CHAPTER XXVIII.

SALT LAKE CITY AND THE MORMONS.

JOSEPH SMITH-THE MORMONS IN NEW YORK, OHIO, MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS-THE EXODUS ACROSS THE WILDERNESS - SALT LAKE - BRIGHAM YOUNG, HIS CHAR

ACTER AND WORK-SALT LAKE CITY NOW.

ALT LAKE CITY was founded by the Mormons under Brigham Young in 1847, and in this brief statement is embodied one of the strangest stories in the annals of American civilization. The Mormons, or, as they call themselves, the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints," form a religious sect founded by one Joseph Smith, whose story is so well known as to make it unnecessary to more than barely outline it here. Smith was born in Vermont, but while a child removed with his parents to the State of New York. He claimed that an angel appeared to him and informed him that he was the instrument chosen to inaugurate a new gospel. He accepted the mission and soon collected quite a number of followers. These, on account of the prejudice against them were obliged to move to Ohio. Later a colony was established in Missouri which grew rapidly. About this time a body of "apostles" was instituted within the church, and among the number of these was Brigham Young, who had become a convert to the new faith in 1832, and had already shown himself a man of wonderful sagacity and force of character.

In 1838 the whole body of the so-called "saints," some fifteen thousand in number, moved to Illinois. Here their welcome was no more cordial than it had been in other parts of the country, and before long Smith and his brother found themselves in jail. Fearing that the prisoners might be allowed to escape, a band of excited men broke into the jail and killed both of them. Brigham Young was then elected as Smith's successor, and as the hostility against them did not abate, the Mormons, under his guidance, all started for the West. They stopped for a year in Iowa, and then under the strictest discipline marched across the wilderness to the Great Salt Lake.

The first reference to this lake is found in a book of American travels in 1689; but it was first explored and described by John C. Fremont in 1842. It lies in a great valley of the Rocky Mountains and measures nearly one hundred miles in length by a little less than fifty in breadth, and its waters are very shallow. Near its center lie a group of islands, upon some of which are found springs of pure, fresh water, although the waters of the lake are of so saline a character that from seven quarts boiled down there can be extracted

one quart of pure salt. Yet into this

lake rivers of fresh water are
pouring continually; from
the south the fresh waters of
Utah Lake find their
way into it through the
channel of the Jordan,
while from the north it
receives the water of
the Bear River, a swift
mountain stream.
There is no visible out-
let, and its superfluity
of water is supposed to
be evaporated, but there
are many who believe

in the existence of a
subterranean passage-
way having an outlet
at some undiscovered
point.

BRIGHAM YOUNG.

Geologists declare that at a remote period a vast sheet of water filled a far greater area than that now occupied by the Great Salt Lake. In the mighty intervals of time, as indefinite as the geological periods, certain changes in the rainfall caused the waters to evaporate to the present size of the existing lake. This theory is confirmed by the various terraces running in long parallel lines on the sides of the surrounding Wasatch Mountains. These terraces mark off the various intervals at which the waters remained stationary for a while in their gradual lessening of volume. Another remarkable property of the

water is its density. It is next to impossible to sink to the bottom, for one can float upon the surface with the greatest ease.

The so-called "Prophet," Brigham Young, declared that the site of the forthcoming city was indicated to him in a vision by an angel who, standing on a conical hill, pointed out to him the locality where the new temple must be built. Upon the entry of the Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Basin he beheld the identical mountain he had seen in the vision, with a stream of fresh water flowing at its base. The Prophet immediately commanded his followers to halt and pitch their permanent tents, as they had

1847, the Territory belonged to Mexico, but the next year it became, together with New Mexico, Arizona and the whole of upper California, a portion of the domain of the United States. This was a severe blow to the designs of the Prophet.

