Omaha daily bee., 1893-11-12
METROPOLIS OF MoNDoM.
Something About tho Characterised OF
the city of the saints.

Something About tho characteristics OF
the city OF the saints.
SALT LAKE CRY, Nov, S.-ICorrespondeuce
o. The BEE. Notwithstanding the fact
that Salt Lake City has been written up
innumerable times Normondom possesses an
interest that even a visit cannot satisfy. [
noticed this particularly on two occasions
r~ecently-in the triumphant tour of the
Tabernacle choir to compete for the grand
chorus prize at the Worlds fair some time
since and the dense crowds which thronged
the Utah building (whose entrance is
through a fac-simile of the famous Eagle
gate erected by Brigham Young here) at
the White city.
There seems to possess the eastern people,
and especially those of the extreme east,
a feeling of curiosity that a Mormon looks
odd or has the appearance of something en-
tirely different from the ordinary resident
and taxpayer of this great country of ours.
When the curiosity Of these peopio is
g~ratiiiod there is a feeling comes over them
likened unto a man who picks up a tin
tobacco tag under the impression that it was
a dime, for even in this, the Capital City OF
the Saints,' it is difficult to distin guish the
difference between GENTLE and Mormon
unless the question of religion Is brought up.
Salt Lake City possesses some curious
features, however, some that the ordinary
visitor may have overlooked. The city is
laid out in blocks four times the size of those
in omaha and the streets are twice as wide
as Capitol avenue, hence, If YOU are a
stranger i'll the city and inquire where a
certain number can be found, and you are
told that it is just two or three blocks up the
street, you are fooled regarding the distance
inSt For n1pn for fkun ~ th ron hlnpkl moan
II walk of half a mile. Throughout these
blocks. in the old part of the city, no alleys
run and the houses are scattered promiscu-
ously over the blocks, making ingress and
cgress extremely difficult. This has become
in late years q serious matter, as the city
grows and assumes metropolitan proper
tons.
1t Is Very English.
The Mormon population is chiefly English,
! and it is often remarked by English tourists
that they see more to remind them of Eng
land here than in any other place visited in
America. This is no doubt true, for many
of the shrubs and trees surrounding the
lovely homes were imported direct from the
| old country.
Down on First South street is a genuine
old English tap room, with sanded floor and
all, and on any evening one can see a motley
crowd of both men and women seated around
the little tables eating u lunch of bread and
| cheese, with q pint of ."alf and 'alf" before
IISlil, bSiiibS Nv iouoiSo w INV hiobiSi
and gossiping in true Cockney style. The
voice of the wiener wurst man after dark is
a familiar one in Omaha. Here it is differ
emit. In no other place in the west have my
ears been greeted with-"Ere you are, sir
OF meat piesl Red OF, sir, both beef and
mutton! only 5 cents" They are really
clean and palatable and are literally bought
by the night toilers. lil
One notices many Inconsistencies in
rambling over the CITY. For instance, one
man has his house painted a sky blue, an.
other a bright pink and another will carry
the sign, 'Calcimiping and white was hing"
over the door, and on the other side Honey
is sold here and announce that fresh yeast
can likewise be obtained at a moderate
price.
Up on Fourth East street is a place thar
looks a cross between a Chinese pagoda and
one of TON Murray's Harvey street
palaces" 1t is a source of great curiosity to
the visitor, being decorated gaily with al
manner of flags, bunting, pictures framed
and tender verses of love posted here and
there, fresh boquets of flowers tied to odd
corners and some creditable plaster casts
of doves and angels stuck on the window
stills and on the roof of the house, If one
could call it that. The interior is as faptas
tic as the outside. The occupant Is n harm
less crank, a bachelor and a Mormon, who
regularly redecorates his abode yearly and
is waiting for 1.-THE bride that never comes.
The story is told that several years ago he
was engaged to q girl in the old country
He came to Zion, prepared a home and wrote
for her TO come. On the way she was taker
suddenly i'll and died, being buried in mid
ocean. A part of the Mormon belief Is tina
q celestial marriage" takes place aftel
Il death which is infinitely more happy than
the earthly one. The disastrous finale to tn.
arrangements of the couple unbalanced his
mind and he is under the impression that hi
bride will at some future day come to him,a nt
regularly on the anticipated wedding da,
he decorates the house, dresses for the wed
ding, places a lamp in The window and pa
tiently awaits her coming.
The quaint old adobe homes, covered will
English ivy and surrounded with beautiful
flowers and fruit trees, that make this
most charming place to visit, are fast disap
pearing in the march of progress, for, as
said before, the city is fast assuming metro
poiitan airs, but with its broad, well pave
streets and permanent sidewalks, shaded
with stately poplars, the snow-capped noun
tains at its back, tho great Salt lake, tn,
wonderful medicinal springs and the fertil
valley, it will always be a delightful plac
to live. r.. w. p.