The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1911-04-21
Letter from South Africa.
L. D. s. Missionary John s. Sagers Writes
of the Boer Vaterland As a Uit-
lander Sees it.
Z Bridge ST.. Woodstock,
{. c., South Africa.
Mar. IA. 1911.

y N"iN, Fanny
Idaho:
One of the most interesting
features, geographically, o Fl
this country is Table mountain,
which stands 1894 ieet above
sea level. | have climbed over
thr top of it twice, and both
times | enjoyed myself, although
it is a very hard climb, The
first time | went over two of our
company almost "played quit"
before we arrived home.
You can ascend the mountain
in many different ways, but
think the best way is to go up
Klipplaat Gorge. 1t is the safest
for the visitor, for he cannot get
lost when he climbs over the en-
bankments that are on either
side of the tootpath. We de-
scended through Skeleton gorge,
which is very steep and slippery.
Skeleton Gorge leads you into a
municipality called Claremont,
where we took the tram-street
cars and rode home for five
pence-ten cents.
One can get a fine view of
Capetown and its suburbs from
the top OF Table mountain, un-
less hindered by the Table
CLOTH" which sometimes covers
the mountain like big white
cloud. | baye often watched
the Z" Tablecloth " cover t h
mountain, and invariably a
wind comes, too.
Strangers visiting Capetown
are keen to get the first view of
this beautiful mountain. On the
ship, long before they reach
Capetown, they hear many tales
of the beautiful mountain from
those who have before visited it.
1t is watched for and welcomed
by every South Afrikander re-
turning to his home.
Those who live in the OUTLYING
districts, and up country cherish
and honor the mount for it's
beauty, and delight in telling of
it's grandeur. Some even imag-
inc that. beyond the view Table
Moontain commands, South AT
rica is not worth living in.
Lions Head is another beau
tiful mountain, aud it also has
some connection with church
history. A short time ago | was
reading some of the old records
of this mission, and espled an
interesting article written in
1853 by one of the elders who
was laboring in this country at
that time. Jesse Haven, William M
Walker and Leonard |. Smith
were the first missionaries of the
Church of Jesus Christ Of Lat
ter-Day Saints in this land. They
made great headway, and soon
many joined the church With
a few members they decided to
go to Lions Head and organize
a branch Of the church. They
did so, sustaining Jesse Haven,
president of the mission. with
William Walker and Leonard l.
Smith as councillors. They be-
came very jealous, and changed
the name of this mountain to
Brigham, Willard anil Heber,
and by this name it was forever
to be known by the Latter Dav
Saints. Desiring to know some
thing of this interesting noun
tain, President Hendricks, Elder
Lide Chapman and | ascended
its lofty height. We left early
one morning on our journey. We
wound around the mountain
a m i d silvery leaf-clad trees
whose beauty is indescribable,
until we came to four pairs OF
chains fastened IN the rocks, to
enable visitors to climb to the
summit, and hand over hand we
climbed until we reached the
top. On arrival we sat down
and ate our lunch, which con-
sisted OF bread, butter and sal>
mon; then we looked around, in
search of traces of the early or
ganization of h e church in
South Africa, but found none, so
we descended the mountain and
on our way back collected the
silvery leaves.
+. S.-Next week / shall write
an article on the Union of South