Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1850-11-14
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A"S "hOiO ChodStCt Vi tIE RtCttt
territory Of Utah is singular. It's situa-
ton is unlike that Of any other section Of
North America. Its origin and the man.
ner of its settlement no less strange
The name Utah is given now to large
extent of territory bounded by California
Oregon, New Mexico, and what was
formerly termed the great Western terri
tory. 1t is of sufficient dimensions to be
separated into several States. provided
in future ages, its population shall war,
rant it. But many parts Of it so partake
of a peculiar construction as to render ii
for the present at least uninhabitable.--
Passes. through precipitous mountains
whose tops are covered with snow and
whose sides are but ocks, exist it is true,
but they are mostly narrow valleys of
the most arid and sterile kind, their sur
faces covered with incrustations of bitter
salt, and their whole vegetation giant
species of sage, of no earthly use but to
be consumed af fuel. In the midst of
these icy mountains, through which there
is no access but by these passes. arid in
summer and choked with snow for FIVE
months of the year, lies tract of land.
elevated some four or FIVE thousand feet
above the level of the sea, called the
Great Basin, which furnishes the habta.
BILE part of the territory. In different
parts Of this Basin, the Mormons have
established their home, probably, at first,
with the idea that they would be cut of
from all the rest of the world, by the
natural difficulties Of the contiguous ter
ritory, and the popularity of their situa.
ton. Here they expected to form in Sc
crecy and in silence, the germs of great
peculiar, religious Empire; but the stream
Of California emigration discovered their
trail and inundated their principally, and
they are now the open, exposed, "Half
way House" to the Pacific.
This basin is some $50 miles in diam.
eter, has Its own system of lakes and riv.
ers. and has no known communication
whatever with the sea. unless the exis-
tence of the whirlpools in the Salt Lake,
which are re ported to be lately Discovers
ed, should prove an internal communists
ton with the Pacific. or with some spring
or lake in the lower country. In the
Northern part Of this basin lies the Great
Salt Lake. The waters of this sheet are
shallow. so far as explored !; though
probably its central parts will be found
very deep. Its waters are intensely salt,
more SO than the ocean-three gallons
making one gallon of the purest whitest
and finest salt South East of this Lake
shut in by the mountain lies, the Mormon
Valley that contains their capital city,
by some called the Great Salt Lake
City; by others Mormon City. This
valley is thirty miles by twenty-five, con-
nected to another valley which is about
so miles by 8. These two valleys con.
tain the principal body Of the settlers, to
the number Of twenty thousand. Ex.
plorers think that they are capable OF
supporting population Of million.
Fifty miles south of the City, is the
Utah Lake and Valley. Here lies the
city Of Provo. on the Provo River. The
lake is pure water, eight miles by four,
and abounds in fish. There is still an
other valley one hundred miles farther
south, called San Pete, where there is
another settlement and here we end the
hieroglyphic ruins. the remairg of glazed
pottery. DC. that indie .tes the former
existence Of the outlying cities Of the
Aztec Empire.
The soil ofall these valleys is astonish>
ingly productive. though requiring. con-
stantly, artificial irrigation from the
mountain streams. The climate is one
Of the healthiest and the air the purest
on the Continent. The neighboring
mountains rise 70 the height Of . mile
and half above the valley, and are cov-
cred with perpetusl snow. ..t t.
The City iS laid out in blocks Of ten
acres each: eight lots to the block: al