The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1849-11-09
The Mormon civ.

1he mormon CITY,
In the Auborn Daily Advertiser, Wednes-
day, we find a letter from an adventurer who
had reached the Mormon city of the Salt Lake
Oh his way'to. California, and writes as fol-
lows ofthatDewly found community:
The settlement at the point from which |
am now writing was commenced in the month
OF July, 1847, the second anniversary of which
will be celebrated by them on the 24th of the
present month. The valley in which the CITY
is located is on the east side of the lake. and
is about % miles wide, and completely shut
in by high mountains the Utah and the Bear
River ranges being the principal From the
spot where am now writing can see the
tops OF them reaching almost 10 the clouds
covered with perpetual snow.-The city con-
tains about 5000 inhabitants. and is laid out
in squares the streets running around the whole;
the squares are divided into wards and the
wards into blocks, and the blocks into lots
each lot contains one acre and one fourth of
land.
The possession ofthese was given by draw
ing lots in this way: tickets were GOT up with
the numbers oil them, and pnt into a hat to-
gether, and then drawn out, each man taking
the lot bearing the number of his ticket. The
houses arc built of ddObeS, or sun burnt
brick; they are small, but present a neat and
clearly appearance. The entrance to the
valley is over very rough and mountainous
road, and the city bursts suddenly upon the
view as you emerge from canon or gorge ins
the mountains, through which the road runs.
and at the foot Of which the city is situated.
The Lake which is great curiosity, is 81
miles from the city; the water is great deal
salter than sea water, and is so buoyant that
man can float on il without any difficulty
whatever Salt is so plentiful about the
shore that it is shoveled up by wagon loads
like sand, and drawn TO the city. Il is coarse
and clear, and IS very clean. Fine salt is OBJ.
tanned by boiling the water which Yields one
third fine salt There are boiling springs a
few miles from here; also, phur and alkali
springs, from which good saleratus is obtain
ed.
The country is settled by farmers for f6rrv
miles north and south. They are now en-
gagged IN harvesting their wheat, which ~
yielding an abundant crop. They are strict
IN enforcing their penaltes-punishTng each
crime according to its n'rmity-making the
thief return Iour-fod and give so much into
the public treasury by working on the roads.
The Government is composed of a High
Council, the President being the head; theys
enact laws try offenders and make suooes-
tons for the good of the community. and all
such laws and suggestions are declared from
the pulpit every Sunday Their money con-
sists of treasury notes, which are issued for
coin and gold dust placed on deposit. Ar
engagements are now made for coming this
dust, and establishing currency oftheir own.
Large Quantities of gold dust have been
broughtinto the settlement by discharged SOL
diers, and those who have gone fiom there for
the purpose of digging, so that all the reports
we heard there are confirmed here by those
who have been and returned loaded with
gold.
The public improvements are carried on by
a fund which is raised by every man giving
one tenth ofhis yearly earnings for that pur-
pose. They are building council house OF
stone--a large substantial edifice In that
way they also intend to build Il temple SOON
They are expending large sums On the roads
over the mountains, and are projecting new
road across the desert ut the south oil the lake
to California. They are an Industrious. hos
pitable people and have the means within
themselves TO become rich and powerful