
the high hills or mountains Just back Of
the city over which wo had Just crossed
and from which we could see the valley
the city, hamlets, farms and the great
lake lying in front of and below like a
map OF the same spread before us.
AS said before, | will not attempt to
descrlbe This perhaps as extensive, wild,
romantic and beautiful landscape as there
is in the world, because lam inadequate
to it. The city is not exactly on the
margin Of the lake, but not far from it,
about a mile, | think, and extended over
. large area Of ground even at that day.
The population was somewhere between
seven and ten thousand. The public
buildings except the great Temple, the
foundafid1 of which only was then in
progress Of building, lay pretty much
huddled together on the east side or sub
urb, aud where we first struck the city
consisting first of u large frame store
house. that | believe was the property Of
Riley 4 Holiday, gentle" gentlemen.
both well-known in Washington city
We passed on tho plains large train of
wagons belonging to these gentlemen,
loaded with merchandise intended for this
market. Next tho large temporary Tenn
pie, wherein tho saints then worshiped.
| saw inside of it one day, and was struck
with the arrangement for immersion or
baptism. consisting of an immense bowl
shaped stone vessel, supported on the
back of four or six largo bulls, made of
the same material. There was also the
City Theatre, or building wherein dane
ing and theatrical performances went on
|, with others of our party, attended a
performance there one night. The actors
were all Mormons, and tho play the old,
familiar one performed by young school.
going amateurs, called "Rola," It was
gotten up and performed very nicely in
deed, hut the performance opened and
closed in manner differing from any
thing hitherto seen by us, When our
party arrived it seems announcement was
made inside, and when we got inside the
hall the audience all came forward, shook
hands with and welcomed us in, and took
the pains to find us comfortable front
seats After quiet was restored and
few moments Of silence prevailed tho
Gentiles were greatly astonished when
an old gray-haired gentleman came for
ward on the rostrum. and standing up
commenced tho exercises with solemn
and fervent prayer, the burden Of which
was. az far as | can remember, that the
moral of the play might be duly appro-
ciated and effectively remembered by tho
audience. Another prayer from the same
party closed the performance and then it
was announced that dancing would be
INDUCED in by those so disposed until II
o'clock, and not later.
Now for fear some of my readers will
think the above statements incredible, |
will remind them that | am pcnning this
narrative chiefly for the benefit of those
to whom dare not devise the legacy of
an untruth | did not stop to see the
dancing, nor did any of our party, be-
ing too dirty and ragged to present our
selves among so many nice looking young
ladies', and then I had already accepted
an invitation of an old, rotund, red
faced Hiagtishman convert to take glass
of something good at his house, and did
so and spent an hour or so in an inter-
esting conversation with him and his
family.
After reaching the city the emigrant
trail makes bend to the right or north,
and lies in a narrow valley between some
high hills on the right hand and the
great lake on the left, the trail closely
hugging the hills for several miles.
The last house in this part Of the city
was sort of hotel, where we could, and
did now and then, for variety's SAKE,
purchase meal good menl at a rea-
sonablc price The host was the present
Cor rather ate) Delegate to Congress
from Utah at least am satisfied he is
the same person, not onl because OF the
similarity Of name, (Cannon,) but be-
cause he 1he host was associate editor
of the Mormon newspaper published
there, lawyer and an active business
man generally, native of New England,
and If my memory is right, had Grip
pied hand or arm. lie was very socia-
bic and cordial and got all the money out
Of US he could.
A popularity about this hotel was the
arrangements for bathing. In an out
house in the yard was large bathing
tub or trough, into which hot aud cold
water fell in a constant stream, conveyed
through wooden pipes, one running from
very hot and the other from very
cool spring neither of which was over
two hundred yards from the hotel, and
situated just high enough on the hillside
to afford good fall. But We needed not,
in order to get good bath in nice tepid
water, to use this arrangement, for there
was another and better fix Of this kind
for such untidy fellows as VIC little fur
Their on and directly on the margin Of the
trail and where the water from the two
said springs crosses the same and falls
unitcdly into deep hole or pond dug
out for that purpose.
must now take the reader 10 the great
lake, starting from where we were en-
camped. The valley between the lake
and hills at this point is perhaps two
miles 10 width. and tho distance from
camp to the lake. to the waters edge |
mean, nearly the like distance, as we
were still close to the hills or mountains.
The soil Immediately around the camp
was very rich and covered with splendid
grass, but further on as VIC approached
the lake the ground began to look poor
aud full Of alkali water and springs, the
latter so limpid and clear one could not
help STOPPING down to try their drinking
qualities, but almost always finding them
instead of being cool and refreshing very
warm often 80 hot as TO cause you TO jump
back with nearly scalded lips. Indeed
we had to pick our steps through this
watery ground on coarse grass tussocks