The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-12-24
POINTERS FOR THE MILITARY

Our esteemed contemporary, th
: Bridgeport (Conn.) Standard, has in it
J. latest issue to hand, an editorial on Il
Case of Mormon War" in which tn
= writer in sober, solemn earnest under
: takes to enlighten his readers as to tn,
lay of the country" the dificultie
that the United States army would have
TO encounter in figh ting the Saints, ant
so on. He treats the matter as if g
declaration of war were among the neal
probabilities and his article is in the
nature of outline instructions to mil.
itary commanders. Tie editorial seems
more humorous when it is known that
the editor of the Standard spent several
days in this city a few years ago, and
he writes of the situation from OBJ
servations on the spot" The article is
toolong for reproduction here, but its
tenor and reliability as whole may be
gathered from few extracts. He says
that Fort Douglas is a mile away from
town, and fromit zone can see every
building in the city, and the guns at
the camp can demolish every one of
them" However, he suggests that
this camp can be assaulted in the rear
by placing guns higher up on the
mountain, - which g must3be encourag-
ing to the Mormons. But the EDITORS
worst fear is in regard TO getting rein
forcements here, if the Mormons sh ow
opposition to their coming. He says: "a
By the railroad they would have to
travel thirty miles through Echo
Canyon, q narrow gorge; hall of which
is occupied by very rapid, but not
broad mountain river, and easily SO
INSTRUCTED that cars could not pass
over tie track while the mountains on
both sides furnish innumerable and al. !
most imprtgnable places for sharp |
shooters TO hide and fire upon an !
enemy. If the soldiers should reach |
the open country to Ogden they could |
go thence without difficulty to a point I
about one mile from the city where |
there is another very narrow pass, but |
not more than two hundred feet long,
through which they might rush Without
much danger. From thence to the
camp they could goeasily.
All of this is important geographical
information for the inhabitants, but
win staFtlesome Of us For instance,
no one hereabouts ever saw or before
heard of the existence of that other
very narrow pass" mot more than
two hundred feet long" about mile
from the city. Perhaps the gentleman
has reference to the pass between the
Nichols Metallurgical works and the
railway track in the Warm Springs
pasture, or probably he, means the
bars to one of the slaughter pens there
abouts. Wen have to hunt for this pass. !
BE gets over the difficulty and danger of
he Echo Canyon route, by carrying {
he troops over 1.-The Northern Pacific r
abroad to a point beyond the Yellow
tone, where there is narrow-guage .
pad which connects, the Northern
Pacific with the Union Pacific at
ogden. However, he is in soma
oubt as to this scheme, as mot having
cen over this country road he does not
now what Instructions might be placed I
n that route" We may enlighten the
entleman some as to the matter con-
ernlng which he is in doubt. Black
Dot, Pocatello. McCammon and Swan
axe are all on the line of the Utah &
Orthern. as are also the Ogden Hot
prings. Collinston and other f1ourishing
Cities ranging in population from
lie station keeper and tank master
} fully hundred permanent
The Standard man doesn't b
Gem it wise to take unneces-
Try chances, hence comes out
favor of what he regards as the
'urest method for sending reinforce
ents, ;" which is ''by the Uni on Pacific
'ad to near the beginning of Echo q
Inyon and from thence over the
ountalns some hundred miles or L
ore, to Camp Douglass. The Mormons
ltered in that way coming through r
hat they have since called "Churcb
SIS" not many miles below Camp =
Ouglas." He admits there are two
her routes to the city, one from Den
r and one from California, but saws
9TH are very difficult"
After all this information about the
ography of the country, and the WAYS
getting here. the editor proceeds to
aste his above information by show
there is no necessity for sending
y more troops. He says that in case
war "all needed reinforcements
u1ld be obtained in twenty-four hours
I'm among the Gentiles in the city
nose disposition is such towards the
ints that they would bound up the
ountaIn to the camp overjoyed at any Z
auce to clean out their enemies A.
the munitions OF war it is to be suD-
sed that the government has on hand =
the camp enough and to spare for
Y emergency" die