Show EsCnca “Grcci Sell laapiflri Cuffiotootf 4 Great Salt Lake: An Anthology” edited ky Gary spr S' V5-- ' i ' ‘ i "The Mountain Sea” Dale Morgan’s vivid prose invites the reader to “walk the graphic descriptions become redundant and the hardships predictable die indi-i : - s avenge Utah resident knows very little about the Great Salt Lake In his duction to charges: “Quiously the lake is at the same time both femous and obscure Few visitors to Utah can resist the temptation to stand on ns shores to marvel at the anom- aly of a huge lake in the midst of a desert and perhaps to dip finger into its brine to verify its high salinity But native Utahns take die place almost 7 Most ’ totally Utahns view die lake oily while flying into orout cif die airport or speeding along Interstate 80 to risk their money in the gambhog empo-riuofWendovei Nevada" As a transplant to V the state of Utah I bad to plead guilty to his dune Until now my knowledge of the lake has been limited to its general loca-- ’ don that it’s a natural saline lake what remains of Lake Bonneville and one of the defining geological wooden of our state While living in Dam County I enjoyed die vivid sunsets over the water from our upstairs bedroom window but never stood on its shores It was just there— end of inter: intro-encounte- 2002 and 1IL Although die geo--: i - sun and fanned the dancers at rs d 22-ye- ar ! rod journalist provide an interest-- ' account of eady mg first-haexplorations and human r For instance from Osborne Russell we learn of Friday Cache gray-and-wh- ite skills of a particular1 woman who become landlady" during his stay in Oicto Wdley He writes: “flto French husband had my bag gage taken into his lodge and his wife who was a flathead but the neat manner in which her lodge and furniture was kept would have done hioaor to a large portion of the pale faced’ fair sex in the civilized world" Later to seems to take fat granted the largess of die Native American woman when to returns horn a hunting trip While to went into die lodge to enjoy a Mazing fire she unloaded his “horse and turned it loose and then prepared whilst I as a matter of supper course related the particulars of the hunt” One readily apparent advantage to an anthology as with a journal or collection of short stories is the ability of the reader to pick and choose what to read and when Perhaps a selection that doesn’t ipmKaulnttnstlnatlnt-lofcartycutiorailma- m human encounters” strike your fancy on one day may on another In addition to die historical value of various writings there are others that are both interesting and well written Personal favorites include “Overland Emigration the California Trail and die Hastings Cutoff “ wherein Gary Topping details events leading to die tragic demise of the Drainer Party The Burg on the Beat" by Wallace Stepper a brief history of die settling of Corinne by gentiles in an effort to supplant Salt Lake City as Utah’s principal center of trade and “Saltairi by Nancy and John HI fi £ (!) McCormick An incurable romantic this reader wished to Dc transporaa duck to Memorial Day 1893 to stand among the throng of opening day visitors and experience first hand “The magnificent pavilion rising Venice-lik- e out of the waves in stupendous a and graceful beautydelightful oriental dream” die “bands railroad whistles hucksters honky-ton- k and the roar of the roller coaster (which) all created marvelous sights and rounds far removed from the routine of everyday life and the breezes from fee lake (that) cooled the rays of fee summer " v 0 W (1 & Book critic Charlene Hirschi ' holds her master's in English ' from Utah State University where and she currently teaches writing literature classes She is among a number of freelance writers whose columns appear in The Herald Journal as part of an effort to expose readers to a variety of community voices Feedback at chirschil Oatlbicom ® ft (? I! : July 10 - August 10 Tke Logan Utah Moic Flute Moart " In Davit Tke Wolfgang Amadeus Sigmund Romberg Tke SoufiX DU FleAtMhOM i: Repertory Johann Strauss Rodgers Mutvc Hammerstelh The Desert Song also at the Ecdes Center in Park Oty August 5 730 pm mmmvmsm s m v July ch nd est In an effort to deeper knowledge and i standing of the lake i natives and tourists alike" historian Gary Topping has assembled a collection of writings about die Great Salt Lake that takes tto reader through fee history of the lake starting with its prehistory beginnings to current nursings about what die future bolds forthe lake The earliest writings come from tto journals of mountain men Jedediah Smith (1827) and Osboree Russell (1841-4- 2) and die most recent is a series of Sait Lake Tribune articles written in' 1999 While some of the reading is as dry as die desert diat surrounds die lake Topping has brought together in one volume a collection of welkpseardied writings that wifi to use to those who want to learn more about the lake its history and the people wto have inhabited and stores IT explored its However die book also has much to offer the arm chair reader Of particular interest are die journals in Septfensn ' savor die sour strange odor half-stenyet alive rod individual that rises from die drying salt flats Watch the heavy unquiet water seeking die beach while wjfe hush untiring outcries the winged gulls wheel above you This is a holiday hour children (day along the beaches an old man floats on his back before you gently rising and felling in six inches of brine — transparent above the rippling lake floor giris sun themselves on die sand and a boat With tall white sails is making for the boat harbors in aU these is things something of die experience of Great Sah Lake” These words written in 1947 probably portray a scene that no longer exits in its entirety but this reader is moved to find out for herself at the very first opportunity that presents itself 26 r 'i V ' " ' ' i" A f V ' : 7 v'1' 0 & Herald The 9 Page |