Omaha daily bee., 1889-11-04
WHERE BRIGHAM Is BURIED.
A Pen Picture of the City of the
Saints,
CHANGES IN TWENTY YEARS,
Almost a Complete transformation
Much OF Interest to n Visitor
at the Tomb of the
Prophet
At the Tomb OF the Prophet.

spondence Of The BEE. 1T is difficult 10
describe this city to one who has never been
here So much is to be seen, more than one
ambitious citizen has felt the spirit move
him to picture a modern paradise, hence
there are books upon books about Salt Lake
City.
Since my last visit in the winter OF 1s69.10,
Salt Lake has undergone a complete trans
formation. IL was then place of 10000
people. The population has doubled, and is
increasing at the rate of 20 per cent per
annum. i see no reason why 1T should not
have upwards of 100000 within FIVE years.
1t presents finer appearance than Omaha
when it had 40, 900 people. Then 1t showed
a civilization distinct from the rest of the
country, and the people were dressed in
lnsey to encourage home manufactures;
modest two story buildings greeted the eve
on every side, the tabernacle was barely
completed, Qt had no galleries then) and
the great 500, 900 organ was being finished;
the temple was up to the first
story; the Mormons were largely
predominant; the Gentiles were discreet and
Brigham Young was alive, though recover
ing from q recent attack of the mumps or
whoopiug cough, which was regarded as re-
markable thing for man of his advanced
years. Even the popular American beverage
was dignified with the euphonious title of
''valley tan" among the saints, and the TowG-
send was the only hotel of any consequence.
The old civilization has disappeared. The
people on the streets wear the typical Ameri-
can costume, home man ufacturars are flour
ishing and increasing, great industrial lnst-
tutions are being built, and the woolen mills
can barely supply one-tenth of the demand
for their product. Elegant three, four and
hve-story business blocks grace the principal
streets. ana beautiful brick and stone dwell
iugs with handsome lawns and gardens are
numerous in the residence portions of the
city.
The tabernacle. with its wonderful accous-
tics, perfect whisper can be heard, or a
pin TO drop, from its pulpit to the gallery in
the extreme end of the structure, begins to
show the signs of age. The Assembly House
has siGce been built, and over it the angel,
presumably bearing the golden plates that
David Whitman saw, spreads its wings like
its prototype on the temple of the Sun in the
frownng city of Milosls. We of the GENTLE
| faith regard the story as fabulous, but to the
Mormon it is as real as any event of his daily
| life
The great temple, costing $4,000, 900, to be
finished IN the course of several years. is
pointing its spires heavenward. and in its
darkened chambers the ceremonies Of the
church will be performed, long years after
common sense and loyalty to this govern
ment shall dictate to the Mormons to give
up their peculiar institution so baneful to
the material development of Utah, while it
dominates this fair and beautiful valley.
Churches of every denomination are here,
and of one 1t is the Episcopal seat, Bishop
Tuttle being one of the best and most active
clergymen.
The Mormons cannot now be distinguished
by the stranger on the streets; and the Gen
tiles are bold IN their outspoken determina-
tion to build up here the midland commercial
metropolis of the country, in the country be-
tween the Missouri and the Pacific. The
| natural resources of the country are in their
favor. Buttheir discretion of twenty years
ago has apparently gwen way to impatiencc.
The disputes of Liberal or anti-Liberal,
Mormon or Gentile possess no significance
in the commercial world, except to debar the
Investment Of eastern capital The man
of the east cares nothing for the local differ
cnces of the people. He weighs the
chances of the profitable investment
of his money. If favorable, in it
goes, promoting commerce in all its currents
and increasing the population by opening
new avenues of employment. If not favora-
bic, he puts his money elsewhere
Brigham Young has passed away. His
homes, the Lion and the Bee Hive, have be-
come the Headquarters of great corporations.
And as one wends his way through the
Eagle gate, short walk brings one to his
grave. Through the attention of the old
| sexton, a devoted Mormon. the gate of the
iron fence around the lot is opened, and l
was admitted to the enclosure
Standing by his tomb, / was deeply i'm
pressed with the vanity of the strifes, ainb-
tons and honors of this world. Here was a
man recognized as q Moses or Joshua
among his people; an instrument of God in
founding civilization In the Wilderness; a
man whose voice was law to thousands;
crowned with highest honors by his church,
handling his wealth by many millions; a
governor and president. Before me was
an iron fence, nameless grave, plain
stone slab, basket of faded
flowers, a single wreath, the glft of a lady
but a few moments before. Inside the
grave doubtless there is q pine box ana me-
tallc casket, containing the bling bones
of man whose children are refused the
privilege of being buried beside him.
There is much To interest the visitor to
3r'ghams tomb. In spite OF you, the his
tory of the sufferings and endurance of the
Mormons on their advent into the valley
comes TO the memory, of their steadfast
faith in the Lord, that He would send deliv-
erance, when they were without solid food
for months how the grasshoppers and
crickets came to destroy their crops, when
the people kneeled down and prayed, and the
seagulls came and devoured the pests, de-
livering the people from famine and despair.
The Mnrmons speak of this as a fact which
can not bs disputed.
But a short distance from the burial lot
stands hill covered with sage brush. Such
was the appearance of the valley when the
Mormons entered it. Under your feet is tho
bright green grass. such as we have at home
Here the past and the present are before
you, and irrigation has wrought the CHANGE
marvellous as IL IL.
Next TO Brigham's grave ls that OF Mary
Ann. Next to hers is Elizabeth t. S. Smith,
the wife of Joseph. Behind you is grave
lovingly inscribed to "Tne Mother" another
wife of Brigham Young. Sadder than all
this human history among the dead was
when the sexton turned and said, "Here lies
the body of Alice Clawson, the daughter of
Brigham When 1 saw her at the old
theater twenty years ago she was radiantly
beautiful. Nothing but the green grass, not
even a flower, marks her resting place. In
beauty her style resemDled Nelson, the
gifted and beautiful daughter of genius,
whose tomb is daily strewn with fragrant
| flowers by some gentle, loving hand, but
Alice Clawson sleeps in an unknown grave.
"Are we SO soon forgotten when we are
| goner Do these Mormon people think aud
| say: ''Are we loved living and forgotten
| when we are dead!" If so, the burial of Alice
| Clawson reveals the coldness of religion IN
| which there is no place for one of the gentlest
| human attributes. for in our ''cities OF the
! dead' we lay the sleepers tenderly away,
| and then strew their graves with tears and
| flowers, while q graceful column recounts
| the virtues of the one who has passed away.
On leaving the enclosure the thoughts re-
| Cured; "In the days of innocence Adam
| FELL" and turning TO the gentle old man,
| after listening 10 what he had TO say on the
| tenents of his church, said TO him, I'm the
| days of our first parents, man and one vito
WAS the rule. but in the dayS of the patri-