Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-12
pecial correspondence to tho Argus:

ouoOthOns
Special Correspondence TO the Argus:
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 10-The
route from Grand Junction to Green
river, a space of over one hundred miles,
is almost desert. On the north are the
Book range of mountains, while in the
distance to the southwark are the snow
capped peaks of the Sierre La Sal and
San Rafael. Beyond Green river we
enter Castle Valley with its many singu,
lar and cariously shaped rocks and prom
licences. resembling ancient castles,
domes and spires. and now a gigantic
sphinx-like head appears. Leaving
Castle Valley we pass through Castle
Gate, two perpendicular lodges of rock.
one measuring five hundred, and the
other four hundred and fifty feet from
top to base, to enter the Price River
Canon in which we beg in the steep ascent
OF the Wasatch mountains. From now
on to the summit, then down Soldiers
Canon. through the Red Narrows and
into Spanish Fork Canon, we find our
selves whirled along through beautiful
mountain scenery whose gorges, csnons,
peaks and parks are un surpassed in grams
deur, rare beauty aud picturesque ap-
pearance scenes of loveliness that are
ever changing in the sublime panorama
of scenic surprises that are unfolded to
our wondering admiration. Soldiers
Canon takes its name from Sidney john
son having marched mis- army through
these narrow deflles, al d past Castle Gate
home from Utah. Suddenly we are shot
out into mountsin-girded Utah Valley
with It's crystal lake, fine farm houses
long lines of fruit trees and lovely gar
dens. 1t has delightful climate and IS
said to be one of the best farming Sec
lions of Utah. 1t is An oblong- shaped
basin; on the east is the Wasatch noun
tains, on the west OquIrsh range, north>
ward the foothills shut out the view of
the Great Saltlake, while in the south, the
east and west ranges close it in,
with Mount Nebo, gran dest of the Utah
peaks, towering maiesticallv above all the
surroundings. Provo and Springville
are in this valley. Leaving Provo we
glide along the banks of the River Jor-
dan, which flows from Utah lake north
ward into Salt lake. through a narrow
channel which, at the Narrows, is q deep
rounding mountains, mountains whose
wild. stupendous cliffs towering heaven
ward 5000 feet, holding eternal snow
banks in thin river bas us that the sum
mer's sun can never melt. But soon we
enter Salt Lake valley and now bid good
bye to the changing. understandable pic
turesaue, and exquisite y beautiful noun
tain scenery through which we have lust
passed. From here tt Salt Lake City
the road along the Jordan is lined with
farms and small villages; the houses sur
rounded by fruit trees of great variety
have an air of neatness and home com
fort that betokens culture and
refined taste. Aside from their
heterodoxy, these people. many of
them at least, seem to be IN
usually prosperous, happy and contented
in their rural homes. At almost every
station we found blooming. rosy-cheeked
msidens. with baskets OF golden apples
and delicious pears at Il merely nominal
price. Along the entire valley hardly a
foot OF ground remains uncultivated. At
one point we passed village with the
wreath ed smoke of the smelters and fur.
nsces hanging over it
Arriving at the depot on the outskirts
of the far farmed, wor d, renowned city,
We leave the train and take free bus for
the hotel. Il being Sunday evening when
we arrived, my daughter and some of the
religiously, or, perhaps. curiously in
clined OF our party, attended Mormon
church. Salt Lake City is built upon u
lovely site, where nature has filed III the
picture with all the charming splendors
Of mountains, valley, river and lake, and
SO situated as to make t the distributing
center OF supplies for several states and
territories. Ii has broad streets and side
walks The streets art lined with shade
trees, and the cutters in the summer sea-
son are filled with clear running water
from the mountain streams. The resi-
dence lots are large squares, many OF the
buildings palatial, win beautiful lawns
and flower gardens. the whole being sur
rounded by shade trees in lovely contrast
with their secluded splendor. The bus>
mess portions are compactly built. The
Mormon sections have been so often de
scribed that / will only give them passing
notice. The tabernacle, endowment
house, assembly hall and the temple &C.
cupy a large square. The temple, the
architectural design OF which was given
to Brigham Young by revelation, was to
come together like King SolomOn's tens
ple-wlthout jar or the sound of the
hammer. King SolOm on's temple was
completed. but as to this Mormon temple.
hammer or no hammer, there will, no
doubt. be considerable jarring before it is
finished. The Bee Hive, once the home
eff the prophet Brigham. and opposite the
house of President TAYLOR. together with
the cooperative store, is about all the
buildings Immediately connected with the
Mormon church. The school buildings
public or denominational-wll com.
pare favorsbly with those of other west>
ern cities. There are church buildings
here, some OF them eleR ant structures. be
longing to almost every religious dsnom-
inatiOn. 1t is an elegant city with pop
ulation of 30 900, and an air of neatness,
cleanliness and prosperity that betokens
for 1t. Mormonism to the contrary not
withstanding. a glorious and brilliant
future.
The climate OF Utah ia delightful. and
her resources seemingly unbounded. Her
mountains, apart from the deposits of the
precious metals, are wonderful stores
houses of accumulated treasures of raw
materials, merchantible quantities Of iron
ore; bituminous coal veins, one hundred
feet in thickness; red and yellow ochres.
for the manufacture of ire-proof paints;
slate Of various colors for roofing pur-
poses; variegated marbles and building
stone in infinite variety; rock salt, alum,
borax, gas shale. black graphic. mica.
ssltpetre. sulphur. and variety OF other
mineral and chemical substances too