The herald., 1897-05-09
THE ROME OF AMERICA
RzM1x1sczNr VIEW OF SALT LAKE CITY
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Now that every one seems to regard 1t
as settled that we are to have a railroad
to Salt Lake, as that city is called for
short, 1t may be well to know what man
ner OF men these are whom we are to
have for neighbors. for those Of Salt
Lake are an aggressive lot, and in the
event of the completion of the long-de-
sired connecting link will make them
selves felt--will surely leave their i'm
press upon the social and commercial
life of Los Angeles,
Maybe there is dim, religious sort OF
humor in the proposal to unite the Rome
of America with the City Of the Angels
And think I have named Salt Lake
well, for It Is the only other city whera
the head of a church is located, where
ecclesiastical laws are made and whence
they are afterward promulgated.
But. to resume. Salt Lake Is push
ing city: its people are progressive ard
well versed in the arts Of commerce.
They are also social men and women;
fond of the opera. the drama, music and
good manners. In some way, indeed,
which those who study the tendencies of
human heredity may explain. there has
grown up from the stock Of which rough,
unpublished Brigham Young and his un
couth but determined followers were the
matrix, people fond OF the refinements
of civilization and the arts Of an older
culture.
This, indeed, may be the result Of ex-
perience. for Salt Lake has lived rapidly
and though but about so years of age.
has a history in which are recorded In
dian massacres, migratlons, the vicissi-
tudes of an Independent government,
persecution for religions sake. and wars
for civil, social and individual liberty.
It Is not too much to say, however, that
the inception of this modern city, city
old beyond its years, was early in the
century when Joseph Smith had his WIS.,
ion and conceived the plan Of what we
irreverently call the Mormon religion
but what Is more correctly styled the
Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints.
Such religion could not live in the
older communities from which the spirit
of Puritan intolerance. inherited from
the older stock, had not been entirely
eradicated by the declarations of lib
eral constitution. From the time he took
upon himself the task Of proselyting the
world to his new belief Joseph Smith
invited sneers, taunts and even physical
violence, for the older Inhabitants OF
New York and of the entire country at
that time were welded to accepted re-
ligious theories.
A discussion of the Mormon religion at
this time Is not relevant, however. The
story of the removals from one place to
another. of the prosecutions inspired and
largely accomplished through the force
of an adverse public opinion, of the mur
der of Smith. of the burning of the tenn
pie at Nauvoo. Illinois, and Of that long,
weary march from the latter town across
the snow-covered plains of Nebraska
and over the Rocky mountains, are mat
tiers OF history. 1t will suffice to say tina.
with Brigham Young Salt Lake really
began. 1t was in the fertile brain of that
apostle that the plan Of religious haven
away from the prosecutions of intoler-
ants and beyond the confines Of the
United States was first conceived, and
that memorable morning when he led
the first band of zealots across the Mis-
sissippi river and took up the long march,
knowing not whittier, and guided by
the counsels of God alone" he became
the man the Mormons to this day honor
as a leader of unparalleled sagacity.
1t must indeed be admitted by every
body that Brigham Young was an ex-
ecutive of great ability, a natural lead
er Of men, and one who by his acumen
and grasp Of any problem, however diff
f1cult of solution, demanded their re-
spect, and his seeming unselfishness
won their love. He shared their hard
ships and discomfor.s, grieved when
they grieved, rejoiced with them, and
feasted when his fellows did. He was
a ruler of an iron hand, who demanded
and secured obedience to his flats. Let
there be and there was" may be truly
said of him-a man who did more than
any other to create Salt Lake City
who promulgated the theory that a
woman's highest duty is to bear chill
dren-that man must take to him
self as many wives as his means will
allow, and who set the example by we'd
ding thirty-three women and becoming
the father of sixty-three children.
Grim visaged, stern. just, command
ing. unyielding, yet merciful, Of Won
drous magnetic presence and a careful
calculator of cause and effect--here is
q true pen picture Of this old man,
of whom the Mormons wish to erect
statue in statuary hall in the capitol
at Washington.
It was in June, 1S47, that he, in the
course of his long march. arrived at the
South pass in the Rocky mountains.
whence view of the basin of the Great
Salt lake may be had.
The view of the basin seemed to set
tie his mind. and he Immediately di-
rected Orson Pratt q follower. and later
an apostle, to select detachment from
the band of footsore and weary men
to proceed to the place and take pos
session Of 1t in the name of Jesus Christ
and the Latter Day Saints. He fol-
lowed with the residue.
1t was on July 81 that Pratt emerged
from Emigration canyon pass through
the Oquirrhs, and beheld the wild and
desolate basin spread before him Three
days later Brigham Young and his par
ty arrived
Salt Lake is therefore but few weeks
less than fifty years old.
Procrastination had no place in the
Mormon philosophy. and labor was i'm
mediately commenced. Brigham
Young laid out the city in blocks COM
prising ten square acres. Under his d.
rcetion, too system Of irrigation was
planned, completed and crops planted.