Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-08-07
ABOUrTBE HoRMoNs.
The Workings OF the saints Viewed by an
Unbiased Observer.


A broad fertile valley on the shore Of
the Great Salt Lake; tier above tier of
snOW-capped mounta rs rising maiestical-
~ on every side; thrifty farms all about
US, the yerdant plains giving promise of
rich rewards IN the harvest time; herds
OF cattle grazing on the distant foothills,
or almost hidden from sight in deep
ravines; such is the view that greets US
as we come down from the north through
the land of the MOrmOns.
salt Lake City" calls the conductor.
and on our left we see q pretty depot of
the Queen Anne style of architecture,
the long platform dotted with groups of
men and women, and Immediately the
question on every tongue is: 81 wonder
if any of those are Mormons?"
The train stops; there is the usual
grand rush to see who can get off first,
and we are soon comfortably seated in q
street-car, jogging along through q wide
street, lined on either side with nice
shade trees, and the usual irrigating
ditch, without which this whole valley
wonld be only a barren waste. When
the driver collects the fare-WhiCh by
the way, Is 10 cents-he deposits it in a
big leathern wallet, from whose mysteri-
GUS depths he returns you your change.
There Is no gong, no check, no bell punch;
evidently the mOrmons must be honest
A few minutes ride brings US to the
Walker House, where Weare furnished
with pleasantroOms, a substantial dinner,
and kind information with regard to the
places Of interest to visit. The afternoon
is occupied by a tour around the city. We
pass through the main street with its
many fine stores and Offices, and reach
the immense wholesale and retail es-
| Enlistment known as
szTO1y's 0o-Opup a1ryvrz z~rzu~ Dy-rrv I. ~
sTITUTIONs,
where everything pertaining to the eces-
/ stiles or comfort of the outer or inner
man can be purchased, with the assur
ance that all profits from the same will
go to the church. On the facade, in large
! gilt letters, is the motto which so often
cOnfronts you, not only in the churches,
! but on school-house, theatre and place of
! business-".H Holiness to the Lord"
Just across the street is Temple Block,
| a square of ten acres surrounded by a
! high adobe wall. This enclosure con-
/ tains the big Tabernacle, the Assembly
Hall, a fine granite building surmounted
! by tall spire and twenty minarets, and
| the beautiful temple now being erected.
After drive through the principal streets,
and a view of the residences of some of
! the magnates, we decide that in appear
ance this city would do credit to any peo-
pie. 1t has a population of $4,000, of
which about four hfths are MormOns. The
next day being Sunday, of course all pill
| grims flock to the Tabernacle. On our
way there we remark the air of Sabbath
! stiffness that everywhere prevails, re-
minding US of the Puritanic quiet of old
New England times, when all places of
! business were closed and people left
! their homes only to ego to meeting"
! We take good seats near the front and
! look about and above US. We are in a
/ huge bare room, lined on three sides
with galleries, and seating $4,000 people.
| In front is a large, inclined platform, in
/ the rear of which rises a beautiful organ
with fifty stops and 3 600 pipes In front
of this are three tiers of seats, cushioned
with red plush. On the highest, sits a
fine looking old man with fair skin and
snow white hair, wrapped in a rich,
| flowing mantle. 1t is easy to recognize
in him John Taylor, the spiritual and
! temporal ruler of this people. Below
him sit Elder Canon, late Territorial
! Representative at Washington; Elder
| Clawson, the history of whose family OF
four wives and thirty children appeared
| in late copy of the New York Graphic,
| and several others of more or less note,
In the lower rows SAT quantity of 9th
er officials, who may be included under
the generic name of priests. The sides
of the platform were occupied by large
| chOl US choir Of perhaps a hundred voices.
! Having thus disposed of the dignitaries,
we turned our attention to the crowd
who were pouring in at the various doors.
In looks, the men appeared better than
we expected; when you say they are
UNCoUTH, IGNORANT AND ROUGH,
you can 90 no farther. But the faces OF
the thin, tired, carewOrn, unhappy look
| ing women were, IN themselves, a mute
appeal to our sympathies. The children
| looked certainly as we'll as the average
/ child in frontier sections of the country,
/ but the blight of the institution under
| which they were born had nOtyet reach
! ed them. Soon the service commenced,
| the opening hymn was given out, and
/ the choir joined in Justify. 1t was all
abOutZiOn and the glory that awaited
| her when her warfare was accomplished.
! Then came a long prayer, filled with
anathemas of the Government, Christ
! ians, and all those others who were seek
/ ing to destroy the Lords anOinted. Now
4 the meeting was fairly open, and expert
/ ences' were freely gwen. President
/ Taylor made a few feeble remarks which
would indicate that he had nearly, il
not quite, reached his dotage; a Saint
who had just returned from a mission to
! Maine deplored in very ignorant iangu-
age the hardness of heart he had found
! there; one of the twelve apostles gave a
very stupid history of his connection
with the church. The only passable
speech was very fowery address by Ell.
der Woodford, in which the vanity oil
this people was most pleasantly tickled
! by being reminded that they were Shad-
rach, Mesheth and Abednego in the fiery
furnace; they were Daniel in the den OF
/ lions; they were the children Of Israel
in the Land of Promise; in fact, they
were the Church Of Latter Day Saints
To which all the congregation responded
/ "Amen."
/ After a few other speeches, more OF
] la.. - Him. r,--rr.oeaIasa and diacon-