The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1912-10-19

saS or Nebraska on one OF the
fast continental trains, the trav-
eler soon leaves the region OF
ample rainfall and abundant verdure.
And for a day more and for all night
the train rushes along through the
great state of Colorado and then Utah
desert. except as irrigation has
transformed 1t, until Salt Lake City
is reached. This. as 1t Is today. But
what about the fortitude of the early
settlers who penetrated this wilder
ness with prairie schooners or OK
teams. following uncharted routes and
unknown trails?
When the first Mormon caravan. 60
years ago, after long and almost hope
less wandering across a trackless
waste emerged from Emigration can
yon into the valley of the Great Salt
lake. the weary outcasts saw. gently
sloping away from the dark shadows
of the mountain pass. a fair land
reaching to the sunlit shores of
wondrous inland sea. Proceeding
little farther they caught sight Of
large fresh water lake some miles to
the south emptying it's surplus waters
into the great lake through a slender
river which shone like a ribbon of
silver.
!. Into the Promised Land.
The striking comparison suggested
BY this scene might have occurred to
. less comprehending mind than that
of the Moses of this exodus. leading
new tribe of Israel to new Promised
Land. Spread before the eyes of the
little band of emigrants were counter
parts Of the three prominent features
Of Palestine-the Sea of Tiberius, the
Dead sea and tho River Jordan. So
here the prophet. Brigham Young. and
his followers proceeded to build their
New Jerusalem. and today Cculptor
Dallin's golden figure Of the Angel
Moroni looks down upon the scene
from that stately pile of Utah granite
the Mormon temple-reared at q
cost of 40 years labor and $4,000. 900.
Unconsciously these desert pioneers
had settled In region Of most won
derful natural phenomena. On the
east the Wasatch mountains reared
their brown and rifted peaks and II
the wanderers noticed their peculiar
.terraced formation. terrace after ter
race rising sharp and clear to
height of 1000 feet above the valley
floor. they failed to recognize them
as the most remarkable of beach lines.
the ancient shores. in fact. of . vast
inland prehistoric sea-
The Great Salt lake Is but the feeble
remnant Of the ancient Bonneville. the
lowest remaining depth Of one-time
majestic sheet of water. fed from the
mighty glaciers and snow fields which
then clothed the mountains to within
q short distance of their highest
peaks. The extreme length Of this
prehistoric lake was 34s miles and its
greatest width 145 miles. Were its
waters today to rise again to their
old level. scores of towns and villages
would be submerged and several thou
sand people driven from their homes
The Mormon temple at Salt Lake City
would stand under $50 feet of water.
A recent geologic study of the gla-
citation OF the Wasatch mountains and
the commanding Uinta range lying to
the east confirms former conclusions.
drawn from the study Of Lake Bonnie
vile. that there were two distinct gla-
cial periods In these mountains. In
delibly recorded in the moraines and
che lacustrine beds-the rock debris
ground and secured out Of canyons
and swept down by the vast ice flow
are two distinct epochs. separated by
. long interglacial interval. Prof. Wal
lace w. Atwood Of the United States
sociological survey hess.nads . report