The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-09-13
To the Editor of The Republican.

To the Editor of The Republican.
Since my return from a trip thru
the southwest and west, have been
requested to write of my visit to Salt
Lake City. In compliance with this
request l will write a brief sketch of
that city and other localities visited.
l left Los Angeles, after asojourn of
three weeks, on May 10 for Salt Lake
City and arrived in that city on May
18th, distance of 7S4 miles.
Salt Lake City claims to have pop
ulation of 100000, an altitude of 4200
feet above sea level. The city is well
built, has an electric street car sys-
TEN, banks and variety of mercan-
tile establishments and all other con-
veniences in keeping with busy city.
The first land irrigated is the land
now occupied by the city.
Of course the great interest to Wis
itors is the great Mormon temple and
other buildings in connection with
the Mormon faith.
The Salt Lake Temple, the largest
and most costly of all, required forty
years to build. 1t stands upon the
spot selected by President Brigham
Young four days after the arrival of
the pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley.
While walking over the barren ground
with some of his associates, the presi-
dent suddenly stopped and striking
the point of his cane into the parched
soil, said, Here we will build the
Temple of God"
The temple was begun on April 6,
1858, and completed April 6, 1893, at
a cost of S4,000,000. 1t is 1856 1-2 feet
long by 80 feet wide. The foundation
or footing walls are 16 feet thick and
feet deep.
The basement walls are feet thick
and the upper walls feet thick. The
side walls are 107 1-2 feet high. The
east center tower stands 210 feet high
surmounted by a hammered copper
statue of the angel Moroni, II 1-2 feet
high and gilded with pure gold leaf.
The temple block is a ten-acre
square, enclosed by solid stone and
adobe wall, II feet high and three
feet thick, with large gates on each of
the four sides. Within the walls are
the great Mormon Temple, Assembly
Hall, Tabernacle, Bureau of Informa
ton, Mausoleum and the First House
built in Utah. 1t is one story high
and is beneath a pergola which pre-
serves it from the elements. The roof
is composed Of split logs in slab form.
The building is about Is by 20 feet in
size. 1t has a small chimney, and in
this house Capt. Howard Stanley, of
the Topography California Engineers
made his headquarters.
Each day except Sunday brief ser
vices are held in the Assembly Hall,
and at the close of this service the
45-minute free musical program is
| given on the large organ in the Tenn
pie, said to seat thousands of worship
pers.
l was told by an official member Of
the church that there were $4,000
Mormons in Salt Lake City and in the
immediate vicinity Of the city. In adj
dition to the Temple there are within
the city located at advantageous
points, six Mormon chapels.
l was told by an official of
the faith who was engaged in now
ing a lawn in front of the Beehive
House, which was originally occupied
! by Brigham Young and his eighteen
wives, that the members are now per-
mitted to have but one wife, as they
wanted to be loyal citizens, and the
Government, under the law, forbids
dual wives, and that the Mormon
church also forbids dual marriages.
He stated they had one wealthy
member who had two wives before
this law was enacted, but now lives
with but one, supporting the other.
Brigham Young was born June /,
| 1901, and died in Salt Lake City on
August 81, 1877, and was buried in
private cemetery near his old home.
l was told by member of the church
that he was buried in a stone box and
two-ton granite block was put in
cement covering it and that guards
were stationed about the grave until
the cement became firmly set.
I went to his grave and the granite
block showed only six inches above
the ground and an iron fence placed
around the grave. Outside the iron
fence are the graves of two of his
wives, marked with plain granite
slabs and nearby are the grave of his
son and wife.
The church office building is large
and is furnished in the interior in
Utah marble. The guide in the build
ing told me the building and gymna-
SUM cost $3,OO0,OOO and was dedicat-
ed in 1917. I remarked that the
! church likely had many wealthy men,
bers in order to erect such costly
buildings. He said all members paid
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