The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-12
Asahel Duff of Pike County, llli-
nOis, Witnesses Wonderful
Transformation Here.
THEN A WILDERNESS;
NOW A METROPOLIS
Tells Interesting Story of the
Building of the Big
Tabernacle.

After an absence OF nearly forty years
Asahel Dun, now prosperous farmer
OF Pike county the famous. Illinois, paid
visit to Salt Lake City Tuesday. Ii was
in the spring of 1864 that Mr.. Dun first
entered the fertile Salt Lake valley and
took up his camp on Irrigation square.
and what n wonderful Transformation he
witnessed yesterday-then only clyi-
lized spot In the wilderness. now the
metropolis OF the great lntermountaln
region.
Mr.. Duff was only a boy then and he
spent the summer here. In the fall OF
1864 he went TO Alder's Gulch, Montana
now Virginia City. and as most OF the
pioneers of that region did. he engaged
in mining, The winter was severe, so
on the approach Of cold weather In 1855
he returned to Salt Lake, remaining here
until 1866, sliding wood In the Salt Lake
mountains" is the way he expressed It,,
I'm the spring OF that year / drove team
for Heber C. Klmball. the younger, and
Riley Judd. 10 Helena, Mont" said Mr..
Dun, Il worked in the mines there that
summer; then went TO Blackfoot. Mont.
and in 81 TO Salmon City. Idaho, and then
TO Leesburg, Idaho. In 1869 l again
visited Salt Lake on my way home 10
Illinois, where l have been ever since.
l am once again en- route 10 the old
homestead in Pike county having just
where 1 have two sons, one at Belling-
ham and the other at Tacoma"
Adverting TO the winter OF 65 spent
here In the mountains, Mr., Duff said. "A
friend of mine from Pike county was
killed by a snowside at the head OF Par
ley's canyon that winter. l helped to
dig him out, and today l hunted the
records and visited the place where he
was buried 1t the old Potter's Field and
here the old gentlemans eyes moistened
and his voice faltered with emotion as
he said "and l tell you l felt 1T bad to-
day"
Knocks Tabernacle Story.
Mr.. Duff also visited the big Taber-
nacle. He was here when Brigham
Young was directing its construction.
81 went TO the Tabernacle he said, land
a man there was explaining to the tour
lists that the supports Of the roof are
held together by wooden pegs, and tied
at the ends with rawhide, Why, l can
we'll remember seeing the carpenters
drive the nails-for 1t was nails that
were used, iron nails-there were no
wire nails. That roof is made OF lattice
work, about SIX Inches apart. and l have
a farm in Illinois TO bet that the lattice
work is nailed with iron nails, not wood
en- pegs 1t Is a pity TO destroy ones S
idols or gods, but evidently the custo-
dian at the big Tabernacle should revise
his lecture and cut out the wooden peg
stunt.
There Was No Persecution.
They speak of persecution continued
Mr.. Duff. THE Mormons were not per-
secuted; but although 1t was we'll known
that there was valuable mineral land in
the vicinity OF Parley's Park, now Park
City, no man dare go there TO prospect,
for II he did he took his life in his hands,
They did not want the mineral lands de-
yeloped; they wished to be alone with
out any Gentle population.
When l came here first there was not
a saloon in the place. But In the fall
OF '65 one was opened at the old Salt
Lake House, and l was told that 1t drew
$1,000 a day and that Brigham Young
owned the house, There were few cases
of drunkenness, but when a man was ar
rested for intoxlcatlon IL was said that
the officers ascertained how much money
he had and the next morning he was
fined that amount"
Mr. Duff will visit Park City today,
Parley's Park, he calls 1t. and Will go
East tonight.