The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-08-16
SOUTHERN UTAH.
BELLEVUE,
Washington Co., U. T..
August s, 1888. J
Editors Herald:

Editors Herald:
Having a few leisure moments,
and believing that some OF your
readers would like to hear from the
land of cactus and Dose, venture a
few items. Mr.. Jacob Gates and l,
left your city on the I'd, just via the
Utah Central Railroad to Milford
236 miles and, over land to Miners
vile fifteen miles, (the name of this
town originated from the cave silver
mine and the lead mines in this
vicinity a scarcity of water at
times has proved detrimental to this
place, but a dam is being erected
which will cover forty acres, six
feet in depth. When this is COM
pleted and it is expected to be this
winter, Minersville will be expected
to loom up. About 200 tons of hay
are said to have been badly dam
aged by very heavy rains recently.
Thirty miles southeast over the
mountains brought ParagOonah and
ParoWau, in view, with its Salt
Lake and Red Mountains, a contln-
uation of the Wasgch range. Tons
of salt are furnished TO Silver Reef
and other mines from Parowan lake
Passing Summit to Cedar City
eighteen miles. Kanarra Is
found to be fifteen miles
further on, near the rim OF the
basin. IL is not uEfreqHent that
snow NAV be left here, and III one
! days drive down to Dixie hot and
, dusty roads be discovered, and a
change from overcoatS to busters
be necessary.
After lunch we enter upon the
down hill grade, pass through Wlld
Cat canyon, obscuring the VarlgatGd
mountain gorges, and mountain
tops. 4 three mile dugway down
Black ridge is masterpiece OF
work, and to the timid in some cases
| rather tries the nerves. About
sixteen miles from CanoNa, Bellevue
looms up in air view and is a fine
place to steady the tried nerves.
Grapes, wine, pluEs, apples and
peaches please the eye and bring
pleasant reflections of Dixie still
further on twenty-five miles.
About sixteen years ago this place
was noticed and improved some
little by Thomas Adair, and Mr..
Harris, a relative Of Martin Harris
but was enlarged and improved by
our old friend Joel II, Johnson, IN
til be was able to make 1000 gallons
of wine from his vineyard. In
these fOurishiug times Elder Jacob
Gates also had a vineyard pro-
duciDg about 500 gallons of wine,
and q great deal of fruits. Within
five years North Ash creek has
dried up and South Ash Greek
| gives very scanty supply at
| times in July and August
In conseqU ence of this terrible cal
amity, many Of the settlers have
abandoned the place. In taking a
stroll over the town, many ruins
are seen with farms wasting and
| the coy little stone schOoihouse has
only broken panes of glass. Elder
I Gates says that many of his trees
have died for want of water and Re
scarcely got hay for one COW last
year. One Andrew Gregers0n,
| however, has bought most of the
settlers out aud controls the princi-
pal water right. J. K. Wilson, who
superintends the place, took me
| through the old vineyard of Mr..
| joel Johnson, and some addition
| 1917 acres. He has p acres of lu-
cerne ready for the third cutting.
The ripe peaches and grapes are
good. About four tons of lucerne
| from the four cuttings is an
average crop to the acre. When
water can be secured a dam is kept
in North Ash creek, by which floods
are caught and run over the north
farm. The very high chain OF
mountains on the east causes cloud
bursts and floods and the very heavy
peals of thunder vibrate terribly
! a cistern Of some 10000 gallons has
recently been prepared for the
comfort Of the ranch, where the
daily mail often calls,
EDWARD STEVENSON.