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We publish herewith
the first of a series of Salt Lake views, from photographs taken expressly
for us by Messrs. Burr & Mogo. The accompanying is a fine view of
the block occupied by the mansions of the Mormon prophet, Brigham Young,
and by the Church Store and Tithing House, taken from the balcony of the
Council House cupola, looking northeast. The large building in front (a
little to the left), forming the corner of the block is the Deseret or
Church Store, as will be seen by the signs on either side of it. Like
all other structures in Salt Lake City, it is built of adobes, or sun-dried,
unburned bricks. It is, however, much improved in appearance by a coating
of plaster painted in imitation of stone. At present it is empty, but
has been used to store the immense quantities of grain, etc., which the
Church accumulates in the harvest season through the payment of tithing
by the Mormon people. Here also the merchandise, of which the Church often
brings out a large supply, is retailed to the Saints, many of whom, in
obedience to "counsel," will not purchase of Gentile merchants.
The long, low building, extending some 150 feet to the north from the
main building, is the principal receiving office, where the tenth of the
produce of the country is taken in as a contribution to the Church fund.
What disposition is made of the vast amount of property thus accumulated
by the Church is a question creating considerable doubt in "Gentile"
minds.
The low buildings immediately to the right of the Deseret Store right
dwellings of Lieutenant-General D. H. Wells, the third counselor of Brigham
Young. The fine long house to the right of these, with the picturesque-looking
gable windows, is the celebrated Harem or Lion House, in which
Brigham keeps the greater portion of his generally acknowledged wives.
This is really a pretty house, although somewhat faulty in architecture.
It receives the appellation of Lion house from the stone lion which surmounts
the portico in front. Each of the windows seen opens into a room about
twelve or fourteen feet square, and each room is occupied by one of the
"spirituals" and her family. The household have larger rooms,
such as a dining-room, work-room and nursery, which are common to the
inmates. Still farther to the right stand two small buildings, which are
common to the inmates. Still farther to the right stand two small buildings,
used as offices, which connect the Lion House with the Mansion house,
in which "Lady Young," Brigham's first wife, lives with her
own family, separate from the others. It is said that she makes no object
to the Prophet's supporting the "handmaidens of the Lord," as
she calls his spirituals; but she objects most decidedly to having them
in the same house with her. The mansion has an observatory on the top,
which affords a magnificent view of the surrounding valley. This is surmounted
by a large beehive, the emblem of the "State of Deseret." This
building stands on the corner of State Street, which runs back north one
square toward the mouth of Brigham's Canon, and in the opposite direction
makes a straight line to the southern extremity of the valley, forming
the State road to Provo City.
The reader will not
fail to notice the splendid wall of cobble-stone, laid in cement, which
surrounds the whole block. This wall is three feet thick at the base,
ten feet high, and a foot in thickness at the top. It is divided into
sections of about twenty feet by round abutments rising two feet above
the remainder of the structure, which are designed to be surmounted at
some future time with marble busts of the prominent men in the Church.
The wall itself is to be finished off with a coating of cement. Very strong,
double gates are placed at convenient points, but these are all kept locked,
except one at the Tithing House and one at the Mansion House, at which
a guard is constantly kept. The man with the wagon-load of hay, near the
corner, is waiting for the arrival of the keeper of the scales, which
are near, to have it weighed. The covered wagon near by belongs to a family
returning to their home from the South, but have halted to watch the proceedings
of our artist.
On the hill immediately to the right of the Mansion is the house of which
Brigham first erected in the valley. Becoming too small for his rapidly
increasing family, he sold it some time since, in England, for $25,000,
to an infatuated proselyte. This man died on his way out. When his widow
stopped here, seeing how sadly her husband had been duped, she refused
to take possession, and it is now occupied by Hiram Clawson, Brigham's
son-in-law.
Back of the Lion House may be seen one of Brigham's extensive stables,
despoiled of its roof during "the war."
On the extreme left of the picture, and on the left side of Main Street,
we have a view of the southeast corner of the Temple Block. Exactly at
its outer angle will be seen the small monument marking the initial point
from which the United States survey of the Territory was started. Within
the wall may be seen blocks of stone prepared for the construction of
the Temple, the work on which is suspended for the present. Looking up
Main Street, on the right side, and back of the Tithing House, we have
a distant view of Heber C. Kimball's property, inclosed by a fine stone
will similar to Brigham's, which defines its limits. still farther in
the background, our view rises over the east bench of the valley, to the
foot of a spur of the Wasatch Mountains, in the angle of which the city
is situated. At the foot of the depression in the bench seen in the background,
toward the left, opens the mouth of Brigham's Canon. Just at the foot
of the mountains to the left the city wall may be traced, with three of
its bastions.
— Harpers Weekly, September 4, 1858.
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