Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-28

dering inwardly how I might manage 10
give my impressions OF Utah, or rather
how to give a clear idea OF the situation
there without exaggeration or bias. While
ones life is safe, ones business and friend
ships are endangered by too free expression
OF opinion on public questions out there.
must retain some Of mine while try to tell
undisputed facts. Utah is a most intensely
interesting subject, Of which the end is not
yet, and some day. more than ever in the
past, the United States is going to wake
up TO the fact and face a problem yet UNI
settled, as It is unequaled. Utah is a state
Of the union. Utah is a state Of mind.
Eminent men visit the place for a brief
period and, leaving. publish their views
to the world. 1t is often mere guesswork
on their part and their we'll -intentioned
statements mislead the public. It is i'm
possible to eliminate the religious cues
tion from any reference to the subject. but
at the outset I can say this: Leave Ogden
In the springtime, travel south for some
100 miles through the Salt Lake and Utah
Lake valleys; there is no more inspiring
sight in all the world than the fertile. rich
Mormon farms. with their budding crops
OF grain, the finest vegetables in the land
and hardy fruits Of the most luscious va
rieties. Then the mountains are green
Che sun not having commenced
working %overtime), while from out OF every
canyon and almost every crevice Gods
purest water rushes out in volumes to lave
the thirsty land. This is also true OF
Cache valley north Of Ogden and of several
smaller valleys in various parts of the
state. Then visit the great mining camps
of Park City on the east, Bingham and
Stockton on the west, the Tintic district
and the Mercur mines in the southwest
center Of the state, and Frisco, Copper
Gulch and Iron mountain regions in the
southern portions. These mines give en-
ployment to thousands upon thousands of
men and pour out wealth in dividends each
year SUFFICIENT to give Utah the fourth
rank as a precious metal producing state
Of the union. These mines are growing
in Importance each year and may ultI-
mately be the salvation Of the state. For
the farms cannot be considerably extended
for lack of water, but there is no limit to
the possibilities of the mines. The farms
are owned by the Mormons; the mines are
owned by the Gentiles.
Speaks of
81 said Utah is a state of mind. A
slight prejudice, conceived through what I
had read Of Mormonism, wore away consid-
eraoly after | had spent a while in Salt
Lake City. The blossoming desert and the
sobered religious life Of the people i'm.
pressed me. l was told that the Mormon
had renowned polygamy when state
hood was acquired; that it was not prac,
ticed any more, and when l sought for in
stances Of the Illegal relation, Of which
there were many rumors. l, failed to detect
them. Further, 1t was said that the heads
OF the church had ceased to use their i'm
huence for political purposes, and that the
people, both Gentle and Mormon, had d.
vided on national party lines. This ap-
peared to be the accepted view of the situa-
ton a year ago in the west. Today, how
ever, through the elimination of the events
OF the late campaign, the old hght is on
between the Gentiles and the Mormons, and
1t would not be surprising IL the people
divided on those lines entirely In all future
political campaigns"