Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-09-19
SALT LAKE CITY
AND THE hORnONS.
A PECULIAR RELIGIOUS SECT OF LARGE
PROPORTIONS.
SALTAIR A POPULAR RESORT
Some Observations Of the City Of Salt Lake
and the Mormon Peop'e, Who Have
Accomplished Wonders in Re.
claiming and Developing
Barren Country.

Barren Country.
The journey from Grand Junction,
Colo, to Salt Lake City, Utah, was
made without incident of particular
interest. 1t is long, dreary ride,
but fortunately we arranged our trip
so that we made it during the night
for the most part. Emerging from
the magnificent Grand Valley, sur
rounded by mountains, we gradually
came to comparatively level, open
country, the most forsaken and un-
promising we have ever seen, barren
as desert. with scarcely redeeming
feature. When we awoke in the
morning we were in Utah, but few
hours ride from Salt Lake City.
This is much better country,
which is cultivated quite extensively,
and as we approach nearer the city
the development is more advanced. and
the country resembles Iowa to greater
extent than any we had seen for some
|
time.
A couple of days spent in this
unique city gave us new insight into
the west and new idea of the Nor
mon people, their religious belief,
their habits and customs of living.
We might as well state at the outset
that unless we were a Mormon we
would not care to live in Salt Lake
City or Utah, for in every walk OF
life, business, religion, politics and
society one must needs be Mormon
TO be recognized as factor in this
community.
| Salt Lake CITY, or Zion" as it is
called by the Mormons, was founded
by Brigham Young July "a, ls47, and
is one of the most beautiful cities of
the country. 1t has population Of
about 80, 600, and it situated at the
| foot of the Wasatch mountains at an
elevation of 4, 260 feet, twelve miles
| from the Great Salt Lake. Its streets
are 1872 feet wide and paved with
Utah asphaltum, for the most part
| bordered with shade trees. Along
each side of the streets runs constantly
a clear, cool stream of water, fresh
from the mountain canyons, which,
with the beautiful trees, lawns and
gardens. give the city an air Of ro-
nance and GOODNESS, comfort and re-
pose
The city Is divided into five muni-
cipal wards. and into twenty.four
ecclesiastical or Bishops wards, and
has many beautiful public buildings,
churches. schools, etc.
The visitor to Salt Lake City
usually has III mind to see two places
of, interest above all others-Saltair
and swim in the Great Salt Lake,
and the Mormon temple, tabernacle
and other institutions. On the first
afternoon after our arrival we took
advantage of the first opportunity to
take plunge in the lake at Saltair.
to rid ourselves of the dust and
fatigue of the long journey from
| Colorado.
The journey to this popular resort
is half hours ride of twelve miles by
train, and after starting one begins TO
note the cool, bracing. salt-impreg-
mated atmosphere which blows
towards the city from the lake.
For some distance before reaching the
pavilion we rode over a wide expanse
of salty deposit, left by receding
waters at a time when the lake was
much higher than at present. This
has been cut into large squares and is
conveyed to immense salt refineries on
the side of tire lake, at the foot of the
mountains, where it is refined and
sent out to all the world.
The magnificent Saltair pavilion is
one of the finest structures of the kind
in the world. 1t was built at a cost
of over $3.50, 900, and opened in 1898.
Its various buildings form SYM
metrical group with large central
structure connected with long taper
ing piers ut each end, which curve
toward the lake and are surmounted
by large, airy observatories. The
structure is 1900 feet long, 800 feet
wide in the widest place, and the
main tower is 100 feet above the water.
On the main floor is an immense
lunch and refreshment bowery, will
seating capacity for over 1000. The
upper floor is dancing floor, one OF
the largest in the world, l40xs50 feet
of dancing space without a pillar ol
obstruction, and is said to be pat
termed after the Mormon tabernacle
in construction. 1t is a great sight
Ito see thousand couples dancing al