The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-05-03
WRITES
Of the Beauties
of Nature
To be Seen in a Trip
to the West.
A LE I I f r
Giving Many Facts
| to Index Readers
As Obtained by a Former
Logan County Man.
A LET 7 7 f R
As Obtained by a Former
Logan County Man.
Portland. Oregon.

April 15, 1904.
Editor of the Index Republican:
On leaving our native county. Logan
County, Ohio. we promised q number
)f our friends description of our trip
to the west. Ny father 81. E. Hen
ierson has been q subscriber TO your
paper as far back as can remember of
taking any interest in newspaper
For ten years past have been in the
in the Ohio Conference OF
the Evangelical Association, but
failing health caused Us TO seek another
90 have landed in Portland,
Oregon. The distance from Ohio to
Oregon when one stops to think
seems great ways but the modern
facilities for travelling has brought
them close together. To describe the
works Of nature that are to be seen as
one crosses the continent is almost i'm
possible.
Words are too cold to express the
great Thought Of God as seen In nature.
Our route was over the Chicago and
Northwestern to Omaha tnen the Union
Pacific TO Ogden and the Southern
Pacific to Portland The first thing
of note WAS the crossing of the largest
double track bridge and treetle in the
United States over the Mississippi riv'
er. This bridge stands 1s5 feet above
the water and is almost one half mile
long and but few miles from the ia
nous Kate Shelly bridge. Denver
Colorado. q city of much note. is as
clean and beautiful a. we ever visited.
Denver is said to be the most hsalth,
city on the globe. The death rate i
the smallest of any city of its siz'
in the world. Portland is the second
in this respect.
From Denver can be seen plsinl,
at q distance of 75 miles Pixies Peal
which wears the beautiful coat o
white glistening snow from one year
end TO the other Here the States Cap
itol building stands and the entir'
building from foundation is one mil
above the sea level so Denver peopl
say that Colorad)'s capital is all abov
sea level. There are no frame build
ings within the city limits of Denver
all being built of brick or stone Th
mountains are beautiful beyond de
scription. and the deserts desolste am
seemingly without expression.
From Denver to Ogden we pass tn
famous pulpit rock. the double slide
the double skater. and great mountain
of granite of every color and design
From Ogden to Salt Lake City is on
among the most beautiful valleys tn
world has. Great Salt Lake is NO
nearly so large as ii once was Tn
water has receded until there sr,
thousands of acres now dry land tina
was once covered with water. Acres
the Lake the Southern Pacific Railroa,
is building track. which is almos
complete, that will shorten their rout.
43 miles and lie a saving to the compsn,
of s1l. 600 daily on freight traffic. Sal
Lake City, the center of Mormonisn
is q place of rare beauty. For thi
place nature has done a great deal
Men and women of means spend thous
ands of dollars and circle the entir,
globe. in order to see more famous
but possibly, far less beautiful scene
than those presented from many view
points in the valley. Nowhere, per
hsps. is there place in the worl'
where the mountains are more ruggedI,
beautiful aud picturesque than ar
those that encircle the great city
There are cities that point with prid
to their mountains. others boast o
their lake fronts. and others of thei
valleys. and beautiful homes, but tn
people of this city have them all, noun
tains. canyons. lake and valleys EN-
braced in one grand scheme q
beauty, and over sll a sky as blue 8
any that ever bends over sunny Italy
In this city is found the great Nor
mon Temple which was begun Febru
ary IA. 1853 and completed April 6
1898. The Temple is 1861 feet lonl
and 30 feet wide. covering an area o
1s. 562 feet. Including the annex ant
smaller connected buildings. the cos
of construction is about four million
dollars. The Temple is built Of granite
1t is closed to the general public, use'
only for the ordinances of the church
Within the walls Of Temple Block is
quaint old adobe building covering tn
United States Meridian stone and ha
astronomical instruments for tskinI
observations.
The large tabernacle in which tn
Mormon people hold their services eacl
Sunday at ? p. m. is also in this blocl
surrounded by q stone wall.
The. tabernacle is about $50 fee
wide. ESQ feet long. and 80 feet high
1t seats comfortably about 8, 900 people
The acoustic properties of this build
ing are wonderful We stood 20