The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-04-18
SALT LAKE CITY
FIFTY YEARS AGO
Gold Seeker Describes Zion in
Interesting Letter.
WRITER DIED OF CHOLERA
TELLS OF BIG CELEBRATION
HELD BY THE MoRMoNs.

Salt Lake City as seen in 1850 by q
gold seeker on his way to California is
described in a letter which has just
come to light. The epistle is dated at
Salt Lake City, July "a 1850. 1t was
written by Anc.ew J. Conrad of Lo-
gansport. Ind. to his father, David H.
Conrad, of that place. Shortly after
writing the letter Mr.. Conrad died Of
cholera before reaching California. The
letter was preserved over half a CEN
fury in q family Bible. II was dis
covered there a short time ago by
Stephen @. Conrad, brother of the
writer. and was published in the Lo-
gansport Pharos Of last "Wednesday a
copy of which was received in SAT-
Lake yesterday by Henry yelling. me
letter is as follows;
Dear Father: We have seen some or
the country so far. Sometimes me hillS
are so steep that we had TO iet the
wagons down by ropes, and before We
got into the valley VIC came through
canyon that was not more than MY
Yards wide At the widest and the rocks
SO high that they would make one : head
swim TO look at the top of them. l Woulu
suppose them 70 be from 300 10 9.uVO
feet high by the looks of the mountains
around the valley. which are b5o ieet
I high. with plenty of grizzly bear, noun
tam sheep black tail deer. etc.
We arrived In the valley on the 9th DAY
Of July, and found II 10 be one or the
incest places in the United States ana
never knew a case of fever or aSUe since
they lived here. The creek water IS as
pore and cold as the well water IN tne
states, and they all have springs by their
doors. They have no rain here in the
summer; they have to irrisate their lana.
but still they can raise more wheat than
we can in the states. They raise from ~
70 - bushels an acre. Que man raised
$50 bushels from one bUshel of wheat; an
other raised 10 bushels On one ana a
half acres. II may seem to he a Dig
story. bur II is true Wheat is worth
from S. TO $. Flour, % cents per pound
It sold as high as q pound when we
came in. Butter, - cents; potatoes, 81;
beef. 10 TO y cents; corn -. and all
other things accordingly. We can make
from s. to SIC a day. We nave strong
notion TO stay here till spring and take
two-oX team and a years provisions
The cholera Is verV, bad on the road
and we expect II has reached the mines
We have heard no news from California
since We left the state. and. IN fact from
any place else. One might think II hard.
but we take il patiently. hoping 10 see
better times some day As long rs one
has his health he can get along very
We'll but II is no place Tor sick folks
I know that by experience myself. ana
many q poor fellow has laid his bones
by the roadside.
I just returned this evening from the
great Mormon celebration. and it caps
anything I ever saw. suppose that
there were about Loo men. women and
children. II is queer way Of serving
the Lord. I think. They had a whole
band of music. and more too. when they
marched 10 escort the president or the
prophet YOU might say. The band pre-
coded tweuty-fouT ladies' all dressed in
white with blue Scdrfs on. carrying q
flag with the words. All Hail 10 our
Chieftain. They were followed by TWEEN
ty-four bishops. each carrying a flag. and
they We're followed bv number of sol
diers. some dressed In the most splendid
style They had two lannon's. which they
discharged every few minutes. They had
q large flag hOiSted IT was 50 feet long
afternoon on account OF the pole break
ing. They intended TO have 4 concert in
the evening, but did not stay. Eli ana
The men have from one. 70 fortv-four
wives each, and ii beats all places for
children that ] have ever seen They
say that there has been but one boy born
In the valley In two years. They think
this is the promised land which shall flow
with milk and honey. but I think il Will
flow with milk. butter and cheese. You
need not expect to hear from US again
until next summer If we STAY here but
I want you 10 write TO California: we will
be there by the first Of June if not soon
er. Wheat is worth 20 cents per busheI
Tor threshing. Tell Joseph White if he
had ms machine here he could make a
fortune Two men can do more threshing
here with fails than the best uachiue
can there. IF had a machine / would
go no farther toward California. for
could make as much as 1 want here
Cattle and horses need no feed here
scarcely, in the winter As soon a. tho
snow falls, the grass grows better There
Is snow mere All the year around on the
mountains. ] have kept a. journal since
the day / left. I can tell Won a great
many things after / get home if I am
spared TO get back.