With the Mexican government Brigham Young could, in his remote fastnesses, negotiate his own terms and secure for himself and his followers all the concessions necessary for their temporal as well as their peculiar spiritual welfare. Here they could revel in polygamy and indulge in all the doctrines declared to be a part of their faith. But suddenly the war with Mexico closed, and, as if to overthrow their schemes in this remote section, the territory on which they had already begun the erection of

their temple became the property of the federal government. Still, not to be defeated in his original enterprise, the Prophet laid claim to everything. Under a system of law enacted by themselves, and in the absence. of federal legislation and the persons and powers to enforce it, all this basin and nearly every arable acre of soil in the Territory was seized and apportioned to their own uses. Sparse and distant settlements were created for the sole purpose of maintaining their hold upon the lands they had taken possession of, and the authority of the church, through its great high priest, was extended in all directions. Not an acre of land should ever be in such condition as to be converted to the use or benefit of the Gentile element. All that in the way of business would tend to attract them thither should be avoided. Under the operations of this rule mining for the precious metals was prohibited under penalty of the "anger of God." Young declared publicly that none of the vast mineral wealth of the Territory should be disclosed until the Lord, through him as His vicar, should so order. While great mineral wealth lay at their doors and a mighty industry might have been established, they were not permitted to turn a spadeful of earth save in the way of cultivating the soil. These mines of gold and silver were to be kept a secret from the outer world so as to prevent an accretion of Gentile population. The peculiar people were sealed within themselves in their mountain walls, and the Gentile was almost an absolute stranger within their gates until the advent of Johnston's army in 1857. Along with that came the mail and express, and the telegraph soon followed. But not until General Conner came with his California regiment of miners and mountain prospectors was Utah's vast mineral wealth made known to the world. Then followed a greater influx of the Gentile element. But Brigham Young, as the high priest of the church, still maintained his absolute sway over his people, controlling and directing every movement of their lives in all their social, religious and business relations. The government of the Mormons was thus a pure pseudotheocracy, controlled by the will of one man.

Few men of the present century have attracted more notice from writers of all creeds, both at home and abroad, than Brigham Young. He was born of humble parentage in Vermont in 1801. His education in the schools was limited, according to his own statement, to eleven and a half days. He learned in early life the trade of a painter and glazier. He joined the Mormon church in 1832, and journeyed with them to Ohio, Missouri and Illinois. By simple force of character and intellect he reached the highest pinnacle of power in the Mormon Church and State.

He was not only a man of great force of character, but was also possessed of great executive ability. To his clear judgment, firmness of decision, inflexible will, unceasing industry, power of government and ability to control men, directness of purpose and a self-sustaining individuality that overpowered all opposition, the Mormon Church owes much of the prosperity that attended its lodgment in the then sterile valleys of these mountains. Had it not been for him and his ability to command, the multitude of his followers would have fled before the disasters and threatened starvation that assailed them in the early days of their entry into the valley.

While he directed their spiritual faith and by pretended "visions" and "dreams" pointed out "the will of the Lord," he superintended all the great labor of laying out and building the city of Zion. All plans were submitted first to his inspection before a stake was driven. As time went on and privations ceased, and the city had grown great and prosperous, and Mormon immigrants began pouring in from all parts of the world, personally he superintended their movements and established the various settlements throughout the Territory. When the lines of telegraph were laid it was by Young's contract with the company, sublet to others. When the roads were built for the mail and express companies it was by his order, and it was through him that the great trans-continental railroad entered his domain.

A late writer, an apostate from the Mormon faith, speaking of the absolute power of Young over the lives and property of his people, says: "No one to-day, even in Utah, can form any idea of the thorough control that Young exercised over the people. Nothing was ever undertaken without his permission. He knew of everything. No person could enter into business without consulting him, nor would any one ever think of leaving the city to reside in any other part of the country without having his approval. Merchants who went east or west to purchase goods had to present themselves at his office and report their intention of going to the States at such a time, if he had no contrary orders to give them. He claimed that no Saint should do anything without his knowledge and approval."

He claimed the power of performing miracles, foretelling events and doing other strange and wonderful things. It is said that he rarely made a prophecy or prediction that it did not come true. By the exercise of most adroit cunning he usually succeeded in making his predictions and prophecies seem inspired. He was very intelligent and with intelligent people he would make a prediction something like this: "You will have