Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-10-23

Creek, and Dry Greek. The village
is located on the latter stream. The
place was originally known rs the
ssHerd House, and is sadly IT.
membered by many as the SCENE Of
a lamentable tragedy during the late
| Blaze. hawk war, in which q sheep
herier was cruelty murdered by the
indians, May IS, 1865. He was the
inst IN killed ia the north end Of
Sanpete County during that war.
Subsequently scores OF others shared
a similar fate.
After the LAPSE Of n few more
weeks the popular road OF travel
| from the more northern settlements
OF Utah to Sanpeie Valley viii I'M
/ douhiedly he over the Rio Graude
Western Railway to Thistle Station,
in spanish Fork Canyon, thence
after changing cars, over the
Sewer branch Of the same
road up Thistle Creek sixteen
miles to Indianola station ia
Thistle Valley, thence up over the
summit already mentioned 10 san
pete Valley, IN which the firsJ st.
| Element reached Is MilJuru, the
next Fairvicw, l. miles from In
dianola, the third Nj. Pleasant, ct.
The track was laii 10 indianOls,
about three weeks ago, and the first
passenger train run on the 1Oad he
tween that point and Thistle sta
ton on the 2nd inst, the occasion
being the transportation Of con-
| ference visitors. After that daily
trains were run until the 10Th, and
will run again when the road shall
have been completed 10 Fairview,
probably by the LIST Of November
next.
Thistle Valley Is situated high up
| in the Wasatch Mountains, having
au elevation OF ) 500 feet above sea
level Land was n quarter Of a century
ago the scene Of some Of the most
barDarous murders ever committed
by the Ute InLians. At 4 place
known as the Point. which i PASSED
on the LEFT rs the traveller enters
the valley from the north,
is the old Given homestead.
John Given settled there with his
family early in the spring Of 1865,
built n little cabin and made pre-
partitions for farming. Soon alter
wards the Blackhawk war broke out
ard n number Of men were killed
by the savages in Sanpete and
SEWER valleys south. Mr.. Given
was warned Of the danger q his
situation by friends in Fairview
who sent a special delegation 10 him
for the purpose, but he LEFT unheeded
the timely advice to move in TO the
settlement, replying that ne con-
sidered himself and two other men
who stayed with the family quite
able 10 defend themselves in ease Of
an attack. The consequence was
that on May %, 1865, a large band
Of Indians on the warpath swOOped
down upon the cabin in the night
aud murdered and scalped JOnn
Given, his wife aud their four chill
dren. after which the biOOdthlrsty
savages mutilated the bodies Of their
victims in a most frightful man
uer. While this iBhuman work "
going on in the cabin n young man
who slept i'm n wagon box standing
near by, cautiously crawied out OF
his bed and managed tO slide. I'M
noticed by the Iudians, into an al
jacent willow patch. Following the
pcd Of the creek southwark he
FINAL y succeeded in getting away
from the scene of murder and ran
on foot 10 Fairvicw where he gave
The alarm. \ posse Of men inn
mediately volunteered to go on;
after the remains Of the mur .ers.d
family, which were brought in AMI
Inferred in Fairview. And this
was only tn, tpginning Of the
tragedies enaci-ti IN the Thistle
valley. June -, 1855. when Capt.
Dewey with = com any of salt
Lake militia Was cLcImpcL: near
iEe base OF the mountains east OF
Were lnGianClI now stands, tin
indians killed a young man toy the
name Of Charles Brown aud W-u =
81 Thomas Snarr. after which q. s.
tried 10 capture the camp 81 e.
militil by surrounding il :: q
shooting into 1. from the 81 :
rounding heights. For seytTs,.
hours the situation OF tie,
boys was exceedingly perilous. aud
had it rot been for The timely ar
rival Of coniIany Of Slupete mi
litia from Fairyiew the whole camp
would perhaps have been butcbered,
but while the Savages were firing
on the camp a messenger escaped on
horseback and brought word 70 the
settlements. The FairvieW loVs
helped Captain Dewey's men t. re-
move their camp 10 a usr- central
point in the valley, where they
were not afterwards mOles;ed. These
Indian troubles OF course broke up
the little settlements that had been |
commenced on Thistle Creek in
1864 and 1865, aud not until 1874 |
we're any important steps made to-
ward settling the valley permanent |
ly.
The present population Of Thistle
Valley proper consists Of about 30
Indian families and about Is white
families, besides quite a number Of
Others located on the creek between
the valley and Thistle Greek Station.
Atone point there is little village
known as(!lintOn belonging TO Utah
County. IndianOla is situated in
the east part of Thistle Valley, about
q mile east of the railway station,
but only smsll portion Of the peo-
pie live on the townsite, the ma
jority. and among them nearly all
the indians, preferring, 80 far, to
live on their respective quarter
sections. Elder John Spencer pre-
the Inifians, a1d Hyrum
SeeNy has temporary charge Of the
ward as presiding Priest since IL
Ter Spencer rendered his resigna-
lion as Bishop a few months ago.
Elder Speiicer states Chat the Indi-
ans in his care- are GENERALLY
although most OF tlIpm
,tiii occupy the same old log cabins
=hich Che Church purchased Of the
white Settlers for them in 1877. Be-
sides the cabin each family has an
indian tent pitched tnthe front orr
lear, without which none az then,
Gems b be satisfied. Tine indiins
make gheir own living by farming
Ind hunting. In times past they
we're diligent in Attending meetings I
md Sunday schools, but there i.sss !
zen falling or in tins respees u !
ate. A number o. tllem. after -sg- ,
resting their crops, are Ia the lI.,Git
u spenGing part Of The autumn in
he mountains hunting ami n large
is off for this puTpose.
Che white settlers are pretty well of
: . rule. having good farms ana
cling owners Of considerable stock.
ntiianola has an unfinished meet
az house. a brick building s0x96
eet two stores and a number OF
osnfortable dwellings. / have