The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1895-09-12

Some OF the Impressions Gathered From a
TWO Days visit in Mormondom
Editorial Correspondence. ]

the Latter Day Saints, is "a peculiar
town in many respects, and yet in 9TH
er ways one cannot distinguish in it
anything different from other American
cities of so, 900 population. Our party
arrived there August 27, and for two
days we were on the go trying to see it
all in forty EIGHT hours. For myself,
the recollection of this Mormon city are
mot pleasant, as my wife was quite i'll q
part Of one dav, and sickness, no mat
ter how slight, turns ones thoughts
thomeward. Nevertheless we saw most
of the points of interest and obtained a
good, general idea of the city and its
environments.
Surrounded entirely by what seems
to be a great desert, when one notes the
existing conditions nothing less than a
feeling of admiration for these people of
Iindomitable will comes over one and at
least one degree Of prejudice regarding
the Mormons has been removed.
The city was originally settled by
the N(ormons i'll July, 1847, and today,
although the population is about equal
| ly divided between Mormon and Gen
rile, it abounds in monuments and me-
mentos of this strange people. They
laid out the city in squares six hundred
and siXty-siX and twO-thirds feet in
length, each square containing ten acres.
The streets are one hundred and thirty
two feet wide and every street is
shaded. Along both sides of every
street flow streams of sparkling noun
tain water. Every house seems to be
surrounded by green lawns and one
looks in vain for poor mans home.
And why is this? Industry. Every
Mormon is first worker. No drones
are tolerated and one will never in that
country encounter a Mormon loafer,
tramp or beggar. And yet these peo-
pie giUe one-tenth of all they earn to
| the church.
have it on the word of prominent
banker of Salt Lake City that out of
sixty four cities having clearing houses
Salt Lake City outranks thirty one, in
Guiding Washington city with its
200,000 population and it's government
and treasury department thrown in to
SbOOt
The Salt Lake enthusiast will tell
you that it is the best hostelried city OF
it's size in the country. / should like
to believe him. We were directed to
the Walker house, which is said to
abound in historic memories and asso-
Citations. The memories we have with
us and the associations after 10 p. m.
were ga bounding" Grant, Dom
Pedro, Patti and other notables are
said to have been it's guests. | don't
know that any of these personages are
responsible for the signs of activity
now present at the Walker. | hope
! mot. One thing is certain, the early
settlers in that hotel joined the Nor
mons and not only have many wives,
but large families.
Churches of all denominations are
numerous and the structures artistic,
but of course the church of churches is
the great tabernacle. visited it. 1t
looks from the exterior like a prodigious
egg she'll cut in two lengthwise, and is
built wholly of iron, glass and stone.
The auditorium seats Is, 1852 people and
the acoustic properties are so perfect
that the dropping of a pin can be heard
all over it.
The great organ is one of the largest
in existence. 1t is fifty eight feet high
and contains more than twenty five
hundred pipes, some of them as large
as the smoke pipes of a steam barge.
We missed the grand concert which had
been arranged for our entertainment,
as our train left in the early evening.
The great Zion Cooperative Mer-
camille Institution or Mormon store is
one OF the sights of the city. All good
Mormons trade there and from It's
stock may be obtained everything from
Balm wagon to a wedding trousseau.
The driver who conducted our party
about the city was most entertaining
"a bright, intelligent fellow of perhaps
twenty five. We had been with him
two hours before we found out that he
was Norman. He took great pains
to show and describe the points of in
terest in the Mormon section. 1 had
a pleasant conversation with him, and
he remarked that some of the questions
propounded to him by tourists, made
him exceedingly weary. 1t seemed to
him that strangers expected to find the
Mormons with horns and cloven feet, and
don't doubt it If anyone expects to
find those people one whit behind their
GENTLE brethren in point of intelligence,
politeness, probity and morality, they
will be mistaken. In that city IL Nor
mons word is his bond, and they pride
themselves upon their regulations for
honorable dealing. We visited the
Amelia Palace, which Brigham built
| e., l., ~ L