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Show A Letter From B. G. ' Webb. Nniivoo, llnmock Co., Ill,, Uctt !i, ltM. KijItoh ltAN.Nr.it: Dear llrother: llnvint: been rNpu'eled to write a pleeo to tho piper, I do so wlllhmly, lo let my friends know a little of what is happening In this part ot the country. Since Mny 1st, I have been doing country work; what wo call country woik in visiting tho dinners nnd smnll chic. I have traveled from the west euteot-lll. to tlio enst to the IiiiliRim.Uuo ami norlli to tlio Wisconsin line unil inn buck in tlio west pnrl ngidn, in the noted city. I havo been in a new place nrnrly every night during tho suiuiner. I, with my companions, have made It u rule, whern wo could, to visit n town and hold a meeting every night if possible. We havo stsrted out nt times without a cent In our pockets nnd have Kottcn aloiiR very nicely. Wo havo ate nnd slpt in somo of tho finest hotels for nothing, nswheii we Aero nimble to net a place by asking the people to tnke us homo nfieruieethiK wu would iiniktt for the hotel. So you see the poojile In III. arc becouiiiiK uioro friendly lo in and our teachings, hIiIioukIi it hits uotbeen nil sunshine. About two weeks ngo we all leeched word from the Piesiileiit that confereii cewoultl beheld in Nniivoo on thoStlth mid UOth of Sept. Most ol tho elders wnlkcd to eonferene", boiiic coming three huiidrctl and II ty miles. When wo met in tliil plnco thorn was gioiit rejoicing to know we were pel lotted lott-ed to come back nnd tench the people our uospel. There were nbuiit ilfty elifcra in all, from all pints of the North em States mission, it beliu n Joint con-fcrcnio con-fcrcnio of Northern mid b'oiitheru III and in such n noted city. Vo weto received re-ceived with open anus, ecveral said they were glad to ceo us hero and would welcome our people back lo build up the city attain because they rtullne no other people can and will build it on the count of the cuifle placed upon tho city Some went so far ns to oiler us land in i,!io lenlvt of tuv!i'tf;Nvu would huilii 'a church thctfe. We'wereblrsjMxV'byliAV-mirojwvtibrttiniHMhjnitthu; We'wereblrsjMxV'byliAV-mirojwvtibrttiniHMhjnitthu; from Nnuyoo and having been baptized into tho church In IbX'I, ho was able to tell the peoplo lots of things of inteiest. Withhluiwcrosuver.il isitiug friend j from Unih, niuoiiK whom were Mrs, Free.e aiidd.iughlorof Murr.iy, and Mr fitartup of I'rovo. Tho meetings were well attended, s oery seat was taRen hi tome of tlieviucctiiis and u number standing up. Sunday belli fust day, tho elders ami saints met in the river side mansion for fast services. It waB n grand chance to praise thoTLoid in a place here tho prophet once dwelt. Monday the elders met lo iccelve our appointments, appoint-ments, borne were tiausferred toother states and others were placed buck in the country nnd larger cities. I, with Elder A. C. Cluloiiiiaen, a ouug elder, were lefl in Nniivoo. t fuel proud to have tli9 honor of doing tho llrst missionary mis-sionary woik In tills place, as there Imi beoii none stationed tare sli.eo our people peo-ple lefl. A number of elders remained yesterday yester-day to witness tho Hi nt baptism performed per-formed since our people weie driven out. Three honest souls were led tfowu ii tn ttift MlnnlHRitifil i ivir. iimn iiipr nnn hundred peoplo gathered to witness thesight. Others are anxious to follow. I Mxpect n branch of tho church here before many years. I have had- a good chance to study the history of Nnuvoo hi early times, and know what it is today. Thinking tome of tho lilstoiy would be of interest to you I w til write as follows : Tho Mormons came to Nauvoo from Missouri In lH'i), having been driven from that stute. The Nauvoo Temple was begun in J811, the corner stuno being be-ing laid with groat pomp, This imposing im-posing structure was built of Nnuvoo marble at a .cost of $1,000,000. Tills maiblo is nothing more than a tine wlfitu limestone and the i)uariies round I about Nnuvoo are full of U Some of the rock being used In the buildh.g of tho statu house at Springfield was taken from here. The Temple stood on one of tho most Improving slghls on I'm Mississippi Miss-issippi on the l'eiuplu block ns it Is tt known. Most of thustieota hi tho town boro tho mimes ot high men such as, j I'nrlex, Olson, Young, llynim, Joseph I nnd P.utridgu. The