Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-08-05
THE Growth OF MoRMoNIsM.

THE GROWTH Oh MfbkMONASm-
Mr.. w. II. Hooper, Congressional Dele
gate from Utah, has recently addressed an
interesting letter to Mr.. John w. Chauler,
Chairman Of the House Committee on Flee
tions, giving sketch Of the growth Of
Utah. He SAYS the Mormons have built
up Utah from a desert waste, which twenty
years ago was twelve hundred miles from
either settlements or navigable rivers, TO
what IL now claimed TO be a lOurishing
young State, containing one hundred thOus-
and inhabitants, with a territorial extern
sion Of seyenty-fve thousand square miles.
There are eighty-six nourishing towns and
cities in the territory, with near one humid
red postotices while her grisl and saw
milla, wooden manufactures and many
other branche9of the mechanic arts equal
10 those Ofthe older States. There are one
hundred churches, one hundred and twenty
schoolhouses and three theaters, which
equal those Of the States in size and gran
deur.
The Mormons left Missouri in 1915,
crossing Iowa, then a wilderness, and en-
Campcd CD the banks Of the Missouri, in
what was then called the pottawatomie
country. Here they laid ont the town now
lS47 an advanced guard Of one Hundred
and fifty men proceeded 60 Salt Lake Val
lev, and selected the present site Of Salt
Lake City in July Of that year. A few Of
these pioneers, under the lead Of President
Young, returned 10 the Missouri river the
same fall, leaving most Of the men at the
lake TO pillow and plant during the follow
ing season.
In 1913 the great bulk Of emigration Of
that year reached the valley, and found
that much had been raised for their susie
nance The march was attended by many
hardships. The industry Of the emigrants
Ia shown in the fact that during the tedious
tourney of four months duration the spin
ning-wheel and loom continued their work,
aud hundreds Of yards Of goods were woven
the heavy wagon and slow motion Of OK
teams giving an opportunity 10 spun and
weave while the train was IN motion. The
frat printing press ever taken west OF the
Missouri was ostabliFhcd by the Mormons
at Independence, in the year 1882 80.
la 1850 there was not a shingle roof in
Salt Lake City, which now contains twenty
thousand inhabitants. Mr.. Hooper says
that IL is 4 remarkable fact that most Of the
money which has been made, and most Of
the fortunes which have been amassed in
the territory Of Utah in mercantile puT-
suits previous 10 1868, have been made 10y
those who have not been Mormons and
yet be has never known Of farm having
been opened n mill built, and very rarely
a house erected ia the territory, by any one
not a Mormon.
Mr.. Hooper estimates the Mormon emf
grafton from Europe, from 1880 10 1867
inclusive, nj an annual average Of two
thousand souls, or an aggregate Of thirty
ak thousand while the emigration from
the States during the same period has been
about twentv-four thousand. The estima-
ted cost Of taking these persons to Utah il
eight million three hundred thousand dol
lars. The emigration from Europe this
year If estimated at four thousand souls
hut 1t will probably be greater.
About one-third Of tho emigranis have
paid their own expenses. The remainder
have been taken out by what IL styled "the
perpetual emigrating fund" which hos
been IN organized existence about twenty
years, and is composed Of contributions,
tithes, legacies, and funds drawn from va
rious sources both in Europe and America.
This fund is kept up, in fact, by those who
have received Its benefits rcpaying when
convenient the expense incurred in their
emigration, IA orier that others may re-
ceive like benefit During The present
year $4,000 was contributed in Salt Lake
City alone, to enable others to reach
America.
Mr.. Hooper proves that il il cheaeer to
treat the Indians mildly than 20 fight them,
by stating that the United States govern
ment paid only sevenly-lve thousand dol
lars for the suppression of Indian HOSTILE
ties IN Utah since the organization of the
territory, while the Indian wars in Oregon
and the adjacent States have cost the
Treasury millions
Mr.. Hooper also asserts that Utah has
done much, directly and indirectly, 60 de-
velop California, Nevada, Montana and
Idaho, enabling the latter territories,
through the supplies drsWn from Utah, to
work the gold and silver mines, which
have con tr1buted so largely 20 the national
wealth.