The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-01
MAKE PLEAFOR
HISTORIC HOUSE
Genealogical Society Would
Have Old Building For Pur-
poses of Museum.

With the proposed construction of a
new joint historians and genealogical
building, the future disposition Of the
old structure in East South Temple
street is being discussed. Those who
want to see the old landmarks pre-
served and put to some good use
strongly oppose its being torn down.
The Genealogical society will ask that
it be turned over to it for a museum,
where its interesting collection of relics
may be housed It's suitability for this
purpose is not disputed 1t is one of
the Oldest buildings left in Utah. and
has other historical significance apart
from its age.
George 4. Smith, counselor to Brig
ham Young, built the old house in 1850
for his private dwelling. He was made
historian In 1854 and at that time added
an office in front, which was connected
with the house by long passageway
that has been included in the structure
proper. The old office is now the stock
room for large number of VaIua BILE
books and manuscripts of the histor-
lan's library. President Smith lived
there with his wife, Mrs. BathSheba W.
Smith, now president of the relief So
cieties, until his death in 1874. Later,
the building was taken over bv the
church and adapted to its present use.
In the rooms today may be seen some
of the old furniture used by the family
in the early period. The building itself
mas those features of Old-time archi-
lecture that distinguished the homes of
our SrandfatherS. There are the old
fashioned fireplaces, small, deep-seated
WInooWs, thick walls and a narrow
staircase with spindIing rail. Interest
ing articles of furniture are the old
desks and tables, pictures and clock
that while it has no date. bears every
evidence of very ancient manufacture. !
one OF the old pictures is a drawing
of the first steam engine made in Utah
These relics, combined with those that
are the property of the GeneaIceicaI !
society, would form very interesting
collection.
Valuable Manuscripts.
However, the main interest in the !
building lies in the manuscripts and
DOCKS, which are stored in every pos |
sibIe place One that lies on the his |
torlan desk IS the ''NOvum Testamen- |
tum Harmonlcum,' published in Ger
many In 1902 It is the New Tesla |
ana German, in parallel passages, in /
four kinds of type. on a very strange
Old paper seen only in ancient and |
valuable books. Another rare work of |
great value is seven volumes of Lord
hlngsborOugh's Antiquities of Next
co. of which only few copies are in /
existence. The original price of the |
complete set was 81 500, but Orson Pratt
secured this collection at a book sale in
England on much better terms
Of marvellous significance to devout
members OF the Mormon church is one
OF the plates illustrating this work 1t
is an almost exact replica of the Salt
Lake temple. and inaSmuch as Brigham
Young and the architects of the temple
never saw the plate, this resemblance
IS remarkable. 1t represents the cover
OF a carved Peruvian box lie Plong-
con. the Central American explorer
who verified the Book of Mormon by
ms discoveries, would have traced the
same inspirational source for the build
ing OF the temple from this long-for-
gotten illustration. In his words
Brigham Young had the vision"
In addition to these and similar vain
able works there is the great collection
of records of the church and the Nor
mon people. From the time of it's or
SaniZatiOn. in 1880, complete records of
the church have been kept This was
because it was early recognized by the
leaders that thew were to be history
making people, and because Of the faith
they had in their future. a historian
was appointed at once and that office
has been continued until today there
are many clerks and assistants en-
records.
Handwriting Of Pioneers
In the vaults and book rooms of the
historians library there are writings
in the hand of Joseph Smith. of Oliver
COwdery. the first historian of Holm
whitmer. second historian, and one of
the three witnesses of the Book of Nor
mon and of all the later officers of the
cnurch- All OF these books were pre-
served with the greatest care and
brought across the plains when the
MOrmOns came to Utah. Mrs. Willard
Weihe. daughter of Orson Pratt, who
has been in the historians office since
she was 16 years of age, is one of the
clerks to whom much of the valuable
work is due.
Of greatest interest is the personal
diary of the presidents of the church
which is continuous to the present day.
Begun by Joseph Smith it was carried
on by Brigham Young without a DAYS
inteTmiSSiOn and in like manner by the
later presidents. 1t is among the most
valuable documents of the church. and
IS carefully preserved in the vaults 1t
com prises many ledger volumes and
contains stories of the early eastern
settlements. of the emigration to Utah
and of the life in the valley that form
most interesting human document
Among the anecdotes in the diary of
Brigham Young is that of the manner
in which distances on the great trip
across the plains were measured This
was done by al instrument attached to
the wa gon wheel Of William CLAYTON
which recorded the number of revolu-
tions and daily observations were
taken by OrsOn Pratt. the engineer of
the party. This Is only one example
of the minute care taken to record
every detail that might he of future
interest
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