Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1865-07-19
GREAT SALT LAKE CITY. !
Utah, June IA, 1865.


Leaving Fort Bridger for our last days
ride hither, we leave the first Pacific slopes
and table land of the Rocky Mountains
drained to the south for the Colorado
river and to the north for the Columbia,
and so over the rim of the Basin of the
Great Salt Lake, and enter that continent
with its own miniature salt sea, and its
independent chain of mountains, and
distinct river courses; marked wonderful
! ly by nature; and marked now as won
derfully in the history Of civilization by
it's people, their social and religious Or
ganization, and their material develop
ment. This is Utah-these the Mormons.
| do not marvel that they think they are
chosen people; that they have been
blessed of God not only in the selection
of their home which consists Of the rich
est region in all the elements of state
between the Mississippi valley and the
Pacific shore, but in the great success
that has attended their labors, and devel-
oped here the most grand and self-sus-
tanning industry that the western half of
our continent witnesses. Surely great
worldly wisdom has presided over their
settlement and organization there have
been tact and statemanship in the leaders:
there have been industry, frugality and
integrity in their people; or one could
not witness such progress, such wealth,
such varied triumphs of industry and in
genuity and endurance, as here present
themselves.
We enter Utah over and among new
series of hills, the belongings of the Wa
satcb mountains, the frst of the subsidi-
ary ranges Of the Rocky Mountains, and
the eastern guard and parent of the Salt
Lake valley. We have our finest days
ride yet along the crests of hills 5000
; feet high, and through valleys and gorges
: guarded by perpendicular walls of rock
all rich with a spring verdure that is
$ fresh and graceful to our eyes. We play
at snow ball from the large white drifts
that lie along our road and we pick
= abundant flowers at the same time. These
+ spring up quietly with the grass, watered
by melting snow and inspired by the hot
suns heat-for twice hot it is compared
! with our eastern sun, in these high west
r ern regions. Some are new to mine eyes
$ many wear familiar faces, though greatly
: modified by change of soil and climate
r and above all others, the yellow predom
mates. Did you ever think it the favor
ite color of nature? What other clothes
= your meadows and these hills with but
tercnps and dandclion till green is out
/. borne by yellow? What other has more
/. varieties of plants in its list-more shade
: in its blossoming? Here | find new one
t among others little sun flowers, foo
> high, three or four blossoms to plant
}. and plants as thick as plantains by th
9 pasture path Let us treat yellow, theI
with more respect, since it is nature
!. chosen; and learn, as we may, what va
J. riety and range of beauty there is in it
!. shades. So We rolled rapidly through
e summer and winter scenes, with sky o
= blue and air of amber purity, and whel
!, the round moon came up from the snow,
peaks, giving indescribablc richness an'
: !, softess to the whiteness, VIC kept on ant
n on, now up mountain sides. now aloni
!. the edge of precipiccs several hundred fee
Il high, down which the stumble of hors
or the error Of wheel would have plum
r ped US; now crossing swollen streams
c the water up to the coach doors, nov
stammering through morass and mirf
/ plugging down and bounding up SO tina
VIC passengers, instead of sleeping wor
!, bruising heads and tanglinS legs and arm
' in cnacting tradegy of popcorn over he
il u fire in closed dish and now from u
y among the clouds and snow, we tore dow
>. n narrow canon at break neck rate, e'
r. Gaping hundred Ovcr.turns and toT
Y nI;pc on the rivers brink until the hea
= swan with dizzy upprehensions Mos
h. picturesque of all the scenes of this da
=. ana nieht tide was the passage throug
Echo Canon. very miniature Rhine va