Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-01
THE MoRsONs OF MEXICO.
pr,sf sketch Of the Colonies Of Diaz,
Dubian aud Juar,z.



colonles Of Diaz, Dublan aud Juarcr,
mel numerous old acquaintance had
mo-, seen for many years and had
chance Of learning something Of the
,rus condition Of the Saints In that
land, about which 10 many and such
conflicting reports have been made.
waa informed before going there that
I would SEQ the country In Its worst
sspeot, as IL was just "bUtween hay
and grass" the rainy season, which
tho Thirsty soil and the impatient In
bsbiants who cultivate II Without
efficient water 10 irrigate their crops,
await with anxiety. no, having set In.
uad been few weeks later, would
have found luxuriant, waving grass,
,leh enough to cut With moving
Machine, on plains that are
tarched and barren and In
many places apparently al
,ro.t as destitute Of vegetation rs
Main Street, In Salt Lake CITY. In.
.,ead OF the crops appearing wiltcd and
hunted a. I most generally found them,
1 was insured that had ! arrived alter
Inc showers commenced which ARE
now daily expected, would have
h.en able 10 almost see them grow. As
h was, I was Impressed with the fact
ihat chihuahua was especially adapted
1,r The development VI those qualities
which the Latter.day Saints generally
are somewhat noted for possessing,
buoyant hope, uuconquvrable faith,
,oggrd perseverance and unilagging
induftry. That whereas all nature
was made 10 take on an appearance OF
giaducss aud freshness during tbs
ralny season, causing the dropping
1plfifu Of tho tired granger nnd MS
,maciatsd teams 10 revive, the season
OF dfouth, the scarcity Of water with
which 10 irrigate, the pecullarities OF
the soil with which hepeople are notyet
familiar, tho scarcity and costlinrss OF
go0d building material, tho strange
customs and language " the natives,
Inc duties levied ON imported goods
which the new settlers who are not
vet prepared 10 engage exten.
ilyely In home manufacture iind
II 40 necessary 10 have, mr.. all cAlcu.
lated 10 call forth the faith aud patient
persistence which only true Saints can
manifest, aud which are capable OF
tnnsiorming the most forbldding WI
derness aud barren desert into hiitiul
fields and blooming gardens.
In the estimation u many OF the
Raluls who now inhaht that land,
chihuahua n quite rs good country
~ they can reasonably hope 10 be al
low ed 10 possess In peace, but no person
need 10 there with the Idea that he IA
going 10 find II possessed OF very many
material advantages over Utah.
DlaI, the fifst settlement l visited,
has not made the advancement agricul.
turally that | expected II had. Many
Of the inhabitants arc oultiva,iDg but
little II any NOR. than their gardens,
aud some of them, owing 10 scarcity OF
water or the presence Of mineral Ia
the soil, do not promise very rich
returns. In other Instances, however,
the trees, shrubs and vegetation genor'
ally gave evidence Of tht fact that with
proper care and attention very salts.
iAci0ry results NJ to appearance, and
doubtless M 10 PROFIT as well, might be
6lialned In the line OF gardening.
Brother William W. Gnlbraith, former.
ly Of ksysville, In Utah, II thu most
,rlensive farmer " the place, aud
when he Informed me that no had,
near the river. about two miles EAST OF
the town, the best farm he ever ownci
was satisfied, NJ his acqunintances In
Utah win be also, that u must 10 an
unusually good one. The results OBJ
lAined by him would not lie "a fair
criterion by which 10 Judge Of the
quality Of tho soil generally, n he
doubtless las some Of the best land In
the region and Is one Of the most thor
ough cultivat0Is Of the soil, but he n.
surcd me he had raised corn ON his
farm the stalks OF which stood elgh.
teen feet high, aud that Brother Wins.
low FaTT, formerly OF Ogden, who is
known 10 tower n long way above most
Of hia fellows, could not reach the
lowest ears ON Il while standing ON tip.
toe, which abatement was also corTobOr.
ated by Brother Farr. have no
doubt that Diaz aud the surrounding
region will In timo support n heavy
population, but Its resources are yet
nndevcloped, and II will require much
labor and patient endurance to develop
them.
Dublan, the next settlement OF the
Saints reached hs one Journeys
towards the interior Of Mexico, has
one Of tho finest sites for town ever
saw, but whom one considers the alb
Henco Of the essentials which would
render II desirable place 10 locate
upon, heis apt Ia 10 reminded OF the
saying Of the cynic who, on being told
that n certain locality only lacked
plenty Of water and good society, re-
marked the same might be- said Of
Hadeu. The uncertainty about sccur.
ing title TO the land IN this region,
which In the opinion Of some Of the In
habllantH Ia not likely TO be enhanced
by the making Of valuable Improve
men,s thereon before the title Il OBJ
talned, and the water problem which
has thus far not been practically sol
we'd, are serious barriers 10 the progress
Of HE settlement, but nevertheless n
considerable number OF houses have
already been built ana n great many
nelds have been cultivated with more
or less success. II tho obstacles men.
toncd can be overcome this will be-.
come the most desirable place | have
yet seen In Mexico 10 locate.
Juarcz, tho fnrthest settlement In the
Interior Visited, neslles In the bottom
Of u long narrow hollow, Occupying
ltrs than 800 acres Of cultivated land
Including town lots aud fields, aud IN a
veIitahle oasis Ia surrounding deser,.
what there Is To support II, however. h
mol quite clear to mt. II Ii a nice
place Tor gardens and the forty families
Who reside there ~ n rule have com.
brtable houses and attractive SUR.
ioundings, but the peanuts, corn, fruit
anu garden truck generally which they