The record-union., 1891-02-21
WONDERS OF utah.
Some of the Very Finest Mines in
America.
Lands Cultivated With
out Irri9ation-Bright Future Out.
look Of the Territory of
Splendid Building Material.

There is probably no country in history
that has, in the same length of time. taken
such hold upon the Imagination of man
as Utah. 1t can never be common-place
country with its bold landscape, its beau
tiful climate, its wonderful lake, its
stretches of level valley and its ranges of
mountains rising rapidly into the regions
of perpetual snow. The well-1narkec
shores of Lake Bonneville, which, ir
ancient days, covered the entire country,
making islands of the largest ridges, is OF
itself curiosity. The old water line is
as clearly marked on the mountain side
as it could be drawn on a map.
The mining industry is always an in
teresting feature, and no matter how
wonderful the processes of nature may be
in the growth of q blade of grass or of the
filling of the field of wheat with golden
grain, the average mind sees nothing
miraculous in that, but when strangers
can watch the processes of the miner and
see the metal melted from the rock, or
hammered out of the ore, their wonder
never ceases. But Utah's mines are not
interesting to the tenderfoot alone. for
the financier finds much to attract in
lilOuiIY
the old theories greatly, and i'll some
cases they have been entirely upset.
But. perhaps, the greatest curiosity in
the Territory is the Mormon Church,
which has transplanted section of
Asiaticibarbarism Of three thousand years
ago, into the middle of the American Con-
tinent in the nineteenth century. The
vast amount of canvassing for proselytes,
and the romances spread abroad, have
advert ised the organization in every cor
ner of the world and covered it with a
glamo nr which is not entirely dispelled
even upon close acquaintance. The
stormy history of the church, and the
many tragic scenes 1t has gone through,
have done much to excite the curiosity
and interest of people everywhere
The creed Of the Mormon Church is so
at variance with all American ideas. that
the Lnan who can religiously practice po-
lygaEny, who can so far ignore public
opinion i'll this age as to marry two or
more wives and bring up different fani-
lies i'll a public manner, becomes himself
rare curiosity to the citizen of every
civilized country. Their homes, stretch
ing out i'll rows of from two to half a
dozen houses, each with its separate en-
try nd its separate set of children play
ing IN the yard, are strange features of an
American city, and one that visitors
never tire of hunting up and talking
aboCf.
Utah is particularly interesting at this
peri od of its history. The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,' as its
members love to call it, is undergoing Il
very important transition, and while its
adherents are as jealous in their support
as ever ofthe divine truth of the doctrines
of polygamy, yet, beyond all doubt, the
vigorous efforts made by the United
States officers to enforce the law, are
having their effect, and il will be impos-
sible for the practice to continue. We
hear sometimes that such marriages are
being continually made, and are as pu-
merous as they ever were, but 1 believe
THAI no one familiar with the facts be-
ieveS that. The influx of gentiles is
affecting society, and the intercourse be-
tween the old settlers and the new is
continually growing in coroiality, and
this, in the end, must result in passing a
taint upon law breakers here such as
there is everywhere else in the world.
For long time the young people have
support of the doctrines of the church has
been less than lukewarm. When this
question is settled, and the practice of
pOlygamy stopped, the Mormon Church
can safely be left to itself and society, the
same as every other church. It's people
are sincere, honest-minded and simple in
their faith, reminding one very much of
States. Outside Of the towns and cities
they live as did our fathers and mothers,
who were the early pioneers of the East
ern and Middle States.
l have been much among the outer
settlements in Utah, and have taken
many meals and spent many nights in
the homes of the farming class A bless
ing is invariably asked in the unctious
manner and homely phrase of the Indi-
ana or Ohio Methodist of forty years ago,
closing with, &c for Christ's sake. Amen.b
l looked for some reference to the church
doctrines, or its martyrs and heroes, but
none was made.
The scarcity of currency always found
IN new settlements prevails there, and
again reminds us of the early days in the
older States. Wages are low, credits are
long and payments are largely made by
barter. There is very little chicanery,
litigation or dishonesty. Fashion is COM
ing into the towns, however, and there is
big change in the manners of the peo-
pie since the pre-railroad days, when the
theater-goer bought his ticket with a
pumpkin and got little pumpkin for
change if his was too large.
CaDdor compelS me to say that the
Mormon mind runs sadly to slang There
is local name for nearly everything, par
ticularly for the unpopular ones. The
penitentiary, which has been patronized
Salt Lake Tribune is the ''Trib; - an in
dicted Mormon is 'spolyg;' the church
store is the coop" etc. Some of the
locallsms are quite amusing, and they are
always expressive. Inquiring for certain
parties in a neighborhood the stranger
will be informed that he is on the s' un-
derground," which means that he is in
dicted for plural marriage and is in hid
ing. Many women, with one or two
children, are found living by themselves,
and the answer to a question as to their
identity is, "Oh, that is a polyg widow
what got left,'' which, translated, means
that she was not the first wife, so was put
away by her husband, who is still bound
to support her, but cannot claim her as
wife.
The wonderful discipline of the church
has led to the development of the re-
sources of Utah to degree unparalleled
in any of her neighbors. The natural
laws governing immigrants have been
superseded there by the stern hand of
the church, which said to one, $50, and
he goeth; and to another, come, and he
cometh.". The questions of profit and
loss, supply and demand, have been
largely ignored in the settlements of the
outlying valleys. Brigham Young, with
an eye to the strategic importance of the
different sections, has peopled them by
sending the raw immigrant from Dem
mark and England into places where a
man would never go himself to make
home and bring up family. But Brig
ham, after providing him with wives
enough to reclaim the land and work
ranch, would put him out into some fer
tile district where there was danger
of other settlers coming in and securing
lands, which, in the end, would be valua-
bic, and, if necessary, contribute some-
thing to his subsistence until he was able
to support himself.
If such a master hand could have con-
trolled the labor of servile class of this
character and made use of the possibili-