(On Sept. 11, 1858, the New York magazine Harper's Weekly published an article from an unnamed correspondent regarding the Globe Saloon in Salt Lake City. In that era, "saloon" was the common term for "restaurant." The article, which snidely demeans LDS proprietor David Candland, demonstrates the animosity then felt between LDS settlers and the "gentiles" who were coming in increasing numbers. Added are excerpts from Candland's writings giving a less biased description of the business.)
(From Harper's Weekly) There is no other building in the Territory which will remain impressed so vividly upon the memory of Gentiles who are, or have been, here this year as Candland's Saloon. . . . For a long time that was the only house in all Salt Lake City where a man who was so wicked as to be a Gentile could obtain a mouthful to eat.
Brigham (Young) has nearly all the money in the Territory and he always has his eyes open to every opportunity for making money, even though it be in a small way. So, when the Gentiles began to flock in here this spring, he took this saloon and put a man in it to feed us at exorbitant prices, at the same time forbidding everyone else from giving us food or shelter.
That man was one David Candland, a little speck of a fellow, got up in the neatest possible trim, with his eyes eternally twitching, twitching, twitching. I might here remark that I have never yet seen a Mormon but that something ailed his eyes. They are sunken or dark or ghastly or glaring. There is certainly some mania in all Mormons eyes; none of them can look you straight or steadily in the face.
Well, to return to Candland. He is a man of some note among the natives here; he has been a missionary, a preacher, a theater manager and a barber. He never told me he had been a barber (and he never had been) but that is a self evident fact, for he never could have obtained his manners any where else than in a barber shop. Well, our host has seven wives (poor creatures! for he don't seem capacitated to more than half-attend to one) but they have never been seen within a half mile of the saloon while the chivalric Gentiles were around; not even so much as one of their skirts was ever seen. Hapless beings! . . .
The custom was to pay our bill every Saturday; but no one, when he went to settle his bill, could ever tell what it would amount to. Sometimes we were charged a dollar and a half a day, two dollars a day, all in the same week. No one ever understood mathetmatics enough to make out the bill but the very accommodating and very gentlemanly landlord. Besides this, he had a very smiling way of leaving himself indebted to his patrons to the small amount of a half dollar every Saturday, under the plea that "change was so very scarce; that he could not make change, etc, which small debt would always persistently be forgotten before the ensuing Saturday . . . "
Our pious, theatrical host did not inform us how high or how much he raised the price of our daily subsistence; but he began early in the day to see how much his guests would bear. Putting on his most accommodating barber smile, he came along to a "knight of the quill (newspaperman)" who was corresponding with one of your metropolitan contemporaries, and, taking him by the arm, walked off a short distance, then said: "I don't know how it is with you gentlemen of the press. If you can't afford to pay it, why I just thought I would tell you now so you need not be embarrassed or dissatisfied bime-by."
The party to whom this address was so kindly made had been round to several places in the world and doubtless believed that he was one of the great propose of this mundane spheroid; so he flew into a passion at our obeisant landlord for daring to presume, or even think, that he had not money enough to pay three dollars a day for his board. Yes, he had enough money to pay three dollars a day for his board and to buy Candland, with his entire saloon.
Instead of getting angry on his part, our host seemed much pleased with this outburst of spirit from the "gentleman of the press" for he felt it was satisfactory proof that twenty-one dollars a week for board would be stood. So his surprise and disappointment may be imagined when, at noon, he found that nearly one side of the table had deserted and commenced keeping bachelor's quarters hall. Down went his board to two dollars and a half a day instantly . . . Still, many a pleasant meal was eaten at Candland's by many a hungry Gentile.
It was very amusing to behold the scene that followed the ringing of the first bell for breakfast at Candland's. Gentiles in every kind of dress or undress could be seen evolving themselves from every imaginable place - from carriages, from under trees, from off the plaza, from off the sidewalks and from out of the gardens - all making their way to the gutter to wash. To wash in the gutter? Yes, to wash in the gutter . . . It is beautiful, clear water from its original course and sent tumbling along down either side of all the streets that run north and south. The people obtain their water out of these gutter-brooks, which are likewise used for irrigating purposes. All the gardens in the city have to be irrigated, for without irrigation they would be nothing but a barren bed of sand. The same is true of all the arable land in the valley.
Well, when the Gentiles have crawled out from their holes, each takes his soap, towel, comb, tooth-brush, and a small pocket looking-glass and makes his toilet at the gutter. These little articles are most necessary ones to us voyagers in these barbaric regions; so after being used, they are carefully rolled up and deposited in saddle bags or trunks. Each person then straps up his blankets or bedding; after which and breakfast, he is ready to travel sixty or eighty miles during the day, or to live lying around loose outdoors . . .
(Excerpts from Candland's diary regarding the saloon's history): August 1856: The Presidency of the Church proposed my opening a saloon on first rate principles. I cheerfully consented and the church will model and build additions etc. to the order belonging to Brigham Young. I commenced and with the assistance of some others soon dug the foundation.
November 1856: This month opened the Saloon under the name of The Globe . . . The Governor by invitation visited the rooms and expressed his satisfaction of the same . . . Bro. R. Golightly is the baker. Bro. J. Palmer the cook. Henefer and Squires the barbers . . . Our prospects for doing a fair business although times are dull.
November 1857: Pres. Young took a tripe dinner at the Globe with his sons & friends. Our cook Sister Jarrett improves on acquaintances in her line.
February 1858: Business continues very dull with us. People are all engaged some way or other in preparations for the war. (He refers to the expected confrontation with Johnston's Army, which did not materialize.)
March 1858: I was introduced to Col. (Thomas) Kane by his calling at the Globe. I esteem it an honor. He expended five dollars in candies as a present from him to some youthful choristers. He is remarkably urbane etc. (Kane, a non-Mormon, was a friend and advocate of the Saints in troubled times. The Globe closed for several months while the pioneers fled south to escape any conflict with the army.)
September 1858: My trade increasing. Suppers are becoming popular at the Globe. I had a difficult time with a Mr. McNiels who came into the Globe drunk and made too much noise. I gave him in charge of the Police which resulted in a fine of $50 and 3 months imprisonment, the latter part Gov. (Albert) Cummings remitted.
October 1858: Numbers of boarders increased during the last few days. From the papers East I see myself spoken about sometimes favorable and sometimes not so by very considerable. Four wives and Six children now living; hoping to live to see them well respected and maintain a position among their fellows.
June 1860: On the 1st day of the month Surveyor General Stambaugh as a committee of one waited on me to order a champagne supper for 12 or 15 persons which came off the same evening, amounting to $78.75. I had much difficulty in getting my pay and when I asked for it I was only insulted and finally threatened to be caned when I seized him by the throat, wrenched the cane from his hand and aimed a blow at his head . . . I commenced a suit to recover the amount before Justice Gibbs and after getting abuse and slander from Stambaugh and his clique and they resorted to every subterfuge to entrap me. I obtained my money and closed the Globe determined in my own mind that my association in any way shall be at an end with the gentile population.
(Candland was at times a justice of the peace, prosecuting attorney, county assessor, tax collector, postmaster, legislator, city recorder and journalist. He eventually became a farmer "by virtue of owning farmland in Sanpete County," according to Robert Candland, a descendant. The elder Candland died March 8, 1902.)