130 



(ILEANINGvS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Fkb. 15. 



much of the city, and we are off again, passing 

 in sight of Pike's Peak, through Pueblo, where 

 we see the first adobe houses and the Mexicans: 

 througli the Royal (Jorge and tliose lofty moun- 

 tains we never liic of looking at. It was in 

 these mountains that my new acquaintances 

 left me: and for a time I felt lonely. Night 

 again shut down upon the scenery, and. this 

 being the third night on the rails. I slept quite 

 sotindly. In the morning 1 looked out upon the 

 most desolate country imaginable — not a living 

 thing in sight: not even a bush or a green spear 

 of grass to enliven the red soil or the mounds 

 and distant cliffs. One station passed was 

 named Solitude, and rightly, for there was not 

 a house or living being in sight. A stake and a 

 cross-board with the name was all. 



It was on this day's ride that I cultivated the 

 acquaintance of a cowboy. He had been all the 

 way to Grand Junction to attend a caravan. 



Approaching the Great Salt Lake Valley the 

 road follows the winding canyon and water- 

 couise. This watiM'-course can be traced for 

 miles by the narrow fringe of green on either 

 bank, consisting of eucalyptus- trees and farm 

 products: all outside this narrow fringe is dry 

 and barren. The residences along this route 

 are nearly all of the most primitive character; 

 and I remarked to ray new friend that people 

 seemed to live in almost any thing, from a good 

 house to a hole In the ground. 



"Yes," said he. "and some haven't even the 

 hole in the ground." 



Just before entering the valley I saw the first 

 Utah apiary. The hives were strung along in 

 an irregular row. with stones on the covers. I 

 wanted to get my Ilawkeye to wink at it. but 

 the train was in too great a hurry, and it was 

 soon out of sight. After entering the vall<>y. 

 many thriving and pretty towns are passed: 

 but Provo was the first having the real bustle 

 and bootn so readily noticed in the West. The 

 train was full of smiling talkative people in 

 holiday attire. My cowboy friend left me at a 

 previous station, and now a sturdy Milesian, 

 who had lived in Utah 20 years, was discoursing 

 to me about the great advantages of Utah, and 

 especially of Provo. as a place in which to make 

 one's life-abode. His remarks were strongly 

 emphasized by wildly swinging his arm out of 

 the car window, pointing out the variety of 

 fruit-orchards, the enormous growth of alfalfa. 

 and the general prosperity seen on every hand. 

 I expected to see his arm irreparably damaged 

 by coming in contact with a telegraph-pole: but 

 he luckily escaped. His loud remarks called a 

 young man to our vicinity, who wanted to sell 

 real estate in Provo, the coming metropolis of 

 the great interior basin. Arrival at Salt Lake 

 City closed the importunities of these friends. 



vSalt Lake City has had such a reputation in 

 the history of our country that I resolved to 

 spend one day in this center of Mormondom. 

 In the morning I sought the residence of Mr. 

 John C. Swaner, and was disappointed when 

 informed that he was some miles away manag- 

 ing a large apiary. I found the name of another 

 person who kept bees, and sought the street 

 and number, and was led out of the city where 

 I could look all creation in the face. This was 

 my first experience with the magnificent dis- 

 tances found in the West, and of which I shall 

 have more to say when I get further. I devoted 

 the rest of the day to looking ov<'r the business 

 portion of Salt Lake City, and really fell in love 

 with the pliic(\ The clear cold mountain water, 

 purling like a mild brook down each street, has 

 a special charm to it: and then the wealth of 

 the water in producing so much vegetation for 

 the sustenance of a large population, where, 

 but com para tivi'ly a few years ago. thtu'e was 

 nothing but barren sand-;. 



A visit to the center of Mormon worship was 

 my next desire. The magnificent temple is not 

 yet completed. The Tabernacle, now used for 

 worship, and several other buildings, are all 

 within a high adobe-wall inclosure, and it is 

 termed Temple Square, from which point all 

 streets are numbered. 



There is nothing ornamental about the ex- 

 terior of the Tabernacle; in fact, its roof looks 

 like an immense turtle. The interior is. how- 

 ever, noted for its elegance, its seating capacity 

 (over 10,000), its wonderful organ, and its acous- 

 tic properties. A whisper, a rubbing-together 

 of the hands, the dropping of a pin tipon the 

 altar-rail, can be heard in the most remote por- 

 tion of the immense room. It was while per- 

 ambulating around the Temple Square that the 

 Rambler struck another friend. We discoursed 

 pleasantly on all we saw, and then started 

 down the street to see the beautiful house 

 Brigham Young built for his favorite wife. 

 My friend knew just where it was, and he was 

 a wonderfully pleasant talker, this man from 

 Denver. We had walked about a block when 

 my friend said he must have a cigar, and step- 

 ped off the sidewalk into a littie cigar-store, 

 offering to treat; but when I declined he pro- 

 ceeded to light his own, and while doing so his 

 eye caught several specimens of gold and silver 

 ore on the show-case; and. being a mining man 

 from Denver, he was immediately interested. 



"Oh, yesi" said the man behind the case; 

 "that's Utah ore. and here in the case are 

 watches made from it; and in order to adver- 

 tise our Utah mines and factory, we give any 

 one a chance to draw an envelope from this 

 box, upon the payment of S^l.OO. But." said he, 

 " you two are strangers: just draw for fun, and 

 see what you get."' 



The Rambler is always ready for fun in a 

 quiet way, so I drew an envelope that entitled 

 me to a gold watch. The envelopes were put 

 back in such a mannei' that we could see the 

 one I drew, and my Denver friend said he could 

 draw the same one again, and bet -^r.'O he could, 

 and put up the money, and drew a watch. I 

 suppose it was my turn to bet next; but up to 

 this very point 1 had iu)t a suspicion as to the 



.jiriTKU : 



nature of the men; but it came all of a sudden, 

 and I exclaimed in a loud voice, "Bunco, by 

 Jupiter!" My friends protested their inno- 

 cence, but I suddenly left them to their own 

 cogitations. 



In all the large cities of the East I had been 

 on the alert for such fellows, and had frequent- 

 ly met them; but I was vexed to think that. 



