Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-04-28
ter, from so to IS per cent Of their

very rough rs yet, Tut our teamster
Informed us that he had several men
employed working on il every day,
and that il would soon become "a
smooth and even as the old road by
way Of Story ferry further east.
Arriving at Albion, the county
seat Of Cassia County, which Is
situated in the so-called Marsh Ba-
sin and is separated from the lower
Goose Creek Valley by low spur Of
mountains, We were met by Elder
William F. Brim, who took US in
his carriage to Oakley, twenty five
miles TO the southwest, where we ar
rived in the evening, after having
travelled that day by team fifty-five
miles
We met hearty welcome from
President Horton ID. Haight and
family aud the leading men Of the
Stake, who were exceedingly
pleased TO see the Apostles and
listen to their instructions and
teachings during the following two
days Sunday and Monday, April
Goth and 2lst) on which the Stake
Conference was held at Oakley. Five
spirited and profitable meetings
Including priesthood meeting)
were held and the Westinghouse
was crowded on every occasion.
The Cassia Stake of Zion en-
braces all the Saints living in Cas-
STA County, Idaho, and also about n
dozen families residing on st.
Georges Creek, Box Elder CO.,
Utah. Ii consists of six organized
wards, with a total membership of
1891 souls, distributed among pa
families.
Oakley, the largest of the six
wards, embraces all the Saints liv-
ing in the south end Of Goose Creek
Valley, on Goose Creek and Birch
Creek. John l.. Smith is Bishop.
The families in this and all the
other wards in the Cassia Stake live
in a very scattered condition, most
ly on their. quarter sections, and
have had a pretty hard time OF il
ever since they first located in the
country, little more than ten years
ago. There have been grasshoppers
and rabbits to fight without num-
Der, expensive litigations over COM
plicated water questions, and many
other difficulties; but the Saints
have stuck to it and have now very
good prospects before them. There
would be room for many more peo-
pie in this valley were it not for the
unsettled state Of the water claims.
The Goose Creek valley is an or
shoot Of the great Snake River val
ley, extending about twenty-five
miles from north 10 south, and ia
pering off from n width Of about
forty miles at thSnorth end to 4 mere
canyon on the south. There are
tens Of thousands Of as level and fer
tile land as any L=tter-day Saint
would desire TO locate on, ii there
was only water wherewith TO irri-
gate il. Timber for building pur-
poses and fuel is plentiful in the
mountains both east and west, and
there is an abundance of good build
ing rock. Most Of the houses in
Oakley and the other settlements
are log dwellings with dirt roofs,
but a number Of the brethren are
preparing to erect houses Of more
durai lie material.
Marion, named in honor Of
Apostle Frances Marion Lyman
is one Of the smaller wards Of the
Stake. 1t consists Of % families
who live in a scattered condition
north Of Oakley, principally on the
west side Of Goose Greek, in n string
extending a distance Of five miles
north and south. There are n num-
Der Of comfortable dwellings. The
ward house is pleasantly situated on
rising ground at a point four miles
northwest Of the centre OF Oakley.
Adam G. Smith is Bishop OF this
ward.
Spring Basin ward, presided over
by Bishop Enoch Il. Dayley, con-
sists of 90 families who reside in a
beautiful little valley or basin, the
centre of which is about five miles
east Of the Oakley meeting house,
low spur of mountains, through
which there is n natural gap, sepa-
rating this little valley from the
Goose Creek country below.
Besides these three settlements
there are a few scattered families OF
Saints living at the so-called
Thatcher's Ranch, about eighteen
miles north of Oakley, and at differ
ent other points in the valley.
On Tuesday morning, April end,
Apostles Lyman ana Merrill re-
turned TO Minidoka, expecting 10
hold n meeting with the Saints at
POcatellO, as they passed through,
and started east over the mount
aims for the purpose Of visiting
the other settlements in the Stake.
Bishop Dayley, OF Spring Basin,
with whom / had spent the night,
took me in hisrwagOn to a point on
Birch Creek, where / met Bishop
Thos. o. King, Of Almo, and
Brother Durfee, with whom l ira
veled over the mountains, by way Of
Emery Canyon and the '.City Of
Rocks, =" to Almo, twenty-five miles
Of Oakley.
AlmO Ward, named after the
AlmO Creek, a tributary Of Raft
River, embraces all the Saints who
live at different points on the num-
erous mountain streams in Upper
Raft River Valley. This valley is
about twenty miles long from north
to south, and from four to twelve
miles wide; the south end Of it,
where about a dozen families Of
Saints are located on George Creek,
extends into Utah. The whole
ward consists ofabout forty families,
besides a number who do not belong
-. sk... NfLVUrTh 4
plentiful in this valley, there would
be land and all other facilities to
sustain large population.
On Wednesday, after speaking TO /
the Saints Of Almo ut a funeral
held in their log Westinghouse in I
the afternoon, Elder Chas. r. Ward 1
took me to Eliza, or Cassia Creek,
twelve miles 10 the north, where l /
was Joined by Andrew kimball Of
Salt Lake City, and according TO
previous arrangement We addressed |
the Saints in the evening. The
pioneer log schoolhouse was crowd |
ed and we had a good time.
Elba Ward embraces all the /
Saints who live on the headwaters |
Of Cassia Creek. They numbered |
about forty-three families, the |
Of whom are young and |
aged people who have mostly |
come from Willard and Box Elder
Utah. Bishop Thomas
Taylor presides over this ward and
gives the members a very good |
for integrity and faithful
ness to the principles Of the Gospel.
This is the ouly place in the Cassia
Stake where water is more plentiful
han IA rrninfr land The valley Is