Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-05-06

In 1847 the Mormon people
were almost driven out of Illinois,
Missouri and other places and a
party of 1872 persons under the
leadership of Brigham Young
journeyed over the great plains,
mountains and dessert and set
tied in the Salt Lake Valley, and
what they have accomplished is
a wonder. The main attraction
from the earliest period is the
Great Temple and Tabernacle
and also the Assembly Hall. The
Tabernacle. is $50 feet long by $50
feet wide and 80 feet in height;
5000. people can be seated in it
at one time. This is a remark
able building, as the ceiling is
one great dome, and self-support-
ing, which means that the only
supporting pillar is where the
great rafters start, leaving the
big room without any pillars to
obstruct the view. As they did
not have any spikes or nails,
wooden pins and strings of hides
were used in erecting the build
ing. The Tenn pie. you are not
allowed to see, for it is only the
true Mormon that is allowed in
side, but it is built the same way
as the Temple of Solomon. The
Mormon pays in one tenth of all
he owns and of what he earns
and it is said that they are very
faithful in this. The Mormon
churches are we'll organized and
who ever belonged to it are we'll
taken care of. The manufac-
tories, ETC., are all in hands of
the Mormons.
From Salt Lake City you travel
nearly southwest, and only in
the valley where there is water
is there any any farming done.
Through Nevada and eastern
California you see nothing but a
barren desert. The railroad runs
across a corner of Deaths Valley
where it never rains. On Sun
day morning we could begin to
see a difference. We were on
the down grade and were over
the mountains and soon got to
the San Bernandino Valley where
an irrigation system had lately
been installed and young orchards
started, but when you get about
80 miles from Los Angeles then
you are in the great golden Cali
fornia. Oranges and lemon groves
roses, flowers and palms, it is all
so immense that it has to be seen
to be appreciated. The orange
tree is very beautiful. 1t has a
dark green foliage with the gold
en- fruit. 1t has a small white
flower and bears fruit at the
same time and the latt n can be
picked eight or ten times a year.
1t is about the same with the
lemon. although it is not as beau
tiful as the orange with it's fruit.
At about IL o'clock a. M, we
arrived at Los Angeles. 1t is a
fine city and has been built up
mostly during the last ten or fif-
teen years. Fifteen years ago
the population was about $4,000,
now there are over 100000. The
city is about twenty miles from
the ocean, but it has one of the
greatest street car systems in the
world and it is easy to go in any
direction and there are smaller
cities all around. There is Long
i Beach with about 5000 inhabit.
ants. situated on the ocean, 9
great bathing resort. There is
San Pedro. the harbor of Los
Angeles. Los Angeles has one
of the best water systems out
The water is piped into the city
from the mountains 800 miles
away and it is fine. 1t was claim
ed that times were poor in the
west. but you do not see it in Los
Angeles, and it is predicted thai
this city viii have a million popu
lation in 1920. 1t is the main out,
let on the west coast. and will bt