The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-04-22
ACROSS THE CONTINENT

ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
A Former Carroll Countian Tells
What He Saw On A Trip Across
the Continent
Mr.. j. Edward Beck, native of Union
town district, Carroll county, Nd, but
no- an active business man of Waynesboro,
Pa, recently took a trip from that place
to Vancouver, Washington In the Way
nesboro Record Mr.. Beck tells of his trip,
ana as he has many relatives and friends
in the upper part of this county we publish
his story. Though busy man, Mr. Beck
takes time on Saturdays to read the ADvo-
CATE. Here IS his account of the trip
Across the continent and back again
makes trip that is full of enjoyment and
educational profit for those who take it and
has interest for those who get their knowl-
edge of the country by reading. A journey
of this magnitude and of importance to 4
number of people Of this section was re-
Gently made by J. Ed. Beck and VIM. j.
Foltz, who went to Oregon TO inspect the
Highland gold mine Both have been oc-
cupied with their business enterprises since
their return aud it was only yesterday
evening that Mr.. Beck could give sufficient
time to tell of the trip in detail
Mr. Beck said
We left here Saturday afternoon, Feb.
%, ticketed by W j. C. Jacobs, who ae-
companied US to Hagerstown and to whom
| wish to express ms gratitude for the
kindness he showed my family during my
absence and especially while my children
were ILL.,
At Hagerstown We took the B. & O.
for Chicago and there changed to the
Northwestern to Omaha and from there the
Union Pacific We were on a solid Pull
man train with observation and dining ears,
all lighted by electricity and furnished with
all eonveuienees. The train, by the way,
ran through to San Francisco without
change except Of locomotives and railroad
crew. The Pullman conductor made the
through trip.
We left Chicago at 5 p. N. Sunday aud
reached Omaha the next morning. Tues
day evening, February 2s, at 5. so o clock,
we arrived at Salt Lake City From
Omaha we had followed the Platte river
to North Platte On the way We saw ex.
panses of river and broken ice twenty Eve
miles in width, the river having oyerfowed
its banks. In crossing the prairies after
leaving North Platte we saw very few
farm houses and were practically in coun-
try in which NJ one lived.
When daylight came we were just at
the top Of the Rocky mountains, 5000 feet
above the sea level or four times as high
as Mt. Quirauk just beyond that point
we travelled for l19 miles without seeing
any buildings except the small shanties
used BY the railroad. This was in Wyom-
ing and there were no roads. The soil
was sandy We ran into Utah at the
northeast corner and stopped briefly at Og
den and then continued TO Salt Lake City.
Here it might be mentioned that on the
Union Pacific railroad we ran through -
miles of snow sheds and tunnels.
In Salt Lake City we spent two days.
We took sightseeing car and travelled
over % miles of the city for 80 cents.
The second day we visited the Mormon
tabernacle in which We saw the magnif-
cent 500, 900 pipe organ with more than
5000pipes and | II stops and which Is blown
by I0-horse power electric motor. This
organ accompanies choir of $50 unpaid
singers at the services at 2 p. N. every
Sunday.
The tabernacle seats II, 900 people
We were shown through it by very cour,e-
Gus Mormon guides. The remarkable
acoustic properties Of the place were dem
onstrated 10 US While we stood in the
gallery $50 feet from the organ, some one
dropped a pin in front of that instrument
and we heard it fall on the floor distinctly
at our great distance. The new Mormon
temple, which it required fifty years to
build, we were not allowed tc enter
Here we met Mr.. Hoover, brother of
James Hoover, No. "a South Church
street, and were shown many courtesies by
him.
Salt Lake City is laid off in perfect
squares. There are ten acres in each block
and the streets are 1913 feet wide between
building lines. There are many very fine
buildings in the city and the finest are
owned by Mormons We enjoyed our
sightseeing very much in this home of the
e.IIov-0-. &c p-;ncrha,,, Vo,,ox, l. e ,,,,
posed that the people of Salt Lake City
carry deposits of SIS, 600, 900 in their
fifteen banks Prosperity seemed apparent
on all sides. The Mormons do about two
thirds of the business of the city They
have immense sugar reineries, among
other industries.
There are thirteen wards in the city and
each has church. The State is divided
into districts with church in each district.
Utah has also great coal deposits and its
people say they can supply the United
States after the fields of Pennsylvania and
West Virginia are exhausted.
Leaving Salt City on the evening Of
March 2 we crossed the great Salt Lake on
a piece OF railroad engineering which was
accomplished at enormous expense. There
is fill of 3 miles and trestle work of
Is miles. The trestle work rest on piles,
some of them of very long timber. We
felt a little uneasiness in crossing the lake.
Much trouble had been experienced il
making the roadbed stable and several To-
comotiyes had sunk in the lake and nevel
been recovered The railroad company
did not take the work off the contractor
hands until January. Long switches arr
built on the trestlework in the middle o
the Lake.
They have no water for drinking pur