Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-01-04

Brethren church, Rev. styce being
the officiant.
Another Letter From A. S. Coon.
Editors Democrat:
When I last wrote you, l think we
had boarded the train at Denver fol
Salt Lake City at eight a. m. Next
to our berth in the sleeper was Mr..
Il. Lyon, the evangelist, and his
singer. Mr.. Lyon was born near
Garnavillo, Clayton county, Iowa,
and later lived near LaPorte City in
Blackhawk county. At Colorado
Springs there were eight more Iowa
people from Waterloo got berths in
our car, SO we had quite an Iowa
crowd.
The trip from Pueblo to Salt Lake
is a continual one of beautiful
scenery; the train winds round the
crooks and curves of the Arkansas
river, tho road bed being made
passable by the blasting out of
rocks for many miles, and on either
side the eye looks upward many
hundred feet before one sees the
top of the passing mountain. a[rs.
Q. and | both agree that the scenery
along the Denver &. Rio Grande r
r. can only be appreciated by beinp
seen.
Arriving at Salt Lake at about
eleven, the first thing was to find a
place to get our dinner and a place
to stay all night, which we did with
tsle tSGgRls After s ginger es..t the
the Mormon buildings of which
there are number. But there are
only three where the Union services
are held. They have what they call
ward churches" But these 1 am
writing about are where they unite
in service, being the head of the
Mormon church. The Temple is
one of the finest in architecture, is
some ninety feet high, and the
spire on the east end is two hundred
twenty-five feet high with'a statute
of Brigham Young on the peak.
1t is ninety by one hundred ninety
feet and is all built of stone; the
foundation walls are sixteen feet
thick and are sixteen feet high be-
fore the main wall of the Temple
commences. The main wall Of the
Temple is six to nine feet thick and
tapers to the top and are two and a
half feet thick at the caves. The
stones in the Temple are all mum.
bered, and each one was fitted for a
certain place, SO if it was desired tc
ever move this building, it could be
taken down and shipped any place
and be rebuilt as perfect as it is now
The Temple is divided into many
rooms with costly furniture and is
used as council place for The
Elders, marriage ceremonies, bap
tisms, and SO forth. Tourists art
not permitted to enter the grounds
of the Temple or the Temple it
self.
The tabernacle is the main place
Of worship. This building il
l50x200 feet with self-supportine
roof made out of wood, no iron O
steel being used in it's construction
and the whole building was hane
work, even to the organ which il
said to be the finest in the world
having $500 pipes, the tallest 0
which is some IS feet high, and tn,
shortest q feet high. The CALLER
les are supported by pillars made o
plank and the gallery seats do no
come closer than three feet to tn
outside wall. The vibration in thi
massive house of worship is mos
wonderful, you might say was per
feet, for on the day we visited it GU
guide took us clear to the back 9
the galleries and we sat down Their
a few minutes and a man came GU
near the pulpit and spoke in an OF
binary tone of voice and we coul
hear distinctly. He also droppe,
q pin and the vibration was SO pc,
feet we could distinctly hear ths
pin fall. This building has seal
! ing capacity of 10000 and has
choir of 500. 1t has l6 nine fee
double doors that open out, SO j
; case of any accident the people hav
easy escape. Mrs. @. and l attende
services there Christmas day at tw
} o'clock and were much pleased wit
the services.
The third building on thes
l grounds is called the Assembl
. Hall, where those who do not unde
' stand English can go and have Sc
$ vices in their own language.
Monday morning, the 26th, "
0 packed our baggage and boarde
3 the train at 1850 for San Francisc
l We are under obligations to
i gentleman at the office Of the Burea
p Of Information on the Tabernac
Q grounds for the knowledge we RI
J, ceived and the pleasure we had
Il going through the buildings und,
q his escort. Ever Anon,
A. s. Coon.