84 EIvDORADO 



tory, and was ceded to the United States by the treaty 

 of Guadaloupe Hidalgo, in 1848, together with what 

 are now the states of Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, 

 Arizona and California. Salt Lake City was laid out 

 soon after their arrival, twelve miles from the lake. 

 The streets crossed each other at right angles ; the prin- 

 cipal ones 130 feet wide, and a small stream of pure 

 water constantly running down the gutter on either 

 side. 



Salt Lake City today is one of the most beautiful on 

 the continent. Before the arrival of the "gentiles" and 

 their participation in the municipality, it was morally 

 a clean city. It was strictly temperate and there was 

 no slum element. It is true, they took Solomon and 

 others of the patriarchs as examples in polygamy, and 

 King David, (too Psalm), in making the "wives of 

 their enemies widows and their children orphans," and 

 other illustrious Biblical examples in upholding the 

 faith of the "Latter Day Saints." 



In visiting Mormon families at different times and 

 conversing with plural wives, where five or six con- 

 stituted the family circle, I invariably found them more 

 zealous in upholding polygamy than the men. They 

 regarded it as a religious duty, and believed it would 

 "add to their crown of rejoicing in heaven." 



I never observed the least indication of jealousy 

 or want of harmony. The sealing of the "spiritual" 

 wife was done only by the free and voluntary consent 

 of the first wife, followed by the solemn ceremonies 

 of the church. 



The "Mormon rebellion," as a fact of history, stamps 

 its leader or leaders at that time as capable of com- 

 mitting the most serious of crimes while professing- to 



