The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-12-17

embodied in this noble instrument repre-
sent the instruments of an orchestra.
military band and choir, as wei! as the
deep and sonorous stops for which the
organ is famed. There is no color, shade
or tint of tone that cannot be produced
upon it. The action is the Kimball Du-
pIex Pneumatic. The organ is blown by
"a ten-horse power electric motor, ana
two gangs of feeders furnish 10000 cubic
feet of air minute when 1t ls being
played full The organist Is seated TWEEN
ty feet from the instrument, which
places him we'll among the choir. I'm
doubtedly the organ owes much to the
marvelons acoustics of the Tabernacle,
but even with this allowance made, it is
still the most perfect instrument of its
kind in existence. The total cost of the
organ to date is about $125. 600 Free
public recitals are given by Professors
John ]. Mcclellan, the Tabernacle organ
list. Edward P. Kimball, and Tracy Can
non, assistant organists, We regretted
very much not having the pleasure of
listening to the organ, but at the time
the Tabernacle was in the hands of the
caretaker. after the meetings OF the
convention.
The famous body of singers known
generally as the Mormon Tabernacle
Choir was organized by President Brig
ham Young in the early days of the
State. The choir, which is under the d.
rection of Prof. Evan Stephens, was en-
larged to about one hundred singers at
the time it was transferred to the large
Tabernacle under Prof. Careless direc-
ton, and with his wife. Mrs. Lavina
Careless, as leading soprano it has
achieved almost national Interpolation. The
present mammoth organization of 500
enrolled singers (the largest regular
church choir in the world) dates back to
1890, when the present conductor and
manager, Prof. Evan Stephens, took
charge. The choir was then organized
on broader basis than before and dlvid-
ed into eight vocal parts. viz, first and
second soprano, alto, tenor and pass.
Free training classes have been held for
the benefit of the members in sight read
ing, voice culture, harmony and compo-
sition. The choir is self-supportlng IL
nancially, and the members give their
services freely to this phase OF church
work.
A portion of this organization, number
ing from $50 to $50 members, has visited
other States on concert tours, notably
Chicago (where it secured prize of ST.
900 in choral singing) and Denver. Cali
fornia, New York and Eastern States,
At the time we were there it had just
returned and brought back the first prize
from St. Louis.
Our guide then led US to a position
from which we had an excellent view of
the Temple, massive granite structure
with six majestic spires. The Temple is
1876 feet long by SO wide, its greatest
height being 222 feet to the top of the
figure which surmounts the central east
ern tower Less than six years after
the first pioneers found here desolate,
sage brush wilderness they began this
building. They laid the foundation walls
sixteen feet wide and eight feet deep,
while above ground the walls vary in
thickness from nine to six feet. In 1873
the railroad was built to the granite
Quarries, about twenty miles to the
southwest of the city. Up to that time
the huge blocks OF stone were hauled by
OK teams, requiring at times four yoke
of oxen four days to transport single
stone. The building was not completed
until 1893, just forty years after it was
commenced. Of course, there were inter-
walls when the work had to be suspended,
owing to the poverty of the people and
other difficulties that confronted them
Ill Luo early udyS. 1ue UullulLlS SOoC III
all about four millions.
Visitors are never admitted to theTem-
pie Our guide informed US that just
after it was completed large number
of the visiting public, together with a
great many residents of Salt Lake not
members of the Mormon church, were
shown through the building, but since its
dedication, April 6, 1898, nc visitors have
been admitted. Unlike synagogues,
churches, cathedrals, and other places
of worship, our guide went on, the Tenn
pie is not designed as place of public
assembly for the people IN general
1t is to US what Solomon's temple
was to the Jews, holy place, devoted
to sacred ordinances. We peform here
marriage and baptismal ceremonies and
other sacred rites, some of which are for
the dead. Our baptisms, continued our
guide, are all performed by immersion,
and for that purpose there is provided in
the temple font, supported by twelve
braZen oxen, similar to the one in Solo
mons Temple.
En- route to the Bureau, we passed two
life-sized statues, in bronze, of Joseph
Smith, the prophet, and his brother Hy-
ram, of whom our guide spoke almost
reverently in the Tabernacle. Our guide
informed is that the statues formerly
occupied inches at the east end of the
Temple, but were recently placed in the
open grounds so that visitors might more
easily see them and become more famil-
lar with the noble mission of the martyr
brothers by means of the Inscriptions on
the respective pedestals.
We were overwhelmed by the rush of |
unusual experiences and unexpected in
formation which is not all recorded here,
and we followed our guide back to the
entrance of the Temple grounds, where
we babe her good bye.
Just outside the grounds is the Brigham
Young monument. 1t IS bronze and was
designed by C. E. Dallin, of Boston,
Utah-born artist, and cost $4,000, ex-
elusive of the pedestal, which is of Utah
granite. The Eagle Gate, historical
piece of interest, was formerly an en-
trance to the private grounds of Brigham
Young.
The Beehive House and the Toulouse
are former residences of Brigham Young,
where he lived in the early days with
his numerous wives. They are cottage
houses of one story and half, long ell
with door, few steps Leading up to it,
a window beside it, and over the door on
the roof is dormer window, each wife
having her door and window. We saw
many of these houses in the old part of
the city. On the front steps of the Lion