The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-01-26
LETTER FROM SALT LAKE
CITY.

The following letter from our es-
teemed correspondent, Rev. Frank T.
Lee, will be found of interest. A
more full account of that city, it's sur
roundings, its institutions and popula-
ton, could not well be described in a
less limited space than is given to the
letter:
SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. IS, 1888.
DEAR Col. FRANK-A buster two
months / think never spent than
since coming here. The days and
weeks have seemed fairly to fly, filed
up as they have been with the varied
activities incident to getting settled in
a new field, becoming acquainted, or
ganizing the work of the church, at
tending public meetings of various
kinds, and the like. This will explain
why your kind invitation to write
something for the TELEGRAPH has not
been responded to before.
Salt Lake City is beautifully located
in the midst OF fertile valley, which
is almost entirely surrounded bv
mountains. A few miles to the east
is the Wasatch range, extending in a
southwesterly direction and termina-
ting the valley at the south, some forty
miles away. The mountains at the
west are perhaps twenty miles distant.
They are the most elevated of all in this
vicinity, although they do not appear to
be so from this distance. A western
spur Of the Wasatch range comes with
in two or three miles of the CITY at
the north. These mountains round
about us abound in mines. chiefly of
silver and lead, and immense ouanti-
ties OF ore are taken out every day by
the thousands of miners who are
working them. 1t is owing to the enter
prise and thrift of the Gentiles" that
these vast mining interests have been
developed. Mormon influence has
uniformly been adverse to such
schemes, especially on the part Of out
siders. A few miles south of the city
are several extensive smelling estab-
llshments. To the eastward about
three miles, and elevated considerably
above it, is Camp Douglas, said to be
one of the finest, best furnished camps
in the country, where at present are
stationed about 800 Of our SHOWS in
blue" under command of Gen. Nc
Cook. The moral influence of such a
body of men near by, and of dozen
or more cannon pointing toward the
city, probably has been, and is, far
greater than would naturally be sup
posed from the general quiet that pre-.
walls in that direction.
The city, which has population of
$4,000, is laid out with great regularity
as much so as Philadelphia. Most of the
blocks are squares of ten acres each.
The streets run with the four points
OF the compass, and are eight rods
wide. including implanted side walks
of twenty feet. Seven blocks, with
the streets crossed, make a mile in
length. Shade trees line most of these
streets, and little streams of water
have been made to flow down their
sides. The city must present a specially
line appearance in summer. It has a
fire department, water, gas, and cleo
trio light works, telephone establish
ment, and a horse railroad on several
streets from the center to the outskirts.
in five or six directions. It is a CITY
of magnificent distances" It lies
nearly $500 feet above sea-level. The
principal business street il East
Temple or Main street, which runs
north and south. 1t will compare
favorably in buildings and general ap-
pearance with the leading business |
street Of any city of the same size in
the country. To the stranger, great
deal of interest centers about Temple
Block, an entire square, surrounded by
a solid adobe wall, two feet thick
and fourteen feet high, within which
are several great buildings devoted to
the interests of the Mormon church
and system. First of all is the famous
Mormon Tabernacle, with its great
lone, with seating capacity for $4,000
II more persons. The gallery alone
will accommodate 1000. It is used for
public meetings, chiefly religious, es-
'ecially for week or so in spring and
all, at the times of the semi-annual
Conferences. whom the Mormons come 4
n by the thousands from sill th Il