Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-05-19
UTAH HAWAIIAN COLONY.
An Interesting Visit to The Settlement
In Skull Valley.
History OF tho Raneh.-rhe Bonner
Psrty.-Advcnt Of tho Natives.
Present Condition.
cprre,rsnaene. ps,era Ner,.


1893. - In travels throughout the
settlements uf the Saints 1 have at
length reached the interesting little
colony known NJ Joseph, situated In
Skull valley, in Tooele county, Utah,
on the border Of the great American
desert. The place is thirty miles from
Grantsville, and Ia reached by passing
around tho North end Of the onaquis
range Of mountains which separate
Toosls and Rush valleys from Skull
valley. Tho latter, which Is separated
from the desert proper by the Cedar
range on the west, extends north and
south for . distance Of about forty
miles; its average width Is nearly
twelve miles; on the north II opens out
Into the desert Immediately west OF the
Great Salt Lake. Most Of the area Of
this valley consists OF salt marshes or
alkali fats which extend up from tho
LAKE on tire north through nearly the
entire valley, but diminishss IN
breadth a. It approaches the south. II
was named Skull valley Ut m early
day from the fact that q number Of
human skulls were found on It's barren
surface; at fret these skulls were sup
posed 10 belong TO some Of the unfor'
tuuats smigrants who In lSa8 At
tempted to cross the desert In the Ill
fated Hastings company; but later
suppositions are 10 the effect that they
were Indian remains LETT TO bleach on
the desert.
Josepa Is situated on the east side Of
the valley, where tho lands slope from
tho base OF the mountains ON the east
TO the center Of the valley westward.
In early Utah days the Iats VIM. II.
Hooper had . ranch here, which
subsequently, passed into the hands Of
John Quincy Knowlton, and thus II
became known ~ the Knowlton
Ranch; the knowlton family and
few othsn who had located Mt different
points In the valley, where there
were springs VI small streams Of water,
were At length organized Into branch
OF the Church and existed ~ such ~ q
part Of the drantsvllle ward for seve.
raj Year,; finally the ranch was pur.
chased by John T. Rich, who In 1889
sold It to the Joseph company which
now owns II.
IL was 1t the springs on which
Joseph now Ia located that the lament.
cd Hastings company OF 1915
separated, the Bonner party which
afterwards perished In the Sierra
Nevada mountains, taking . southern
route around the desert, while the
emigrants under Mr.. Hastings took
. n0rthwesterly course aoross Skull
valley, passing over the Cedar range
OF mountains through what lie known
TO this day % HAsting's Pass. Near
the divide In this pass, on the eastern
slope Ia the Redlam spring, . mere
sespsge Of water gushing out from tho
ground, which WAS the last water the
poor emigrants found for u distance OF
eighty.six miles. From the top OF the
Cedar range, Pilot Peak In northeast.
ern Nevada ID visible, and tho distance
across the deceptive desert, does not
seem 10 DO very great, although II 10
nearly 100 miles. II 10 supposed the
Hastings company In looking across
In their engerness To reach the Pacific
coast BY the shortest road possible
thought they could easily cross
IN = day, and started out with the
expectation OF reaching the lofty
mountain peak beyond without much
difficulty; and II 10 also supposed that
they were encouraged 10 make the at.
tempt by the Illusions OF ponds Of
water, which to the wanderer on ths
desert appear frequently, and some.
times appear 10 be- within few hun.
dred yards Of where one stands, when
In reality there may be no water Of any
description within q radius OF fifty
miles. Besides this deceptive mirage,
she desert possesses another illusivo
popularity. Here and there on the
dead level and barren surface grows
miniature bushes Of greasewood and
other salty vegetation, which by she
singular properties OF certain stmos.
pheric conditions are magnifled 10 the
eyes Of the traveller to such an extent
that they, In the distance, appear like
according TO tho shape Of tho
But In approaching them they seem to
wanderer discovers that there Is neither
water nor shady groves; the whole II
simply delusions Of the desert. The
members OF the Hastings company
which started out from skull Valley
In ls4u nearly persisted before reaching
the other side Of tho great desert, anu
years afterwards their bones were
found bleaching In the sun; also many
Of their wagons, chains, Jokes, camp.
Ing equipage, not = speak oil the re.
mains OF animals, were Discovers
strewn along the track made by th,
company; this track is still visible anu
can be traced without difficulty clear
across the desert.
The fulness OF the Gospel was firs
introduced TO tho natives Of the sand
wich Islands In 1850 by George q
Cannon and othersj but emigration o
Hawaiians from the islands beinl
prohibited by law, a gathering
place known NJ Laie was In due cours,
OF time 1869 established on the islanu
OF Oahu, TO which many OF the nntivei
who had embraced the lullness Of til,
Gospel gathered, and where there 1,
rtill q prosperous community OF Int
ter.day Saints. About the year 1865
anative by the name OF Napela, til,
very first Hawaiian baptized by Eldel
Cannon ON the Sandwich island, by
special permission visited Utah, ant
ON his return 10 the islands gave Z
very favorable report OF what no haC
seen AZ the headquarters Of the Church
In 1873, two Hawaiian boys wer,
brought to Utah, also by special per
mission-one named Kiha by Georg,
Nebeker, and the other kahana) b,
William King; the latter rename,
with LluaK " 49,, 10.