On June 1st, at 2 p.m., we set off by the Central Pacific Railway for Salt Lake City; on the 2nd distributed little books and tracts amongst the passengers, by whom the train was crowded; and at 8 a.m., on June 3rd, reached Ogden, where, branching off for Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah—1,068 miles West of Omaha, and 916 East of San Francisco—we arrived at 11.40 the same morning. "It lies in a great valley, extending close to the Wahsatch Mountains on the North, with more than 100 miles of plains stretching towards the South; beyond which, in the distance, rise snow-covered mountains, the highest of which is 11,400 feet above the level of the sea. The waters of the Great Salt Lake are so salt, that no living creature can exist in them. The city covers an area of nine square miles, its streets—or roads—are long and very wide; and, as each dwelling has a garden, or orchard, the whole place looks like one large plantation." In the evening, at the Congregational Church, Mr. Müller preached the gospel in this city (which is the great stronghold of Mormonism), in the plainest, clearest, most decided manner; and on the following day had interviews with several Christians.
Before our departure we visited the great Mormon Tabernacle, said to hold 13,000 people. It is of wood, and has 46 pillars of red sandstone, with an immense dome resting on them like a roof; but it did not look large enough to contain more than from 9,000 to 10,000 at the utmost. Lion House, the former residence of Brigham Young, was also pointed out. His body lies buried in a miserable, neglected piece of ground—a sort of back yard—and his grave is covered by a large, flat stone, bearing an inscription; but what the epitaph upon it was, we did not care to ascertain. The residences of his 18 wives are also in the city. From Camp Douglas, a military station which stands upon an eminence outside the town, Salt Lake City appears embowered in trees, and little more than the roofs of the houses are visible.
In the evening Mr. Müller preached at the Methodist Church, where he addressed a large congregation, including several Mormons; and after the service conversed with many of the hearers. Having been told that his ministry was more needed at Salt Lake City, than at almost any other place in the world, he greatly regretted being unable to hold other meetings; but as our time was limited, and engagements had been made for other places, we could not possibly remain. The morning of June 5th, therefore, was fixed upon for our departure, when we rose at a quarter before 5, and at 7 o'clock left by train for Ogden, 35 miles distant, whence, after engaging a "section" in a Pullman's carriage, we set off, at 10, by the Union Pacific Railway, for Omaha.
The train (a very long one) was full of passengers, and, when seated in the carriage, we heard that a gentleman, an invalid, had died suddenly the night before, whilst travelling on the Central Pacific Railway. After he had retired to his berth, a violent fit of coughing came on, which occasioned the rupture of a blood vessel, and in three minutes he was dead. He was not accompanied by any relative or friend. Some railway officials carried his body immediately into the smoking compartment; but though the circumstance was concealed from the other passengers as much as possible, the sad event soon became generally known. On the 6th we breakfasted at Rock Creek; reached Summit House, Sherman, 8,235 feet above the level of the sea, at half-past one; dined at Cheyenne; and, after travelling for some hours, reached the prairies on which there were a few wild antelopes and immense herds of cattle, followed by men on horseback keeping them together. At 2 o'clock, on June 7th, we reached Tremont, and at 4.30 arrived at Omaha, a journey of 1,032 miles from Ogden. At a quarter before 5 our journey was continued, when, after crossing the Missouri, we went on to Council Bluffs, and there got into a train with an hotel car attached to it, containing a kitchen and a dining-room. On June 8th we rose early, breakfasted at 7 in the dining-room, reached Davenport at 11, and, after crossing the Mississippi, arrived at Rock Island, the other side of the river. Later in the day we crossed the Illinois, and at 4 in the afternoon arrived at Chicago, after a journey of 503 miles from Omaha.
On Sunday morning (the 9th) Mr. Müller preached at the First Congregational Church, to about 1,500 people; and in the evening held a meeting at Mr. Moody's Tabernacle, which seats 3,000. It contained an immense audience, and numbers—including the choir—were on the platform "Hold the fort, for I am coming," was sung with great spirit at the opening of the service, the vast audience joining heartily in the chorus; and after prayer and the reading of the Scriptures, my husband spoke for an hour with much help and earnestness. When the meeting was over, William Howell, an orphan, formerly on Ashley Down, who left in 1860, came up to shake hands with us. He was delighted to meet his early friend and benefactor.
