Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-04-13
salt Lake City.
Written for the HERALD.

Written for the HERALD.
Salt Lake City is place of $4,000
people, nicely laid out, and fairly
well built up. Most of the nice
blocks and residences have been
built by the Mormons. The temple
is not nearly completed though 80
years of constant work has been
done on it. 1t is built of solid gran
lite, extending twenty feet below tie
surface. The walls of the first story
are eight feet thick. The mormon
question is the great question here.
The so-called gentiles believe its
death knell has been sounded, and
the mormons admit that the decision
of the Supreme Court, that the Ed
muEds law is constitutional, has
done away with plural marriages,
and they intend to observe it faith
fully. They claim there has not
been a plural marriage in the city
since; they have always made it a
part of their religious faith that had
assurances from high authorities
that Congress could not disturb it,
and were surprised at the result.
The disfranchisement of the women
of the Territory, and all the men
having plural wives, gives the gen
tiles hopes of carrying the election
in the city and Territory in 1890,
and carry several wards in the city
now.
The mormons are doing a great
Sabbath School work. They have
6O,OUO scholars enrolled in their Sab.
bath Schools in the Territory, and
with them, more than other church,
is the Sabbath School the nursery of
the church. | attended one Of theiI
Sabbath Schools yesterday morning.
Owing to bad weather but 1876 out
of membership of over 200 were
present. 1t was as intelligent, earn.
est and interesting a school as one
often meets. The singing, recita.
tionS, and lectures from teachers and
superintendent were all well con.
Quoted and without an objectionaI
feature; and when we reflect that
this constant and earnest work has
been going on in this far away place
where no advantage was given fol
any other belief for over forty years
and that nine-tenths of this entire
church have been born in its faith
and taught only its doctrines, We
must admit that no church has a
more conscientious following thar
the mormon church. How natura
for them to think they are being
prosecuted for their religious belief
as the righteous have in ages before
yesterday afternoon / attended ser
vice in their Tabernacle, which seats
ten thousand, and is so arranged
that speaker can be easily under
stood in any remote corner. Here
all the people assemble each Sabbath
afternoon to listen to words of lif'
from the bishops and elders, anC
partake of the sacrament dread ant
water). Bishop Whitney officiat
ed. He is young man, and on,
OF their best speakers; eloquent anC
earnest, and well calculated to holt
his people solid in the faith as re
vealed by Joseph Smith, and in nice
ly chosen words he taught them t.
entertain true Christian pity 70
those engaged in their persecution
If they would sincerely abandon
plural marriages, their propert
should be given back to them, an,
they allowed to worship God urde
their own vine and fig tree, as thei
religion, outside of the one thing
is the best for them, and as rationa
as a hundred other religions tina
are meeting with no opposition.
Yours Very Truly,
john M. BARTLETT.
Salt Lake City, March 26, 1888.