Jewels from Jane, April 25

Monday, April 25, 1870 Reached Salt Lake

"We took breakfast at Green River, 845 miles from Omaha. At Byrne we met Sister Andrew's brother Mr. Byrne, and delivered him the little messages of his sister. At 5 o'clock we passed the 'Thousand-mile tree,' so called from its being just 1,000 miles from Omaha. It stands at the entrance of the Devil's Gate, a very appropriately named place, with lofty mountains rising on each side of the tracks. The railroad winds through a narrow pass in the mountain, at the base of which the Weber River, an angry-looking stream, dashes along with frightful impetuosity. We crossed it eight times within the space of a quarter of an hour; it is probably from this difficulty in crossing that it has received its name. We changed at Ogden, a Mormon town of about 6,000 inhabitants. It lies between the Weber and Ogden rivers, 31 miles north of Salt Lake City, 1,032 miles from Omaha. Many of the Mormon houses are built like the tenement houses of the states; others are in groups of small houses in the same yard. They are a degraded-looking set of people; perhaps it is prejudice that makes me think so. Here we had the pleasure of meeting with kind friends in the person of Mr. Deobeck and lady of San Francisco, who did everything they could to make us comfortable. They tried to procure us beds but secured only one which Sister Hyacinth [Blanc] and I occupied. After sunset we passed Salt Lake as the railroad runs along its margin. The city is a beautiful place. On the left are flower gardens, shade and fruit trees covered with dense foliage, which relieves the scene on the right of barren mountains and bleak rocks, presenting in all a lovely prospect."

From “Trek of the Seven Sisters” – Sister Monica Corrigan’s diary

Attached picture is Sister Hyacinth Blanc