high class saints had good substantial houses built ol brick. M"iiy of tba 6ld houses nro still in existence, hut most of them have boon torn down. Tho grent temple was destroyed by tiro Oct. 10th, 1818. Tho Masonic hall was u three story structure nnd Is iiou In fair state of preservation, Continued on pnge Jlva 55;-: A' Letter From B. G. ., ' , Webb. i ' ttlKli'- Oontiiliifil froin pnire oris " - rUIiouji'i one Btory hut been taken off. " 'i The prophet' iinllnliliril ninnttloti H lo- y,t ; cateil nt the (out o( Mil I a St. which runs north ami south nml is about throe ' ipinrttsrs o( n tiillo loinr. The river V touching hath the liewl it nil foot ol this &' V eighty foot thoroughfare. The tempi i '.' Masonlclmll ami Mimvoo lionet, a hotel, "1 ' wero wH In bo (ho lincvl structures ,-' . west ofPhilmli'lphln In that day. John ' 3 .' Taylor's hoiuy wntt ono of the uood '.. '' homes nml Is now owned by Peter F. '., Wahl. The linusu of Jnhn I). I.eu Has ft ' turn ddwn fonie years ago ntnl soino of )3LA ( thu bricks weie ueeil In the Presbyter Inn J churcji. The house of UoburO. Kimball ''';', la n well preserved Btrurturo mid in situated In ihnt part of Nuuoo known SP,.' na the lint. Thu Iht Is that part, lyliiir JV"' ' eloiie to the river though many feet y$ ', nbovo blah wnler mark. .V'"' Tho fall of tho-rlver from tho bend of j f- Main St. to the foot Is con&ldorable and -1 , It wn? this street t lie Mormons intended Wv t t0 lr"",'oriu' I"1' ll nit nii'l have ipfc the manufacturles, mills nml other hIiii- i ilnr imlust.iii located 011 nil island, js' J hut would remit from this nrrnnc- " merit. Fimtot where the temple Blood, "i1-- Is n strctiii of rich and fertllo soil thnt . , cannot be surpassed for productiveness in this country. This was ciiltivnled 1 by Uih Monitors nml they turned the adjnccnl wilds into 11 Imbltnblc countrv. k . Carthage, whure tho prophet and his , brother, the patriarch were killed, Is the county seat of llnncoek Co bcin lo- i . cate.i about twenty-three miles southeast ' , . The Mormons with several yoke ol ' . o!ccu plowed n direct furrow from Nnu- . voo to the Co. seat mid old land mnrkR . still existing prove this. This ftnrow V was called the Hist Mormon trntl; theii - ,. second trail tliiough tho wilderness to Utah Is known to old residents of Iowa , and l frequently spoken of hy some' ' old Pattinniis. Part of the Arocnnl is ",v , yet standing, mid theold foundry wheie ' the six pound ball went molded for the M01111011 cnuou. fit." Mary's Academy V of the Sisterhood of Ileiicdlclino now T , stands where the Arsenal once stood. J"i According to the clrtexillenlii'ii of" the j!'- ' times there wero Mormons, Jack Mor- .jvl .v " inonsand Anti MonnoiiB. Nativoo wis - - ' piohitbly the larKest in Illinois nt the ifflMj;,, time nml th Mormons' vote llgured Hyi&', largely in the success or defent of g'over- Wct8vt 'nor, riniijrssm.ti n(id nfltr?, d$8&i '' trouble nrone even in this eiuly dale, "W'wia8 That'tho Mormons weie IndUBiilous la ij-- 1 iihnwti liv llinlr lirluf Slav here. Tliev "IlitWU. built 11 city uith nt leust n thousand .jS I 1 houies. The population, nt the most gj,m7fljn'utlahlnj3; period was from, 18,000 to .'JPPtllf'f ;j'001' Tlle "lehlteqture of tiiejrhoiiHce R-fwP"C v?av I'l'iin, but substantial. The popu-sv popu-sv "' ' ' intlon f Kauvoo, at presnut is 13,00'), 'uT . , com posed mosfy ' Germans, who are eiik'apcd in fruit Browing. Graprs, pears nd strawberries aro ywarly shipped to the diflcrcnt marUols. Hundreds of tourists come bote every summer to Bee what still remains of Mormon times The eeutimentof ull of them is thut it if ; i u pity tho Mormons were forced '.a leave ' this place. In the ynrd of the Oilciitnl hotel there is a relic of the temple, a "liuuo roek on which is cut a ereecent vp , moon and several of the sun faces of the i' i ' temple are yet in existence. The thirty Btones thus curved cost $1,00(1 each. A Frouch eoininunity of about live hun dred under Mr. Cabot, bounht tho tem- pie ruins and constructed bulldlnizs "".'''(' v from it. One of the largest was used V for educational purpo?ea an J Im h i ' ! marblu structure which is located u few J feet from where tho temple stood. .? , 1 would Lo plcnscd to hear from any ', . , Jrlends. ' j, ( . Yours truly, , !.' ' JiMlltlt llUIINAHtl U. W'UIID, ' . . Nnnvoo, Hancock Co., Ilt,12 k 1 T |
