Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-09-24
Do lhs Ea.,ern slsle. Ml..lnn.

susqu hanna. Sept. 10. is9S
Ths history OF the settlement Of
Pennsylvania ana tn early ytlIa II ils
colonial existence have ever been te-
gardcd with peculiar intertag on ae-
| count q the professions and character
Of the people and especially ,helr found
ar. william Penn. Ky his mild. Just
and humane treatment Of th, Indians.
he set an example worthy Of lmisltiln.
I nr1 gave The poor saNagsa, % often
miaundefst,od. abused and mlsrt pre-.
: Fsrted opportunities tn dispiay some OF
/ the virtues " which they have too Of
/ ten been declared 20 b. desiituic. "The
way which "a most right la usually that
o which IN most profitable IN the Cr1"
Speaking from this aec,ion We can
I with prdpfitS say that Pennsylvania
/ ard her people can silll be looked on
[ with the same Interest on account u
her professions and iufuF,ry ns they
/ could formally. Her educational facin-
, tl,s rank hlEh, her commerce 10 consid-
,iable and among the natural produc-
tons ~ tn stare those OF the coal
MINIS take ihe most promlnefe place.
on both sides Of thc Allot h1nies lie
extensive AMI apparently hexhauyilblc
beds u excellent coal, many Of which
are on the Immediate banks. or near
20 the sources u f.rslms. which have
been rendered rivigable BY me aid "
ais and science. and the Increasing
supplies annually Transported, sub.
serve the convenience ana comfort N
millions u people. not In this territory
alone. hu' In half the states OF ihc
Union. Numerous rlllioada ana ~ lin
drivers borrow their motive power from
these mines.
II might be here appropriate to dcs.
cribl IN 4 hriff way the appearance Of
the Lacknwarnt valley which extends
about ilfiy rides north Of sciad ron and
along which The writer has had the
privilege Of walking. From snc md to
m other arfhracite mines abound and
In their vicinity the prevailing tint u
black The m1urfninH dcnuded, 90 an
oxtent. OF their forest nIanile for the
[ timbcring " the mines AMI Under
ground passages far below, are bleak
V.nd back The great piles u calm
rlvaiing In their magnitude the noun
taina Of nature. are black. The little
sluggish str ans that mcardcr through
the narrow gorFrH. poison i aru cllnred
By the drainage % the mlnt1 are OF
lnky black The roads, known here as
turnplkes. over which thr humble mis-
f'1rify travels, are iilled Win pulysr-
lzrd coal duf.. and the mlreff cabins
made rrimy by tho fl0ty atmolphcie
arc an black. The people who toll amid
these surrnundlnga. though not negroes
ar. black. or at best. whom they are
washed up on sundays, thelr'Hkin I
spotted with an iudclble blue marx
itf, from the edge or the anthracite
Extending some few miles north Of
fhia coal belt we come 60 she river
susauehanna. ALONG the beautiful val,
lev which bears IT. name are Altutted
MANY rmali villages and towns, chie'
among them btlna the city of sus'
quohnna. also named after me rlN,i
and IN which wc are a. prcaent locflep
| Connected with she city and nelghbor'
ing country, many Incidents OF caFll
b Church history can be brought q
mind. some few 81 which I will take IN
privilege u abiding 20.
A distance y two miles down IN
river In the little place formerly know
~ Harmony. silll stands thns old h2us
! In which che Prophet Joseph used q
i've and no doubt In which rlri o
the Book % Mormon was Translated
some few weeks since we "Iak the on
plrtuniiy of viewing the place. IN
house though somewhat dllapllatld Q
, a.lil occupied oy family n1med SKIN
ntra They are very accumm 1datri
and will grant those seeking the priv
. legs OF Rlng through II the opportun
! 10y OF lolnE -. We availed ouratlve
OF this privilege ana were INFORMED
, that In the last year Trtat mani
/, others had also been there 10 view III
place and ~ surroundings. Anon
one located upstairs. II was ab1u
J zen feet Wide by twelve feet Ions VIII
one door and one small window TIL
3 we were Informed was Mr.. Smiths VI
} nee room ana more than likely wa
. | where he translated a part % the rec
! orda. While viewing the inttr.1r % mi
room our minds were busy WIN som
4 very grave thoughts. Could Il be tina
we were occupying the room In while
6 | the great Prophet % the last dispense
ton had r,rurrlei and tolled and De
voted every available moment % IN
sacred task % translatlnE from IN
golden records history u past ron
frailonaf Could u b. thr. Mr.. Smlt
was the chlaen Instrument - God 9
bring about the great h,ter-day work
. | Leaving the former thought, We refe
; | 20 the latter, and the reply absurd q
4 1, seems 20 most men among whom W
\ are lahnrlngl "; Joseph Smith wa
4 that choicn one Of Ood % bring abou
/, this work. Not only DO We have IN
4 testimonies OF thousinds o. living soul
A to confirm this statement. but IN
works he has len ~ demonstrate
and the Latier-d1y Saints invite any
one 20 test them by ne Scripture
a O.her proofs could he given but spae
y will not permit. After taking observa
:, iioHs Of The house and ~ surrounding
We visited the old gold dlsglngs !
: which the Prophet worked flr a TIM
n The prospect u on the side of the MI
= about three hundred yards nor,heas. ,
" ,he house, and az present Il mostl
T. allied In with rock that have bee
: gathered from the farm surrounding /
< some maple and CHESTNUT tresu, q
e geihtr with different kinds % hnshC
y are growing around ~ edge. The pes
70 pie here inform Us thlg from this hu
zoe Smith" dug the golden BIB
y nOlk OF Mormon). also those glgantl
n spectlclss through which h. elaine
a 20 see the future. They attempt
~ dlEprove the authenticity Of the Boo
,e % Mormon by the spauldlng Stor,
l. Numerous other charges which appel
s. 30 them ~ great magnitude, al
At brought against our people IN ,ha IVES
OccaEllnally We are fortunate enouR
30 have che privilege 81 dlacussin
these subjects with them. our srient
take a very prominent part In the al
cusaion so long ~ Newspaper and hell
say arguments can be brought I'M
play, but when the real facts are dea
with they fan TO bring any further a
gumenta Sometimes ihey viii llsl,
10 a continuation Of the subject, 9TH
times they viii noti and TOO often v
md them ever ready 10 make up the
judgment uI9n popular rumor.
We have been lahoring In Susqu
hanna county Tor the past two mont
ard are pleased 20 say have hal vsl
good treatment ana we ghluk the pref
~ dlcss held agalns our people are belt
~ removed 10 some extent,
" Your brethren In the Gospel,
OF JOSEPH FfNLINSON.
er ROBERT @. HARRIS.
ar 4 .WtH. gma.uH haru.