The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-11-09
SALT LAKE CITY.
Interesting Talk About q tab and the Nor
mons.
Elisabeth Cummings IN Forwcrd.
mons.


: valley Of exquisite majesty, and from
its situation and It's history is one Of
the most interesting places in oul
country, Fifty years ago, driven out
Of Illinois and Missouri, because Of
their religion, the Mormons crossed
the plains, and on July twenty-fourth,
1847. Brigham Young, with com,
pany Of one hundred and forty-three
persons, the vanguard Of Mormonism,
came through the defle in the Wasatch
Mountains, called Emigration Canon,
and camped upon the spot where now
stands the city.
They had been months on the jour
ney. Encounters With big wolves,
mountain lions, and Indians had
marked the wsy. Sometimes they
had been compelled to make wide
circuit to avoid great herd of buffa-
loes. Brigham Young was ill with
mountain fever. But the first day,
old Mormons will tell you, he went
forth, and, having surveyed the scene,
thrust his cane down into what is now
tie very centre Of the Temple. and
said, Here viii be the house of our
Godp' Five days later two hundred
more emigrants arrived, and the COM
pany now possessed twenty horses,
thirty-fve oxen, and seventy-fve cows.
The country was on the confines OF
Mexico, but in February, l848, it was
formally ceded to the United States.
There was suffering among the peo-
ple the first few years. Water must
be trailed from the canons, for all the
long, bright summer the rain did not
fall; and when the first crops came up,
clouds and clouds of crickets came
also, and threatened to eat up every
green thing. But down from the
Geat Salt Lake swept myriads Of long
winged white gulls and they ate the
crickets. The first crop, however,
was scanty, and the people had to exc
il out with roots of wild plants. The
favorite was the bulb Of q butterfly
lily, known to bosanists as the "Calo-
chortus-nuttallii, = and named by the
Mormons, .'the Sego lily This is
the reason Why fine Of fifty dollars
protects the head Of every pretty gull
IN Utah, and the Sego lily is its State
flower.
At the close Of the FIRST year there
were over Eve thousand people in the
valley. April s, 1853, the corner
Stone Of the grsat Temple was laid,
and April s, 1893. it was dedicated
with great pomp.
AS everything in Salt Lake starts
from the Temple Block, perhaps you
would like to have me describe it.
Like all the blocks in the city 1t is
SIX hundred and sixty feet square.
The Temple stands SO exactly in line
with the points Of the compass, that
we're you to hold plumb-liDe against
the north star you would find it swing
just across the eastern and principal
facade Of the edifce. tits built Of
white granite brought all the way
from the Big Cottonwood Canon, and
covers an area Of 81 $50 square feet.
On the pinnacle Of the central tower
at the east is beautiful angelic figure
blowing a trumpet toward the rising
sun. 1t is made Of hammered copper
overlaid with gold, and is twelve feet
FIVE and one-half inches high. 1t is a
true work Of art. The effe.t is of a
being who is pausing but moment,
and will presently, even as you gaze,
float away upon its shining wings.
This, the Mormons will tell you, is
sfMoroni," the son Of Mormon.
About the Temple is little stretch
Of grass kept dazzling green, then a
graveled walk, then flower border,
then a very high wrought-iron fence.
From the fence, there is grassy ter
race of about Eve feet down to the
level of the rest Of the enclosure.
North Of the Temple is what is called
the Temple Annex, where all cases OF
church discipline are tried.
Directly west of the Temple is the
famous Tabernacle. All the stories
of its wonderful acoustic properties
that you may have heard, you can
safely believe. It will seat ten thou
sand people, who can go out Of it in
ten minutes through It's well-planned
exits. The gothic building to the
south of it is Assembly Hall. used for
the secret rites Of the mormon church
till the completion Of the Temple: All
the space is beautifully kept, for with
water flowers and grass love to grow in
the alkaline soil Of Salt Lake. Around
A. anelosnre IL hieh adobe wall,