Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-03-03
The Mernon City.

j. s =
4 An overland travelling. correspondent of
the st. Louis Imtelligsncer furnishes the
following descriptive sketch of tts' Morf.on
capitol Of Utah. taaa afs srs=.,razrg h
The city Of the Great Salt Lake is beau
tifulIy laid out within short distance of
the western slope of the mountain forming
the eastern end Of the valley. It contains
eleven or twelve thousand inha bitan.s who
are mostly engaged in agriculture, though
portion of their time is devoted to fnschan-
ical pursuits when understood. Tire streets
of the city intersect each other at right an
giles, and each block is half mile square,
with an alley from east to west and north
to south. Each block 10 called ward,
and has bishop to preside over its gov
ernment, whose duties are to act as magis-
trate, tax collector and preacher, as well as
street commissioner. The city and all the
farming lands are irrigated by streams, of
beautiful water, which flow from the ada
cent mountains. These streams have been
with great labor and perseverance led in
every direction. In the city shey aow on
each side of the different streets, and their
waters are let upsn the inhabitants gar
dens at regular periods, so likewise upon
the extensive fields of grain lying to the
south Of the city. There is field thirty
miles long by six and ten wide, a portion
Of which is cultivated by any wha desire.
This field was moving with wheat, barley
and oats, nearly ready for the sickle when
we were at the lake, and finer field OF
wheat never grew in any country; the ber-
ry was large, full and plump, of superior
whiteness. We were convinced that no
country in the world could produce better
crops Of wheat than this valley, or larger
amount to the acre. The system of irriga-
tion prevents anything like rust or snat
striking the crop, to blast the expectation
of the farmer. The prsductiveness of the
soil will always secure him an abundant
crop. --,ras.a,s .aH7 a.zf :re.q.-4s $50 Il
Within the valley, and including three
other settlements of this people ia the vicini-
/ ty, there cannot be far from 3H,090 inhab-
itants. Forty miles south they have vii
/ lage, and another Ito miles farther south,
among the Utah Indiaus-I seppose-
where fine forests Of all kinds of timber a.
bound, while little or none for mechanical
purposes, except pine, grows in the. vicinity
of the valley.
The character of this people has chang
ed but little since their exodus from the
States. The leaders and all appear to be
more @free and easy" and the great body
as perseveringly industrious and obedientto
the higher powers as ever. Money is very
plenty among them principally gold ,much
ef which came from the California mines
The religious character Of The whole bod y
has degenerated into mere amusement, friS-
o4etry, &C., net even the sem blaucs OF true
piety is kept up. In the vicinity of the
city is a warm spring, which has been tro't
into the cly, and public baths erected.
The water is highly medicinal. Each citi-
zen has a bnilding lot appropriated to his
use, bot is not the absolute owner, as he
cannot dispose Of it TO Gentle without the
consent of the church neither can a Nor
mon move away or take a journey without
the consent of the church. Each member
| is allowed to take up and cultivate as much
land as he pleases, but be can only sell
such improvements as he may make upon
the land. One tenth Of the produce Of the
| U
al, as well as one tenth Of his Tins, belongs
to the church, and is Vigorously exaeted !, g
The houses are mostly one story high,
though some of them are neat little cottages
They have nearly completed, spacious
courthouse, two stories high, 49feet Square.
:, The first story is built Of free-ssoue and
the second of sunburnt brick; houses built
of these bricks are very warm ia winter
and cool in summer, andsappesr well adapt
ed to the climate. They are about TO erect
sempfs and other public baildings. 81 er
Kimbalrs house is large two story stone
building, some fifty feet by twenty Fl We feet,
vet it is not large enough to contain one
half Of his mum erous wives: The prosperi-
ty of this people is truly astonishing. They
have Aocks and herds, and most of the good
things Of earth in abundance. We saw
about ,OO0 of the finest, fattsst cattle on
an island'in the Salt Lake, that we ever
nut ewes upon. In the morning you may
see lads driving hundreds of cows from the
hounds of the city to be herded within two
or three miles and thsn driven batk at
night. Fhs regulations Of the valley in re-
card to stock are, that it shall be fenced,
while the gardens and fields are left with a
slight protection in the way of a fence.
Brigham Young is'the Alpha and Ome-
ga, of the sect; his word is law. He is
esphatically the thinking, Breathing organ
cf this, whole people, and yet he is an ordi.
nary.minded man, without the "hard' horse
sense Of Joe Smith OF many of those who
surround him; his quiet, good-natursd dis
position in short, bis amiabieDess OF char
acter has made and will keep iifn the lead
er of the Latter Day Saints: L s-.a
i, Fhis valley is capable Of sustaining a
emulation Of l50, ,000;- it is from 80 to SO
miles wide, and from l6e to l9O niies-long
nearly tie whole valley is 4at for eultiva tion
if irrigation be resorted. Hemmed in on
all sides by mountains, upon whose tops
lies perpetual snow, one would snpppss that
, that the climate would be much colder than
!. it really is in both Summer and winter. 8.
Ths writer of the letter inoidshtalfy men,
: tions that the Mormons have formed "a trea'
K d, .;u. :. :. 4 sAofo,rs; ,eD vifh the Utah