The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-02-15
"PLUS ULTRA"
Some of the Wonders of the
Wasatch Range.
THE PRICE RIVER COUNTRY.
The Lay of the Country-That
Tribune" Skele-on-"Dumped
Into a Hole"
THE PRICE RIVER COUNTRY.
PRICE VALLEY, Emery County,
utah, February 10, 1855.

The period of my Information =
otiosity, presume. would be the better
term-having passed, and thinking a
description of this section of country
would be interesting to your readers, 1
proceed forthwith to indite letter to
The HERALD.
The traveller, passing southwark from
Salt Lake City, would naturally infer
looking at the rugged mountains which
bound Salt Lake and Utah valleys on
the east, that the Wasatch range, ris-
ing abruptly from the valley and end
ing in rugged, serrated peaks, was
the only obstacle to be encountered
in travelling eastward toward tie Green
River plains. Such. however, is not
the case. There are two distinct para
lei ranges. These ranges embrace or
enclose within their lines series of val
leys or mountain basins, of which the
most important are Cache, Ogden,
Weber, Provo, Thistle. Sanpete and
Sewer valleys. These valleys are con-
nected by two passes, most of which are
traversable with wagons. The Wasatch
range, cut in many places by deep
gorges or canyons, is an upheaval of
granite, porphyry, quartzite and lime,
and forms the western barrier to the
valleys named. The eastern bar.
rler, known in the north as the
Bear River mountains, and
IN reality the water shed or rim of the
Great Basin, and continuous and un-
6roken mountain range, extending from
Soda Springs in the north to Kanab in
the southern part of the Territory. The
qualification of this secondary range is
a horizontal, or with very Slight up
heaval, sandstone formation, and con-
talns the great coal deposits from which
the people of Utah derive their fuel
This secondary or eastern range
Price River by q continuation of
The Roam or Book mountains. which
forms continuous and unbroken link
or connection, except where cut by the
lower Green River Canyon with the
main Rocky Mountain range, or con-
unental divide, running through Colo
RADIO.
Price River, having its source near
the point OF intersection with the Roam
mountains, flows eastward through
Price and 'Ferron valleys, really the
north end of Castle valley, and after
much meaRdering through rocky
gorges and impossible, boxed CANYONS
empties into Green River, about twenty
FIVE miles above the point where the
Denver & Rio Grande railroad crosses
the latter named stream.
Agricultural lands along the course
OF the Price river are very limited in
extent, being confined to narrow strip
on either side of the stream. The soil, of
a sandy clayish nature, is blush white
in color and presents "a barren,
desolate appearance, very discouraging
to persons coming from the more fertile
valleys on the western slope. This bar
existence of lakes, which formerly
covered this entire section, as evidenced
by the low mesa" liable lands) living
along the base of the surrounding
mountains, they being composed Of
sedimentary deposits of clay, sand,
black shales, and gypsum.
Price Valley, the largest and most
important of the basins and Price
River may be said to include the settle
ment on Huntington Creek. This val
ley is the only place where permanent
settlement has as yet been made and,
despite the barren appearance of the
soil. those who have tried the expert
menJ assure me the land will produce a
fair average crop of cereals and vege-
tables, lucern-native grasses suitable
for winter feeding being very scarce, or
entirely unknown-can be successfully
cultivated. The fertility of the soil, I
presume, is due principally to the pres
ence of gypsum, which has been washed
from the hills into the river bottoms.
Timber, with the exception of scanty
growth OF cottonwood along the stream,
Tor building purposes, can only be OBJ
tanned from the mountains near the
source of the stream and is very diff
cult of access; but cedar and pinion,
wood suitable for firing and fencing, is
found in abundance on the low bench
land surrounding the valley.
The hills and benches lying along the
base of the Roam Mountains are cover
ed with luxuriant growth of native
grasses and shrubs such as white sage,
shadscale, bitter bush, and greaseWood
excellent browsing for sheep, these
conditions, taken in connection with
the fact that the snowfall is rarely deep
enough to cover the feed, make this a
desirable locality for wintering sheep
the summer range being conveniently
near by and of an excellent character.
owing TO the great scarcity of water.
IN small streams or springs, cattle are
obliged to keep near the river where the !
grazing is any thing but first class, CON
sequently, this country is not good
locality for the breeding of horned
stock.
In reading THE HERALD's account of
a meeting of the Fish and Game Pro |
tective Association Society, l observed
that one of the members asserted as a |
fact that the Indians were not in the !
habit of going out for the purpose of !
killing deer for their skins. He should |
take turn during the autumn and |
early winter months in this section to |
be fully convinced that "Lo'' is lust that /
kind of gimlet. Not only do they Kill |
deer for the sole object of getting their
skins; but going, as they do, in large /
bands they make circle hunts and no
game can escape them; they also fire /
the timber and when the game is logged /
and bewildered by the smoke. they crawl |
up and massacre entire herds of deer, I
and only carry away the choicest pieces
of the fat ones, leaving the remainder
for the wolves and birds of prev.
Uncle Samuel, kind, old fellow. feeds |
these fellows and clothes these fellows: |
whisky is, therefore, about all he is /
compelled to- buy: if that particular /