THE AUCKLANDER ABROAD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 168, 15 July 1880, Page 4

THE AUCKLANDER ABROAD.

AMONG THE MORMONS - T. Salt Lflko City is beautifully siturted. As I stood r! the foot of the hill from which Brigham surveyed the valley which lay et his feet, I did not rot at rII wonder that he issued the prophecy that this was the spot whif.h ♦he Lord had chosen ns the site of the !Npw Jerußolpm. The Valley of Fait Lake is about fifty roiJps by thirty, end ib hounded on one side by Palt Lnke, nnd environed by mountains rouging from five ♦howeaod fept in height. The atmosphere wns peculiarly dry Bnd clear, nnrl through the clear air the SDOw-clfld hills stand up in sharp outline, nnd seem po npar that it, is berdly possible to realise their distance. It is b beautiful sight at nil tiroes, and one wnich no traveller should miss, but who can now conjecture how beautiful it must have looked to that weary band of pilgrims, as ragged and hungry, at the end of six months' of hard, sickening travel, their eyes rested upon the spot of which the prophets wrote, seyinp " The bouse of the Lord should be built upon the top of the mountains" ? "When Brigham and his followers first took possession of this valley, there had been no rain for years, and the rich soil, being impregnated with salt, grew nothing bat a low sage scrub. Fome Mormons claim fhnt the present fruitfulnesß of this valley is o miracle wrought in acswer to prayer. This, however, is bunkum. A leeß keen and praotised eye than that of the great Mormon lender could eesily ccc that ifce l»nd was a rich alluvial deposit ; that the soil only wanted the ealt washed out of it, and the snows which melted and ran flown the surrounding roountoin9 could be easily be gu'ded into channels through the valley. This is what was actually done, and thosti who accept the miraculous theory must have a "big swallow." The present condition of ihis valley is 8 splendid testimony to Mormon industry. They began here 34 years ego. among these lone mountains, many hundreds of miles from the nearest civilisation, with no roads nor railway near, and surrounded by unturned Indiana. They hod been driven from their homes in Navoo, leaving farms, houses, ond nearly all their woridly goods behind. It is said that when they arrived at S»H Lake, the whole party could not muster £200 in cash. For some years ofter their beginning they bad no cash currency, but lived by barter. A writer facetiously saye, describing their then condition : — "A farmer wishes to purchase a pair of thoes for hia wife. He consults the shoemnker, who nverß his willingness Ito furnish the same for one load of wood. He has no wood, but sells a

calf for a quantity of adobes, the adobes for an order on the merchant, payable in goods, and the goods and the order for a lood of wood, and straightway the matron is ebod. Seven .watermelons paid for a ticket to the theatre. The tuition of b child cost 75 cabboges per quarter. Four squashes per day were a dressmaker's wages, nnd the annual subscription to the newspaper was two loads of pumpkins. A bottle of eoothinp syrop for the baby was purchased with a bushel of beans." One can well believe, on looking at Salt Lake City tn-doy, that, in whatever reepects ihe Mormons may or may not be consistent, they carry out, the profession of industry \rhich tboir chosen symbol — a btehive — represents. Tbo city is laid off at right angles, with wide, straight streets, planted on both sides with trees. It contains 25,000 inhabitants, of whom one-fifth are Gentiles. Many of the stores and warehouses are very creditable buildings, and there are a good many really handsome residences in the suburbs. The Tabernacle is a wonderful building. When first seen it is disappointing, having a plain exterior) and looking too low for the area it covers. In shape it is like half an egg, cut in two longitudinally, with the round side up, with lew, brick walls, and Bhingled roof. The interior is more pleasing. At the principal end there are raised scats for the opostles, bishops, ond elders, and be md this an enormous organ, said to be the second Inrgest. in America. The seats on the fJo>r rise towards lha back, and there is a deep gallery oil round. It is seated for 12,000 bearers, end is so arranged that, in case of need, doors swing outwardly on all sides of ihe building, and it can bo cleared in three minutes The ttccußtics of the tabernacle are bo perfect that, as I proved by experiment standing at one end, I could hear a pin dropped at the other. The softest possible whisper can be heard in every part. There wgb too much echo once, but this has been cured by hanging festoons from the ceiling, which also have a very pretty effect. A handsome marble temple is being built on the same block, in a style of architecture which can ouly be called Mormon, end with walls nine feet thick. This is intended for the secret and mysterious rites of the Church, such as the sealing of wives, baptism for the dead, &o. The city is divided icto 21 wards, each ward consisting of a block of a given size, and containing a schoolhouse and a bishop. The school-bouse is for day day and Sunday-school, for Sabbath evening preaching, and for dancing. The Mormons, unlike most other sectß, believe thoroughly both in the theatre and the dance, and open both by prayer. The duly of the bishop is to collect tithes, provide for the poor, get work for the uu-em

ployed, and keep n sharp rye generally upon the morals of his ward. Among other pood Mormon institutions is one which ecjoins tbem to fast on the first Thursday in each month, nnd to; give the food tbuß saved to the poor. One of the duties of the bishop is to collect and distribute this, as may seem to him best. The righteous souls of the Saints are sorely vexed by the inroads of the Gentiles. Many of these keep the best shops and live in Ihe best houses in the city. They are attracted partly by the rich mines in the neighborhood, and partly by openings for trade. Some of these are apostate Mormons, and are called " busters." They leave the Church for reasons which operate everywhere, but one special reason operates here, viz., tithing:. The tithe is strictly enforced, and as saints become rich, and the tenth amounts to a considerable sum, they often resist, and then apostatise. One can hardly wonder at this, for the powers of the Church are irresponsible ; they publish no balance-sheet; the sums they re ceive are enormous; and the wellknown fact that Brighatn Young died worth millions of dollars, which were invested in English securities, has no doubt tended to goad some of his devotees into rebellion. The term " Gentile " here includes all non-Mormons, even though . they happen to be Jews. Between the two classes there is very little friendship, and no social intercourse. It is very difficult to obtain from either party a just and impartial account of the other. The Gentiles complain that the morals of the Mormons are so rotten that Salt Lake is not a fit place to bring up children, and speak of fchemselvea as only tolerated because" their enemies dore not murder and cannot banish them. The Mormons wail because of the encroachments to which they are subjected, until an impartial visitor hearing both sides finds it difficult to believe either. One thing is quite certain, that Mormon girls have a pronounced regard for Gentile husbands, and make no secret of the fact that a whole Gentile is more to their taste than a fifth of a Mormon. But this brings me to Mormon social and religious questions, the discussion of which I must reserve for another papyer. "Wandering Stab.