Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-04-05
Dome Department.
AMERICAN LETTERS, NO. 10.
DENVER, COLORADO, March i, lss

The first day OF spring; weather, mia |
and very pleasant. There is but very
little snow here, almost none at all, but
plenty on the mountains. This is fine
city of pleasant location and prettily
built. The church and the school house
have kept well up in the march of Amer
lean emigration westward, but if the one
uphods the fear of God begin to sus-
pect that the other must instruct in pro-
family. AT any rate the great American
nation seems to be wonderfully proficient
in taking the name of God in vain. And
when it is perceived that there is no pro-
family whatever among the Mormons, the
question seems to be fair one, whether
this great national habit, that here in the
West would seem, as you travel, to be al
most universal among men and boys, and
in the East enough so, is not largely due
to our system of public schools and their
efforts to be unsectarian, banishing the BIZ
BILE and all religious instruction. If the
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wis
dom, and it's bold man who dares say it
is not, wouldn't it be well to have that
fear the basis of instruction in our
schools.
The school house here Il. Denver did
not notice, though have noticed them in
several cities very fine; but there is the
most magnificent stone Methodist church
at the foot of Capitol hill And saw a
number of other very splendid churches.
also looked over the court house. a very
credltabe one. As Il rule, the public
buildings of the Americans are excellent.
The Rocky mountains come near Denver
to the west. Denver itself is over 1000
feet above the sea. 1t seems to be a rap
idly or, wing city and has now perhaps
$4,000 Inhabitants.
Salt Lake city is not more than half
this size, but it, too is a fine city Though
very differently built. 1t is. perhaps, the
best laid out city in the world. All its
streets are avenues or boulevards. some
twelve rods wide, at right angles or par
alel to each other. These continue far
into the country. 1t seemed as if one of
, them we could follow with the eye 20
miles. Much of the city is well built, but
i, it is its superb arrangement that makes
it so attractive. 1t was a sunny city
/ while we were there, and judge must be
so large part of the year. The climate
is said to be a very healthy and agreeable
o one. Mountains huge and high extend
about it. TO the east they are very near,
the streets running up upon them; at the
south, perhaps 10 miles away. All now
{ are covered with snow. Hills rise to the
little of the Salt Lake shows at the north.
west. And here are gathered the Nor
, mons, a religious sect, who undoubtedly
t believe their religion as much as other
;, sects do theirs. We notice certain cred
table things about them. There is abso
!, lutely no profanity, and the children
y seem universally well behaved and civil
S There are, too, no houses of lll-fame. The
, courtesan is unknown. But the system
$ of marriage, to which this last fact i
IL probably due. is a most one-sided one
y 1t does not treat the woman as an equal
> 1t breaks up, too, the sacred character OF
O home.
IS came from Salt Lake City by the Den
5 yer and Rio Grande railroad, which i;
-' very noted for the startling character Of
its scenery. 1t is narrow guage road
length 700 miles. The captain and candy
n merchant were both on the train. Ou
first stop for dinuer was under one o
- those numberless mountains. 1t wa
If quite pretty Norman village. and yer!
II pretty Norman young woman dispensed
J. the coffee and the pie. The sun was brigh
Il and the weather like that of spring. Out
IS side around the cars numerous children
, came with baskets of apples and pears
II every one of them earnest and civil
"a shortly after leaving this place we lief
r, Salt Lake City plain and entered tn
mountains. We came out upon anothe
plain that was not irrigated and then W
ran into the night. At ) in the mornin.
we passed through one great ravine: la
ter we crossed the Rocky Mountains at a
elevation of nearly 900 feet. On thes
mountains were low trees. At their to
when not hidden by the snow sheds
vast view of mountain tops: 1000 fee
above Us rose one of these thai seemed I
y be the king. BY another circuitous rout
our train descended to the eastern valley
=. 1t then came by following this To III
+. broader valley of the Arkansas river
he But the most marvellous thing on thi
nc route is the canon of the Arkansas throug
"a, another range of the Rocky mountains
tn The railroad follows closely the route c
It, the river. 1t follows it humbly, too.
a number of miles we are winding throug
is, this, all narrow, and at times thousands
feet above US, almost perpendicular, rls
Ig- the rocks. At last we get through, Th
" Rocky mountains are behind us. W
In have now disentangled ourselves frol
L. 4, L.. L. e..