The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-07-07
Interesting Notes Concerning the
New Country.
HEBER j. GRANTS RECENT TRIP.
New 0klahoma-A HOspitable Reception
Organization of New Wards.
To the Editor of THE HERALD:

pelier, Idaho, and thinking the report of
my visit would be of interest to those Of
your readers who have friends located
there, herewith send you an account Of
the same.
I left this city on the morning of the 9th
Of June and travelled to Montpelier via
McCammon; on Friday. the 2Sth,
accompanied by President William
Bulge, of the Bear Lake stake, his
counselor George Osmond, and Joseph
Kimball, Hugh Findlay, Andrew
Galloway, and Alfred Osmond, we left
Montpelier for Alton ward, Star valley
We were told that the distance was forty
five miles, but upon our arrival a vote Of
the party was taken, and it was unanim-
ously decided that we had travelled not a
foot less than fifty miles. learned before
leaving the valley that Uncle Sam"
agreed with the ideas Of our party as he
pays the mail carrier for fifty miles.
The road from
MONTPELIER TO ALTON,
while not as rough as some that have
travelled over, could not be classed as a car
rage drive There is any amount of rocks
and chuck-holes in it, and as many siding
places for the distance as any road that
have ever been over. l generally follow
the rule of trying to be on the safe side,
and for this reason did some riding ON the
upper side of the vehicle, standing on the
carriage steps, preferring this to the
cushioned seat inside.
The day was as cool and pleasant as we
could have asked for. l do not think we
could have improved upon it had we been
allowed to make it to order. 1t was about
9 o'clock am. when we started and shortly
after s in the evening when we arrived at
Alton, where we received a hearty vel
come from Bishop Charles d. Cazier, who,
by the way, is an old resident Of our enter
prising city of Nephi. In speaking of the
rough road to the bishop. he said that at
the present time it is tirst-class carriage
road compared with what it was two years
ago. feel sorry for anybody who had to
travel over it when it was in any worse
condition than it is now.
We spent Saturday, the Goth, in resting
and visiting with friends and acqUaint-
ances. On Sunday, the Both, we held two
meetings at Alton On Monday we visited
the towns of Grover and Burlington, hold
ing meetings and organizing a ward in each
place. On Tuesday we held meetings in
Cottonwood and Fairview, and also organ
lied these places into wards. All of the
meetings that we held were well attended
and the people seemed very much interested
new wards the local authorities presented
were sustained by hearty vote of the peO-
pie. Many of the people accompanied US
from place to place, and quite number at
tended all the meetings held, although they
had to travel a considerable distance. AS
Alton had been organized prior to our visit,
there was no necessity for selecting 4 bishop
and counselors to preside there.
STAR VALLEY
was originally called Upper Salt River
valley, and the valley which adjoins it or
the north was called Lower Salt River
valley, which name it still retains. Star
valley is about the same altitude as the
Bear River valley, and the climate, rs
near as | could learn, is about the same. If
there is any difference il the altitude be-
tween the two valleys, it is very slight, as
l am confident there are about as many
hills to climb whether you are going to or
coming from Alton. The valley, on an
average, is about five miles long IRON east
to west and about twenty miles from north
to south. 1t is completely surrounded by
low mountains, those on the east side being
the highest. While the mountains are not
very high, they are pretty well supplied
with timber, and they have an abundance
of fencing material and frewoOd. A per-
son can obtain load of wood within one
mile of Alton.
The country slopes to the north and west,
and do not remember of ever having Wis
tied valley where the land was any better
situated for irrigation, or where there was
less labor to construct water bitches.
In some parts of the valley the soil is a lit
tie too rocky to be called first-class. There
is little or no clay in the soil, which pre-
vents it from baking.
There were few settlers who located in
the valley between nine and ten years ago,
but after stopping year or two, it was
decided that the climate was too cold to
mature grain and they nearly all left.
About four years ago a number Of them re
turned, and within the past two years
settlers have fiocked in so rapidly that
there is now little, if any, desirable land
which is not claimed. There are probably
six hundred people in Star valley
at the present time. AS there
has never been a survey, there will
no doubt be considerable unOccupied land,
when 1t is ascertained just how much each
party really owns.
Last year all of the crops matured. tits
only within the last two years that there
have been any
NAIL FACILITIES IN STAR VALLEY.
Prior to this time it cost five cents
to transmit a letter from Montpelier to
Alton and last year was the first when there
was any communication with Bear Lake
valley during the winter months, it being
impossible to cross the mountains from
Alton to Montpelier except on snow shoes,
and the people really hibernated there dur
ing the winter season. At the present time
there are but two of the original settlers
still remaining. There are two stores at
Alton, and they are the only ones in the
valley. w. w. Burton, of Ogden, is the
proprietor of one, and Arthur Roberts is
the owner of the other A saloon was
started, but the proprietor claimed that the
people were too temperate and he there
fore closed up his business and has since
engaged in the making of adobes. have no
doubt that more benefit will accrue to the
good people of Star valley from his change
of occupation. While the mixing of drinks,
perhaps may be more artistic than the
mixing of mud, | think the latter Occupa-
ton is by far The more manly of the two. l
have read the following somewhere, l
have forgotten where, nut l think in
the Good Old Book: go thou
and do likewise;" also, "What thou doest,
do quickly" l think that the advice con-
tanned in these two tentences, after reading
of the change of occupation of the Star
valley mixologist, might well be followed
by all our young men in the city who are
engaged in the mixing of drinks.
The principal stream entering the valley
on the VESTS called Crow creek, andit is
literally alive with trout. l counted them
by the dozen as we rode along. l managed
to catch two or three myself, which con-
vinces me that the fishing must be first
class.
There were about
SIX THOUSAND BUSHELS OF GRAIN
raised in the valley last year, and the prob
abilities are that double this amount will be
raised this year There is no Touring mill