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Journal of Western Travel

by John McTurk Gibson
edited by Weldon Hoppe
Gibson
July 19th, 1859 -- We examined the city more particularly today, saw Young's Harem, neatly fenced in with a very high wall. The Tithing Office too is a good and a handsome building and the Temple Square has a beautiful situation; but take it altogether I have been sadly disappointed in regard to Salt Lake Valley, it is at best very unproductive even with irrigation, and I should say not very reliable for crops at any time. 3 miles from the city on our way towards Bear River we reach some Hot Sulphur Springs. One of them is actually the greatest natural curiosity I have ever come across, the water boils out of the solid rock in a stream as thick as my body, and hot enough to cook an egg in three minutes, the channel of the stream is completely coated with green slime, and smells pretty loud. Boze thinks the gentleman in Black must have a county seat in the vicinity. There are some bathing establishments here. The roads are good, plenty of pure fresh spring water. We are now at Centerville 12 miles north of the City, the valley too begins to look some richer, and produces excellent barley.

Powell
Travelled 12 miles. We passed the warm springs 2 miles north west of the city. This spring produces water about as warm as dish water should be. There is a bathing house here. There is another spring and bathing house a short distance from this. They have 25 cts a bathe. About 6 inches square of water runs from each of these. 4 miles from the city is the hot springs. It sends forth about 10 inches square of water. This is almost boiling hot. It smells very strong of sulphur. The bed of the water is green, this under the water. We are camped by Centerville, a small town. We passed through Bountiful, another small town. These springs all come from the mountain.

Copyright © 1997 Weldon Hoppe
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