The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-09-28
Life ian UTAH Territory.

Horace Greeley, whose description OF his
iourneyings across the plains have 80 much
interested the readers of the Tribune, gives
US the following account of his observations
among our fellow citizens in Utah
These Mormons are in the main an idus.
trious, frugal, hard working people. Few OF
them are habitual idlers; few live by pro.
fession or pursuits that require no physical
exerton. They make work for but few
lawyers-I know but four among them
their differences and disputes are usually
settled in, and by, the Church they have no
female outcasts, few doctors, and pay no
salaries to their preachers-at least, the
leaders say 30. But small portion OF them
use Tea and Coffee. Formerly they drank
little or no Liquor but, since the Army
came in last year, money and whisky have
both been more abundant, and now they
drink considerably. More than thousand
barrels of whisky have been sold in this city
within the last year, at an average of not
less than $s per gallon, making the total
cost to consumers over $250,000, whereof
the Mormons have paid at least half. If
they had thrown instead $l50.000 in hard
cash into the deepest part OF Salt Lake, it
would have been far better for them. The
appetite they are acquiring or renewing will
cling to them after the Army ond its influx
of cash shall have departed and the Saints
who now drink little, will find themselves
as thirsty as their Valley, before they sus'
pect that they care anything for liquor.
AS yet, believe, they have few or no
drunkards but there is nothing more de-
ceitful than the appetite for liquor. AS yet
Utah has not single export OF any kind ;
the army supplies her with cash when that
is gone. her people will see harder times
She ought to manufacture nearly everything
she consumes, or foreign debt will over
whem her. Yet, up to this hour, her man
ufacturing energies have been most unhap
PLY directed. Some $500 600 was expended
in preparations for iron making at a place
called Cedar City; but the oar, though rich
would not Gux, and the enterprise had to b.
totally abandoned, leaving the capital dea
lose. Wool and Flax can be grown her
cheaply and dbundantly yet, owing to tn
troubles last year, no spinning and weavin
machinery has yet been put in operation
believe some is now coming up from 8
Louis. An attempt to grow Cotton is likel
to prove failure, as might have been pre-
: dicted. The winters are long and cold her
= for the latitude, and the Saints must max
cloth or shiver. trust they will soon b
able to clothe themselves.
d Sugar is another necessary of life whic
i they have had bad luck with. They ca
e grow the beet very we'll, but it is said t
yield little or no sugar-becsuse, it is suE
y posed, of an excess of alkali in the col
The Sorghum has not yet been turned
a much account, but it is to be. Commo
IS brown sugar sells here at 60c. per h.; co
d fee about the same; in the newer settlsmenl
1t they are of course still higher. All soFts
e imported goods, cost twice to ak or efgi
o times their prices in the States even quac
}! medicines Geo called) and yellow eovere
9 novels are sold at double the pricea born
on their labels or covers. Consider that tt
r. people came hither over : thousand mile
], mainly Of desert, after reaching the Missouri