Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-03-10
SKETCH OF UTAH TERRITORY.

Utah Territory is a portion of what was for
merly called Upper California, and was acquir-
| ed by our government from Mexico in 1913,
by the treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo, at the
close of the war. 1t is bounded on the north
by Oregon, on the east by Kansas and Nebras-
ka, on the south by New Mexico, and on the
west by California. 1t is included within the
parallels of 81 degs. and 42 degs. north lati-
tude, and 105 degs. and 80 mH., or log degs.,
and 40 degs., west longitude, being about six
hundred and fifty miles long from east to west,
and three hundred and fifty miles broad from
north to south. 1t contains about 225 900
square miles, but the greater portion of this
extensive region is an uninhabited desert, des-
ttute of water, with but little vegetation, the
average elevation of the land being somewhere
between four thousand and five thousand feet
| above the level of the sea.
The general face of the country is that of
an elevated table land, divided into unequal
portions by the Sierre Madre moutains, the
largest portion lying to the west of them.
This section is known as the Great Basin, and
is hemmed in by mountains on all sides. The
Blue mountains of Oregon on the north, the
Wasatch mountains on the east, the Sierra Ne
vada on the west, and nameless mountains
the south. Detached parallel mountain ran
ges, having northerly and Southerly direc-
tion, again divide this section into a number
of yallies, imparting an Alpine scenery to the
landscape. The principal range is the Hum
boldt River mountains, near the centre of the
basin, elevated from two thousand to five thou
sand feet above the level of the surrounding
country. The Wasatch mountains attain to
elevation of from four thousand to seven thou
sand feet above tho neighboring valleys, and
some reach the height OF perpetual snow.
As regards the climate of Utah, it has been
said that the great plateau between the Rocky
and Sierra Nevada mountains has many of the
characteristics of the great Tartar Plains of
Asia. On the mountains it is exceedingly
cold in the winter the snow falls to many feet
in depth, and fills up the smaller mountain
passes, but seldom lies in the vailies for more
than few days. In midsummer 1T is dry ana
hot, the heat ranging at midday from ninety
degrees to one hundred and five, with cool
mornings and evenings, refreshed with noun
tain breeZes. Winter commences in the first
half of November and continues until March.
The thermometer seldom falls below zero
Seed time is from April until the 10th of June.
Harvesting commences about the 4th of July.
Spring and summer, though mild, are subject
to sudden changes, and the wind is very vari-
able. Rain seldom falls between April and
October, but when heavy showers do come
they are generally accompanied by thunder
and hail, and sometimes with very strong
winds. The lightness of the atmosphere in
Great Salt Lake Valley renders breathing
real luxury, and the inhabitants enjoy gener-
ally as good health as those of the most Salu-
brious climate.
The general products of Utah may be emu
merated as follows The fine bunch grass of
perennial growth, affording fodder for cattle
during summer and winter; wheat, rye, bar
ley, oats, buckwheat, Indian corn, beets and
garden vegetables, in which it surpasses most
countries in abundance and quality. Potatoes
are said to be much better there than in the
States. Flax and hemp do well; the former
| in some parts of the Territory, may be seen
growing wild, and is used by the Indians in
making fishing nets. Throughout the whole
Territory timber is scarce, except on the noun
tains, and is composed of pine and fir trees.
In the bottoms of the principal streams groves
of cottonwood and box elder are found, and in
some of the vallies a scrub cedar. Indian corn
and vines are liable to be caught by early and
late frostS. wild currant, found extensive
ly on the mountains, is equal to the cultivated
currant in the States. Much exertion has been
made by the leading men in the Territory to
establish nurseries, cultivate orchards, raise
peaches, plums, grapes ,currants, apples, straw
berries, &C., which has been followed with
considerable success.
Animals indigenous to the territory are the
antelope, elk. deer and mountain sheep, which
supply excellent meat for table use the black
and grizzly bears, panthers, foxes, wolves and
wolverines, and smaller animals of prey. A
mong its feathered tribes are numerous peli-
cans and gulls, blue herons, cranes and the
brandt. Water fowl are abundant on the lakes,
some of which, with others of the feathered
tribes, are used for the table. Numerous
quantities of eggs are deposited in early sum-
mer among the reeds of the marshy flats, by
the goose, the duck. the plover and the cur
| lew and on the islands of Salt Lake, by the
| pelican, gull, &c. Fine fish abound in noun
| tain streams, and perch, pike, bass, club, &c.
in the lakes and calmer currents of the plains.
In treating of the waters of the territory the
| Great Salt Lake claims first attention, both
| CIR nfh c,li in
land sea has not inaptly been compared to the
Dead Sea of Palestine, except that it lies about
| 1920 feet above the level of the sea, instead
| of 900 feet below, as is the case with the lat
| ter. 1t lies in northeast direction from the
| centre of the territory, and is about seventy
miles from north to south, and thirty miles
| wide from east to west. The water of this
lake is SO calm that nothing can exist in it.
Persons who engaged in boiling state
| that they procure two measures of salt from
/ three of brine. An analysis of the water made
! by DR.. l.. d. Gale, attached to Captain STAINS
bury's expedition in lS49 and 1850, shows that
it contains full twenty per cent. of pure chlo-
| ride of sodium, and not more than two per
| cent. of other salts, and is one of the purest
| and most concentrated brines known in the
world. Its specific gravity is LII, but it
| slightly varies with the seasons, being doubt
| less affected by the immense floods of fresh
| water which, in the spring, rush from the melt
/ ing SHOWS in the mountains. The brine is so
strong that the least part of it getting into the
| eyes produces the most acule pain, and if ac-
| cidentally swallowed, strangulation must en-
sue. This large body of water has no outlet,
and diminishes only by evaporation, which, in
hot weather, leaves thick incrustation of salt
on the shores. Some of the salt was analysed
by Col. Fremont, and found to contain in 100
parts $3.50 of chloride of sodium, or common
salt, LIZ of sulphate of lime, 81 of magnesium
and % of sulphate of soda. The lake mas
number of bays, whose shores in summer are