Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-11-06

present some eighty thousand inhabi-
tants, not including the Mormon popula
ton of the present season, estimated a
seven thousand more. Utah at present
extends from the eastern slope of The
Rocky Mountains to the silver mines o
the Sierra Nevada, a distance OF ovei
one thousand mies-a country in exten
greater than that Of all the New Eng
land States.
The emigration across the plains this
year is greater thaa ever before. Thi.
moving population is composed chiefly Of
two classes--one Of miners, the other
Mormons some of the former stop in
the mining districts Of Colorado, some
are bound for the Bannock gold mines
Of Utah, others are pushing their way
westward for Nevada and California
where some will engage in agricultural
pursuits.
Tie other class are mostly foreigners
from the old countries in Europe, brought
over by Brigham Young and "the
Church" aud are Of course good "latter-
day saints" These people, it is scarcely
necessary to say, are of the lower and
poorer classes, mostly English, born in
the coal mines of England some are
Scotch, Welsh, Irish, Swedes, Danes,
Italians, French, Swiss, few Germans,
and still fewer Americans. These for
eigners who adopt the Mormon faith for
the sake of getting their expenses and
that of their families paid TO America,
and thence to the land Of the saints, are
paupers, uneducated, with nothing to
lose and everything 10 gain, SO that al
most any change would be for the bet
ter. Their social condition is that OF
the most abject slavery. Old women
have been known TO go lettering out of
their cabins and touch Brigham's clothes,
believing it would restore their eye
sight. To the honor of the American
character, there are very few American
Mormons.
The leaders give out that their disci-
pies are very happy and contenfed
people, but this is far from being true.
/ have talked with many Mormons who
expressed the gre attest adherence of the
way in which they were living, but said
they had got there and united with the
church, and there was no means Of get
ting away.
What first attracts the attention Of
visitors TO this city are the swarms of
dirty, ragged, idiotic looking children
running about the streets. The number
of old decrepid women and men hob
bling about on crutches and with STATS
excites our sympathies. Women eighty
years old, with half a dozen grand
and great-grand- children hanging to
them, are common. Many of these
old people are stationed a ong the
streets selling apples and peanuts. An
other pitifuI sight is the great number of
young married women, from fifteen to
eighteen years old, who are seen in The
streets and at church, with an infant to
their arms and a child tottling along
hanging to their skirts. These women
are poorly and cheaply clad, their dress
being generally goods Of Mormon manu-
facture, as they buy nothing which they
can produce themselves. This rule does
not hold good with the chiefs and off.
cials, many Of whose houses are furnish,
ed with the richest rosewood furniture,
piers glasses, medallion carpets, pianos
and luxurious couches.
The city Of Salt Lake contains some
twelve thousand inhabitants. II is stu
ated about twenty miles from The lake,
en- a valley as smooth and as level as the
lake itself This valley is nearly sur
rounded by mountains. The Wahsatch
range--which is a spur Of the Rocky
nountains--extends along the east side
from Utah Lake to Salt Lake, distance
Of seventy miles. On the west are the
Oquirrh mountains, and southwest the
Cedar mountains, extending up to Lake
Utah. Out of Utah Lake runs the river
Jordan, emptying into Salt Lake. This
is beautiful stream of cold, clear, fresh
water, running through a country of
green grass and thick shrubbery. Utah
Lake resembles Lake George, being
about the same size and equally as beau
tiiul. II is a singular fact that three
rivers-the Jordan, Bear and Weber
Blue, Spring and Willow creeks, and
several other smaller streams of fresh
water, empty into Salt Lake, but do not
freshen the water the least. The plain
or valley Of Salt Lake is supposed to
have been once water, covered like the
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