On the following afternoon, Mr. Müller spoke at Farwell Hall for an hour and a quarter to an audience of about 2,500, including many pastors; after the meeting we shook hands with multitudes, amongst whom were two more Orphans, formerly on Ashley Down, and on the morning of the 11th, we took a drive with some friends through Chicago, when the scene of the great conflagration of October, 1871, was pointed out.
"It had its origin in a small wooden barn or cow-shed, in the Western district of the city, and, the fire gradually increasing, the flames, fanned by a strong westerly wind, at last raged like a furnace, sweeping everything before them; so that stone, iron, brick, and other hard substances were burned up like chaff, the intensity of the heat being indescribable. From the very outset the fire had been completely beyond the control of any human agency, and it was only after it had raged with the utmost fury for upwards of four and twenty hours, that a great storm providentially drenched the city, and stopped the progress of the flames. The number of buildings destroyed was 17,450, and 98,500 persons were rendered homeless; but the hearts of millions were touched by the catastrophe, and from all parts of the world contributions for the relief of the sufferers were sent in. Three millions and a half of dollars promptly came to hand, and were the means (under God) of saving Chicago from the horrors which usually follow such an awful calamity."
On the afternoon of that day, Mr. Müller preached again at Farwell Hall; and in the evening we attended a "reception," at a gentleman's house, where about 50 Christian friends had been invited to meet us. On the morning of the 12th my husband addressed about 200 pastors and ministers for an hour and a quarter; and in a note from a hearer received afterwards the writer said,—"The meeting this morning was one of power. I do not know of better days in the churches and in Farwell Hall than these. The witness our Lord has sent by Mr. Müller is one of our greatest blessings." In the evening my husband preached at Dr. Gibson's Church from the Epistle of Jude, verses 20, 21, and on the following morning spoke (for the last time at Chicago) at Farwell Hall, on the Second Coming of Christ, to nearly 2,000 people, a subject which led many to inquire about this truth, who afterwards obtained light respecting it.
In the afternoon at 5 o'clock, we left by rail for Cleveland, Ohio, 353 miles from Chicago; travelled along the shores of Lake Michigan—a great inland sea, 500 miles in length, and from 90 to 100 miles in breadth; and on June 14th, at 7 a.m., arrived at Cleveland, where Mr. Müller preached six times at the great Tabernacle to immense congregations, occasionally numbering about 3,000. His last address, on June 17th, was upon the Second Coming of the Lord, when he spoke with great help and power. At Cleveland we remained a short time only; for having (when at San Francisco) received an earnest invitation to return to Washington, on account of the blessing which accompanied his ministry during our first visit; on June 18th, at 5 p.m. we left, and after a journey of 524 miles, arrived at Washington the next morning at 9 o'clock. Here Mr. Müller held seven meetings, including services at Lincoln Hall, the Calvary Baptist, Wesley, Fourth Presbyterian, and Lutheran Memorial Churches; and, on Sunday evening, (June 23rd,) at the Metropolitan Church, he preached a farewell sermon from 2nd Tim. iv. 7, 8.
On June 24th we rose at half past 3, left Washington by an early train, and reached Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, at 11 a.m., where we visited the field upon which, on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of July, 1863, the great battle was fought between the Union forces of the Americans under General Meade, and the Confederate army under General Lee, when the latter was defeated with a loss of many thousands of men. "In the National, or Soldiers' Cemetery on the hill, there is a monument 60 feet high, around which are ranged, in semi-circular slopes, the graves of many who fell during the war. The divisions between the States are marked by alleys and pathways radiating from the monument to the outer circle, the rows of graves being divided by continuous granite blocks, a few inches high, upon which are the name and regiment of each soldier, as far as could be ascertained. Originally about 32,000 corpses were interred in this Cemetery, but eventually the Southern States removed the bodies of their own soldiers and deposited them elsewhere." To look upon this burial ground, literally sown with the corpses of the slain, was an affecting sight; but Jesus is coming and the resurrection, when "all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation." This Cemetery is kept in beautiful order by the Government.