Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1867-01-12
From the Montana Post.
Montana,


From glory or from shame
From tho Montana Post
Montana.
Since the passage of the Kansas
Nebraska act, in 1854, the great mid
die belt of States-Kansas, Nebras-
ka, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and
California-has been woven into a
perfect band, from the Missouri to
the Pacific. Just north of it, the
threads of the second belt-Dacotah,
Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Wash.
ington-begin to assume shape and
texture. Another territory is in
contemplation, to embrace portions
of Montana, Dacotah and Utah, un-
der the proposed name Of Wyoming.
A bill, organizing it, passed the
House of Representatives last year,
but failed in the Senate.
Salt Lake City, Utah, is the me-
tropolis and distributing point be-
tween the Rock Mountains and the
Sierra Nevada. From it Virginia,
capital Of Montana, lies four hun
dred and seventy five miles north (;
Boise, capital of Idaho, four hundred
and fifty miles northwest. The
road is like the letter Y. Eighty
miles from Salt Lake, it forks-the
right stroke leading toMontana, and
the left to Idaho. Both arc travers-
ed by mail coaches.
For hours after leaving the City
Of the Saints, the traveller rides
along the north bank of the Great
Salt Lake-a shining mirror, spot
ted with purple mountains of Is
lands, and framed in pale, violet
peaks, draped with gauzy clouds of
purest white. He passes thrifty
Mormon villages of dull brown adobe
houses, with fourishing orchards,
shading cottonwoods, and streets
watered by little artificial streams.
One of these, called Morrisville, was
built by the fanatical followers of
Morris, a prophet who out brigham
cd Brigham Persuading them that
the world, with all its people, except
themselves was about to be destroy
cd, he taught them to seize the cat
tie, horses and grain of their neigh
bors, upon the theory that the earth
and the fruits thereof belonged to
the chosen Of the Lord. But relig-
ion is poor excuse for horse-steal-
ing, and this was too much even for
the Mormons. In pitched battle,
they defeated the schismatics-who
fought bravely-lodged bullet in
the brain Of the pretended prophet,
killed several of his deluded follow
ers, including women and chrildren
and drove out the rest The surviv-
ing Morrisites, escorted from the
Territory by United States soldiers,
settled in Montana, where they still
reside. They asserted oftheir thiev-
ing, just as The Saints, from whom
they were an offshoot, do of polyga-
my-that it was part of their faith
and Brigham may learn 4 wholesome
lesson from their fate 1t is useless
to fight the moral sentiment of the
civilized world. Every relic of bar
barism must succomb sooner or la
ter. The Mormons begin to COM
prehend this, for, like many relig-
ious communities in history, they
combine extreme fanaticism Of be-
lief with the shrewdest and wisest
common sense in practical affairs.
Leaving Utah, with its great ba-
sin, the passenger crosses over low,
bare divide" and is in Idaho, on
waters running to the Pacific. The
southern part of this young Terri
tory juts far eastward, cutting off
Montana from Utah. There are no
dwellings, except low adobe stage
stations, with stacks of winter hay
cut from the wild grass of the val
leys.
The road passes through Port
Neuf Canyon-thirty miles long
where twice the coach bringing gold
dust from Montana has been robbed.
The most daring assault was com
mitted one year ago. The stage was
crowded with passengers, all armed
to the teeth, and keep vigilant watch
for a suspicious looking horseman
his face concealed by a slouehing
hat, had twice ridden past, staring
into the vehicle. The canyon is mar
row, with high walls and shrubbery
along the little brook which threads
it. In broad day light, when all
were riding with guns and revol-
veFs cooked in their hands, seven
men, with blackened faces, instant
ly rose up from the dense willows
on each side, stopping the horses,
and firing into the coach. At the
same moment the passengers re-
turned the fire, but their courage
was useless. In stage-robberies,
which occur frequently ON the lone
ly roads leading out of our gold re-
gions, persons are seldom able to de-
fend themselves If they remain in
the coach. BY jumping out and
scattering, they often succeed in
driving away the robbers. On this
occasion, one Of the highwaymen
was wounded, but escaped four pas
sengers were killed-oDe Fiddled
with fifty bullets and buckshots-
The robbers secured sixty thousand
dollars in gold Dust, climbed back
out Of the canyon TO the sand-hills,
where waiting confederates guarded
their horses, and thus made good
their escape. SiDgularly, none were
ever caught, though the people Of