24- THE SEA. 



one-third salt. This is probably an exaggeration, but its shores are white with a 

 mineral efflorescence, and it took the Mormons years to irrigate much of the surrounding 

 land, and thus literally wash the salty deposits out of it. The fresh water for the 

 purpose had to be diverted and brought in hill-side ditches, &c., in many cases from 

 a considerable distance. The result has repaid them, for the road from Ogden to Utah 

 passes through several prosperous towns, and by scores of pleasant homesteads embowered 

 in gardens and orchards of peach and apple trees, the marks of industrious farm 

 cultivation being everywhere apparent. 



At one period there was some opposition among the Mormons to the construction 



CAMP DOUGLAS GARRISON, NEAR SALT LAKE CITY. 



of the trans-continental railway through their territory, as they feared that influx of 

 strangers which has actually come to pass. The late Brigham Yoxing, however, was either 

 more enlightened, or saw that it was no use fighting against the inevitable, and actually 

 took contracts to assist in making the railroad, besides afterwards building the branch line 

 to the city. It was cleverly said by the New York Herald that "railway communications 

 corrupt good Mormons/ 7 to which President Young is stated to have replied that ff he did 

 not care anything for a religion which could not stand a railroad." And in fact, up to a 

 comparatively recent date, several thousand fresh recruits, principally from Great Britain 

 and the northern nations of Europe, have been conveyed over it annually. 



This is not the place for any discussion of the Mormon mystery. It is easy to laugh 

 at it, and say with Artemus Ward that, " While Brigham's religion was singular, his 

 wives were plural/' The fact remains that, in hundreds of cases, Mormons had and have 

 but one wife ; although, theoretically, they approve of polygamy. The further point 



