The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-09-12
Describes His trip From Sa.
lem TO Salt Lake
First Of Series Of Letters--The State Of
Things In the Land Of Brigham Young
and Plural Marriage.

On - LANE DtIll' lOs--h "Trip lToUl JIll
Willamette Valley to the great corn re
gions OF Iowa at this season is a good
deal like the Dutchman's description ol
q telephone line. dizziness at both ends
nit noting in der middle" Our trip
as far as the Rockies was very pleasant,
however, as we followed in the wake OF
refreshing rains.
At Portland we saw the first crush OF
the Elks' Carnival, but we're soon fly
ing up the Columbia at high speed,
the only delays being caused by side.
tracking for the numerous Elk ex-
cursion trains. We were at once settled
in through tourist sleeper for Chicago,
via the Rock Island road.
The o. r. & N. road is in better con-
dition than has it been for years, and
the ride to Huntington was exceedingly
pleasant, The rich valleys Of Eastern
Oregon and the gold fields are giving
that section great life just now. There
is more placer mining in that region
than most people have any idea
of, there being scores Of gold washers
along every creek. Near Huntington
was seen an ideal representation Of
economic methods in the art of secur.
ing the precious trouble-maker OF the
world. II was a modern dredger work.
ing for fine gold in the bed of an old dry
creek. There was pond OF water
about fifty feet across TO float the
dredge boat and at the same time afford
liquid for pumping up the rich sand.
The ground in front OF the machine was
pumped up, the gold removed, and the
refuse sand thrown out behind. Thus
as the bank in front was rem owed that
behind the machine was replaced, and
as IL was worked over, the pond moved
forward. The same precious supply OF
water was used over and over, and il
il holds out long enough il will no doubt
he used until the whole bed is worked
A number Of men are engaged on the
dredge and are said to be making big
thing out Of IT,.
At Nampa, Idaho, where the Oregon
Short Limo switches off for Boise, there
is considerable life. The town OF thou.
sand peop ple is rapidly growing $780,
600 hotel is being built by Col. Dewey,
who controls things there commercially, |
as well as politically. A branch of the
short Line f. being projected from here
10 Butte, and great things are looked
for. Billy Mansfield, formerly Of the
state printing Office at Salem, il running
a semi-weekly Democratic paper here,
and expects TO make il an associated
press daily for the campaign. lie il
doing welT, and is assisted in his editorial
work by his better half
The Oregon Short Line is a well built
road, aud ia about to undertake one OF
the most novel enterprises yet taken up
by railroad people. 1t plans to put on
sprinkling cars aud sprinkle its thousand
miles OF tracks with Salt Lake wa.er,
which will kill every weed for rod on
either side Of the track. Two sprink.
lnga year it is thought will do The
business everldstingly, This will make
II one Of the cleanest roads in existence.
At Ogden we were met by our old
friend Francis Ritter, who acted as our
guide through Salt Lake city, where we
had u six hours lhy-over. We first took
"A car ride 10 Fort Douglas, where Uncle
sam has great military establishment
q thousand feet above the city. From
this point we had a magnificent view of
the city and the &, eat Salt Lake valley +
for an expanse Of fifty miles across as
well rs north and ,outh. From this
point, on the east Of the city, we rode
abound to the north end, whore the great
Mormon institutions are located.
The Mormon temple, the tabernacle
and the assembly hall are the three sa
ired buildings. The first and last
named have never been entered by any
but the truly faithful. The temple is
built of cut granite in cathedral style
and the rocks are all dove-tailed togeth.
pr, there being no mortar used in the
walls above the fou ndation. II was 40
years in building Here fashionable
weddings, conservation of church oil
,ials, etc, are held. In the assembly
hall, which is a rough,hewn stone struc
lure OF great beauty, church conferences
aud official gatherings are held, In the
Iabel nacle, which is vast turtle.shaped
sditice, is where the great unwashed are
allowed TO worship Here regular pub
lie services are held, to which Mormon {
and Gentle are welcomed alike. 1t has
A seating capacity Of $4,000 aud often q
accommodates 10000. Il has one of the
Two finest pipe organs in the world, and }
Is said to possess the best acoustics ever !
produced 10y architectural genius. At I
distance Of POO feet (the room is about
$50 feet long we heard a pin drop, and /
/ only fell distance of six inches. This !
Is open at all times, and there are con. !
itantly present representatives OF the
aith who explain the workings OF the |
,hurch TO all oomers who care to talk to
hem.
Utah has no state house as yet, but
he state officers have elegant quarters
II the joint court house and city hall. u
This is a beautiful stone structure that
ost a million dollars, and occupies full
lock OF ten acres. An the blocks in :
he city contain ten acres, and the
raata ara Iln faaf villa which n,ak,a