Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-10-03
"MORMONS" IN MEXICO.
psYIeW Of the Trials Endured In the
Early Settlement
PRESENT PROSPERITY AND PROS.
PECTs.


mon" people In Mexico shall DO writ
ten, It will form one Of the most inter.
esting leaves In the annals Of hardship
and patient endurance.
Upto the close Of tho year 1884, the
efforts Of the First Presidency Of the
Church TO establish settlements In this
country had been directed to the lands
occupied by the Yaqul Indians In tho
State OF Sonora, but after the return Of
the expedition headed by Apostle
Brigham Young late In that year, the
Idea was given up, and their attention
was turned 10 the northwestern cotnerof
the State Of chihuahua. Accordingly,
H.. Mcdonald and Christopher Lay.
tSh, In pursuance OF instructions from
President John Taylor, started on the
New Years day OF 1885 by rail from
~. David Arizona, to look out set
Ting place In this locality. Upon
reaching San Jose, a small station on
the Mexican Central railroad, about
eighty miles south Of III Paso, Texas,
they found In advance " thom
here John W. Campbell, Joseph
Roger, John Loving aud Peter
Mcbride, some Of them with
cams hauling salt. A trip Of inspec-
ton was made from there TO Corralitos,
Ascension aud Janos, aud favorable
report forwarded 10 President Taylor.
Explorations continuing, the old Mex
lean town Of Casas Gpndva and the
Corralcs basin, where Pacheco h now
located, were visited, and farm Of
three hundred acres was rented at
Corral tos and crop put In.
Meantime, n committee Of i've, con-
risting Of Apostle Moses Thatcher, a.
n. Mcdonald, Lot Smith, jesse n.
Smith aud Christopher Layton had
teen appointed 10 purchase lands In
Mex leo, aud words were conveyed 81
those who wished 10 make homes In
this country that the way was open,
and the movement began.
The first OF series u troubles reach.
Ing over two yeau, commenced on tho
9Th day Of April, 1856, while the i'm.
migration was at its height, about six
weeks after the first arrival In the
country. There were at the time prob.
ably three hundred and nifty souls IN
camps scattered up and down the
CasR- Grandea River. Two par
NltN Hhu hffIl AuliANl IiN wv
present sito OF Dlak, one about a
mile directly south Of the present loca-
tiOn Of tho town under the direction Of
Lot and Jesse n. Smith, and another,
presided over by Parson Williams, In
the shade Of the trees ON the bank. Vt
tho river three miles TO the east, mum.
herring In all about thlfty.fivc famillts.
There were located at Corrslitos prob.
ably twelve or fifteen families. About
the SAME number had rented iarns on
the west bank Of Casas Grandss river
Ave miles north Of the old Mexican
town Of Casas Gnndes. while four or
five families had crops growing ia the
fields Just south " town. Al were
waiting for land TO be purchased upon
which they might move, additional
companies were arriving every day,
and anticipation ran high At tho pros.
poets of the happy homes the soil and
tky promised them, when notice waH
received from the Governor Of the State
for eveIy one OF them 10 leave tho
country at once. The Jefe Politlco Of
Casas Grandes had been Instructed by
the Governor 10 convey ths order TO
the oolonists and TO enforce H..
The Mcxicans rs well nA the "Mor.
mons" rose up In protest against the
hNNlNAl hNh Nht wv UNIV NhN IfA-
suaded 90 give n respite Of fifteen days
Petitions were theruupon drawn up
and signed by both parties and foT.
warded TO the Governor, As also TO the
President Of the republic. Confident
ia their right 10 projection, those Of the
"Mofmons" who had gardens growing
went on attending 10 thcin n ifn1thing
had happened. So vigorous were the
efforts Of tho petitioners that orders
were received from President PoriiriD
DiaE on the last day OF tho fifteen for
tho Governor to allow the Enormous"
To remain Mt least until their crops
were gathered. But p,rristing for
some cause In his determination that
the enormous" must 40, the Cover
nor, before the time had expliei, was
removed from office,
In the camps, meantime, numbers
were arriving almost every day, locat-
ing with one or another OF thoCc al
ready formed aud taking up the duties,
religious and otherwise, imposed AT the
several places Of gathering. Tbs
people came together each morning
al the signal anu after the singing Of u
hymn, the as.smblyknelt In prayer, he
fore pursuing tho avocalions Of the,
day. Many had rented wild lands Of
lnt NltAlclnr anu NtTt huNl hNAthNluN
10 their crops, while eOme occupied
their time ia frolghtlng aud other team
work for the people, many OF whom
seemed particularly anxious TO supply
tho wants Of their new neighbOn.
One OF the Interesting experiences Of
the colonlst was 10 note the change
their example made In the ways OF the
natives. When tho immigrants first
arrived, they found the agricultural
people working undor great disadvan
tagHs. For plows, two sticks were I'm
rr0visc1, one for beam and another
answered the purpose OF both handle
and share, the lower end Of the handle
serving Ia rake the surface Of the
ground. To the further end Of the
beam was attached rawhide rope
which was tied from there % n rough
stick fastened with thongs To the h0rns
of the oxen, serving as yoke. Com
monty, Weight or ten fthese cOnlrivAnc,f
would be occupied In field VI about
ten acres, that area being the limit one
man could expect to farm, In this
respect and In many others noticeable
improvements were brought about la
the ways OF the Mexican people.
After the settlement OF the question
ns 10 their right tO remain In Meslco,
the people for "a time We're considerably
relieved but thnir trouble had Just
commenced. Only those who have
watched and hoped AMI waited can
know the anxiety with which these