The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-09-11
The City of Salt Lake


Oh the American continent than Salt
Lake city. A facinating mingling Of
the old and the new draws tourists
there. Salt Lake city is at once the
Zion Of distinct religious people, and
the thriving metropolis Of great in
ter-mountain region. The traveller,
facinated by stories of the early days
OF the Mormon commonwealth, is
filled with patriotic feeling when in
vestigating the marvellous develop
ment of an American state that has
its roots deep in the principles Of in
1 dustrlal cooperation. The tourist is
allured to Salt Lake to study the old.
He remains to enjoy the fine climate,
the enhancing scenery, the wonderful
sea bathing and the varied of human
interests.
And what Of the romantic story
which thrills the world? A repetition
Of the wandering Of the Israelites, a
paraphrase of Biblical history, though
strangely perverted. Most cities are
essentially alike, in that they owe
their origin to the ease with which
they can be reached-to their location
on the sea coast, by a river, or the
building of a railroad or canal; but
with Salt Lake city it was exactly the
reverse. 1t was founded where it was
about as inaccessible spot as could
be found on the American continent
much more so than ID the case Of
Pierre today-and thus the best fitted
for city OF refuge, the home of a
separate people, the seat OF a great
religious hierarchy with which the
world was not in sympathy.
To this valley in 1S47 came Brigham
Young and his band of one hundred
and forty Latter Day Saints. Their
history had been a succession Of
hegiras from Kirkland in Ohio, Zion
and Far West in Missouri, Nauyoo in
Illinois and Winter Quarters in Iowa,
from which latter point, led by the
star which ever beckons the Anglo
Saxon home builder, these religious
zealots took up a journey across an
unknown one third Of the American
continent. No books of the pioneers
themselves adequately describes the
suffering of this and subsequent ex-
petitions. One must hear the tale
from the lips of the survivors of this
hardy band or from their childrcn--as
it was told to me-to fully appreciate
the story of that toilsome march,
which, however, we may criticise the
impelling motive, constitutes an epic
of heroism rarely surpassed.
In the forenoon of July "a, lS47,
headed by their counsellor and guide,
Brigham Young, this little band OF
men came through gap in the
Wasatch range-then called the
Mexican mountains and looked down
upon and over the Great Salt Lake
valley. After the weary months o1
marching across the uninhabiUe6
pralries of Iowa, the desert sands O
Nebraska and the arid, sage brusl
plains Of Wyoming, it was a grandl.
beautiful Sight which met their tiret
eyes. At their feet were running
streams from the melting SHOWS upol
the mountain tops; spread befor,
them, glistening like FURNISHED silve
in the sunlight, Great Salt Lake
Thrusting his cane in the ground
Brigham Young exclaimed, witt
almost prophetic vision; "here wei
build our temple" True to his wor
six years after, he laid, upon that yer
spot, the corner stone OF what, afte
forty years Of labor, completed one Q
the most magnificent edifces to re
ligious worship that stands in all th
world.
BY a singular freak OF fortune, th
spot of ground into which BIghar
Young thrust his cane subsequent
proved to be meridian line, and a
the surveys of the city have here thei
initial point. A few rods away, i
the center of the principal bushes
street, stands the monument erecte
to his memory and his followers VIII
founded the city. From this part 6
the city--hallowed to all Mormons-
now known,as Temple Court-the cit
spread in all directions though tina
which is most sacred to all Mormon
dunn is clustered within pistol sho
of this sacred spot.
The Latter Day Saintsas they pre-
fer to be called--they object to th
word "Mormon "and GENTLE both
found the great valley an arid waste
they have made it a garden. Wit
no capital save that of brain an
Drawn, they literally compelled til
desert to sustain them. On soil tha
was SO hard it broke their plowshart
they turned water from out of
canon above the present city and raj
ed crop of potatoes the first seasol
This was the first Anglo-Saxon g