the illustrious author of “ Cosmos.” Here several
Red Indians, men and women of the Snake tribe, with
coarse, broad features painted red, and long black
hair, begged to be taken up, as they had reason to fear
an attack from the murderous Apaches, who inhabit
the country to the north and east of this. They soon
formed picturesque groups on the coal tender and on
the steps of the cars, and off we went again, depositing
our supercargo at the next station. A couple of
hundred miles farther the northern point of Salt Lake
came in view,—a pleasant diversion after the bare
mountain scenery of the last two days,—and skirting
its north-eastern shore until we reached Ogden, we
thence branched off through a fertile valley, with here
and there large patches of borage and wormwood, to the
Mormon city, whose despotic patriarch, Brigham Young,
(since dead) styled himself President of the twelve
apostles of the latter-day saints.
Salt Lake City is a rambling sort of place, offering no
attraction to strangers. There is the tabernacle, an
ugly, ill shapen, oval building; also the foundation of a
large, more pretentious-looking temple, which is not
likely to be ever completed ; wretched shops and very
few villas of a better class, belonging principally to
Young and his seventeen wives to many of whom he
is said to be spiritually married, whatever that may
mean. Having been told th a t the head of the
Mormon establishment expects new arrivals to call
upon him, I did so, and found him no better and no
worse than any other dull old man without education.
The same cap will fit Mr. Smith, Young’s principal
councillor, who, by-the-by, indulged in a flaxen wig.
Many a dark story is told about the doings of the
Saint, who has since gone to his last r e s t; and it is quite
evident that in his younger days he must have been
an extremely ’cute party, quite innocent of the scruples
of ordinary mortals. Since my visit the so-called
“ Edmund-bill ” has effectually put a stop to polygamy;
and since the beginning of 1883 no citizen of the
United States, whether Mormon or otherwise, is
allowed to have more than one wife, under threat of
penalties by fines and imprisonment, deprivation of
public office and right of vote at elections.
The streets of this modern town are broad and
dusty, and I had considerable difficulty in finding a
place where I might get a bath, the only one existing
was neither large nor over clean; the hotel also was
very indifferent, and did not look sufficiently inviting
to make me prolong my stay.
The valley has pasture for any number of cattle,1,
which are frequently found tramping between the rails ;