The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent. (Port Gibson, Claiborne Co., Miss.) 1848-18??, 1850-11-22
The Salt Lake City.

| We tdhe tne IolloWlng description OF the gTea
city OF the Salt Lake from the correspondent Q
the Western Christian Advocate:
early in April, l847, one hundred and forty
three men, two women and two children, starte
out as pioneers from Council Bluff, Iowa. Thes
Mormons made an entire new road on the nortl
side Of the Platte, crossing Elk..horn to Fort La
ramle; they then took the Oregon trail to For
Brcger, when they commenced a new roult
through the Rocky Mountains. On the 22d Ju
ly of the same year, they say, the irst man
Professor Orson Pratt-entered this valley. Oh
the 23d OF July the first camp moved into AM
halted at what is now called the centre of tb,
city. In the afternoon of the same day the,
had three ploughs and one harrow at work.
"At O'Clock P. NJ. of the same day they com
menced building the first dam for irrigation. Th
next day, Saturday, the 24th they planted fiy,
acres of potatoes. On the 2sth of the SAM
month, what they style the quorum of the Twev,
Apostles, assembled and laid off city AS follows
Block of ten acres each, eight lots 10 the block
an acre and quarter in each lot: the streets
eight rods wide; the sidewalks twenty feet wide
the sidewalks is to be beautifully shaded; the
blocks to be surrounded by purliDg brook, is.
suing from the mountains; every house TO be
builttwenty feet from the front fence. No two
houses front Understanding in his own door
every man may not look into his neighbor's door
but into his neighbor's garden. They have foul
public squares, which are hereafter to be adorn.
ed with trees from the four quarters of the globe
and supplied with fountains Of water.
"On the temple square they intend to have a
garden that will cost at least 100000 at the
commencement. Their Missionaries have al
ready made arrangements in the Eastern States.
in Great Britain, France, Italy, Denmark, and
the Germanic States, and in the islands of the
sea, to gather the choicest seeds aud fruits, and
every thing that can beautify and adorn the
garden. AT first the city was laid off to contain
one hundred and thrty-fve blocks. Since then
an addition Of si8ty>five blocks has been made
on the East, and sixty on the West. They have
laid Oft one mile square on the east Of the CITY
for university. 1t will not be two years until
next October since the first house was built in
this city, and it now numbers al least nine thou
sant. They already have convenient houses
built Of dobes-dried brck-and most of the
Injuries of life. They expect an emigration OF
at least Ten thousand o. their own people this
year.
"The only method Of cultivation is by irrera-
lion, from what they call "City Creek" Just
as this creek opens in the valley from the snow
capped mountains, it divides into two main
branches, which afterwards subdivide. This
water, from the mountains to the temple block.
has an average fall Of nine inches in a rod for
distance OF more than ten miles, with a greater
fall the father you advance into the mountains.
At one mile and third from the city is warm
sulphur spring, which possesses great cleansing
and purifying properties, and which, it is affirm
ed, cures most diseases of this climate About
mile and a half farther is hot sulphur spring.
On the South side Of the valley is hot spring
of pure water The water of this spring IS
twenty-nine feet and three inches deep.
The city is located about twenty-five miles
Southeast of the great Salt Lake This lake
is considered more saline than the ocean, three
gallons Of the water making one gallon of the
pures., whitest. finest salt The vallay is about
thirty miles by twenty-five, joining to valley Of
about fifty miles by eight in width. From the
entire North TO the South these two valleys are
studded with settlers, numbering from fifteen to
twenty thousand. The lieutenant engineer, Mr..
Gunnison, estimates these valleys, having ex-
plored them, as capable Of supporting popula-
ton of from one and half to two millions
"On the South Of this valley lie the Utah val
anu ldhOs dOOuL Aly HOtkl lIllS CITY.
The name of their city is Provo, on the South
side OF the Provo river. The lake is pure water
eight miles by four-aboundng with fish.
About one hundred miles South Of this they have
established settlement of about one hundred
and fifty families. This valley is called San
Pete. Here there are many ruins covered with
hieroglyphics. One place, in particular, is cal
led by the Indians "God's Temple" Here also
many remains Of ancient pottery, both glazed
and unglazed, are found in great abundance, and
here also is mountain of pure rock salt, and
abundance of bituminous coal
"During FIVE months of the year. there can be
no communication with the North, East. or West.
the mountains being rendered impossible by the
snow. This city IS situated about latitude 40
deg 80 min. north, ITO deg. longitude west of
Greenwich
"The productiveness of the soil is astonishing.
We are here in the midst of their harvest, and
never have we seen such wheat. We will give
You one out of many authentic accounts; Mr..
Holiday, from the south of this place, raised up
wards of one hundred and eighty-fiye bushels of
wheat from one bushe. ,f the seed, and three
hundred bushels of potatoes from one bushel OF
the seed.
"This valley is regarded as one Of the healthi-
est portions ofihe globe; the air is certainly the
purest ever breathed. Its attitude is four thou
sand and three hundred feet above the level of
the sea; and some of the mountains on the east
of the valley are more than mile and quarter
high, and are covered with perpetual snow, while
in the valley the thermometer frequently raises
above 100 degrees.
$50 much for this city and valley As TO the
moral and other aspects of this people, have
not at present time or space to write any thing.
II is due to them to say that have not seen any
thing vicious since my arrival. They are very
kind and hospitable TO emigrants The emigrants
drop them thousand commodities fora small
consideration, as they change from the train to
The packing method Of accomplishing the remain
der of their journey; while they, in their turn,
are greatly accommodated in obtaining supplies
and refreshment at this little more than hallway
house over plains and deserts"
NEWSPAPER DoG.-The Albany Knick-
erbockef boasts of dog ssconnected with
that Office who excels in sagacity all 9th
er newspaper dogs recently noticed. He
belongs to one of the carriers, and was in