Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-11-01
assistant Church Historian Com
mares the Outlook Today With
That Of a Few Years Ago
PROSPEROUS SETTLEMENTS.
New Wards Organized TO Meet the
Growing Demands o the Country
Church Officers,

lng The stake conference in Orangeyille
on the l4th and 18th inst. have
visited nearly every ward IN the
stake. l made a similar tour Of this
PAR, OF the country 10 years ago, and
IN contrasting the condition and cir
cumstances OF the people then with
what ! have witnessed on this tour. I
am deeply impressed with what a thrift
~ and virtuous community can ac-
Compilsh under the BLESSINGS and puid-
ance Of Almighty God. Castle Valley
was when the first settlers yeutured In
here 10 make homes over quarter of
a century ago, perhaps as barren and
forbiddlng a country as the Latter
day Saints ever attempted 10 redeem
from the desert; but success has car-
ta.nIy rewarded their efforts, and the
small unsightly villages OF 10 years
ago have grown into pleasant towns
and neighborhoods, Astounding with
beautiful dwellings rich orchards. and
fertile fields, Several new towns, in.
habited by our people, have also sprung
into existence during the past few
years Altogether the Emery stake of
Zion, which embraces the Saints resid-
ing In Carbon ana Emery counties.
Utah, cOnsist OF 10 organized wa,ds and
one branch with a total Church popu-
latIon Of 6,2l1. Reuben Il. Miller pre-
sides over the stake with John II. Pace
as frs. and Henry G. Martin as second
counselor. Arthur w. Horsley Is stake
clerk These four brethren all reside
az Price which has been the headquar-
ters Of the state since 1899.
CONDITIONS CHANGE.
when ! first visited Price in 1888 there
were onJ a few families Of Saints llv-
ing 10 scattered condition along
Price river, but a townsite had
a pioneer Westinghouse had been erect
ed remember distinctly how that
lonely building appeared from the ran
road track standing as it did without
a single neighbor, way out upon he
desert fiat where a beautiful town,
nesting cosely In forest of shade and
fruit trees, now greets the eye OF the
visitor Price is the railroad and busl-
ness center OF Castle valley. a name
given TO that extensive tract Of coun-
try lying east of the Wasatch noun
ans and embracing the best portions
~ Carbon and Emery counties Elder
Ernest G. Horsley Is Bishop OF Price
ward.
On my second visit to Emery county
IN 1890 ! found a family Of Saints en-
dsoyorlng to locate a town on Price
river seven miles southeast OF Price.
on MY visit this time 7 found thriving
little village called wellington, and a
ward presided over by Bishop Eugene
Z Branch, consisting Of 23G souls, be-
longing to the Church.
PROSPEROUS SETTLEMENT.
Spring Glen, lying six miles up Price
river, now has 127 and Castle Gate, u
coal mining camp on Price river. POO
members Of the Church.
Huntington, the largest ward In tho
Emery stake, now has nearly 900 meme
6ers Of the Church, james W.
Nixon is the present Bishop, this is
one OF the three original settlements In
Castle valley the other two being CAS-
lie Dale and Emery
Cleveland, an outgrowth OF Hunting
ION. and lying about seven miles north
Of that town, has been lmpeded In its
progress somewhat during the past few
years through alkali rising 10 the sur
ace In certain parts Of the fields and |
destroying many farms yet the settle |
mtnt is growing steadily under the able |
erection Of Bishop Lars r. Ovesou: |
me total Church population in that |
ward ia now 315
THE YOUNGEST WARD.
Desert Lake Is the latest organized
"dFI 90 Emery stake. About 20 years |
ago some OF our brethren had their at |
tlon drawn to a beautiful, dry valley |
ABOUT seven miles long and from one |
20 TWO miles wide, lying east Of Cleve- !
hhI' ana by little exploring a natural |
IpNDTNDlr alft NJ
,Ng NUS OF the upper end OF the valley |
dozen men or more went to work con- |
truetlng a dam across the mouth Of |
inflow, which backed UP the water |
ron huntington creek and the food !
wafer from some smaller streams and |
Wasne'' Farming in the valley lying |
se'0" was commenced; the irrigation |
rom the reservoir, after the loss of the |
nIst TWO dams, was successful; and the |
n'Ue settlement Of Desert Lake was the |
.yo'''' Last wear a townsite |
Mw Hurveyed In the center Of |
AZ, valley but so far Bishop !
,maha.seh ]. Blackburn Is the only man |
n'hg there. Desert lake promises to |
be on Interesting settlement but lacks |
eooI water for culinary purposes; this |
t'H can, however, be rcmedied by |
,.fihRIny a fresh stream from Hunting |
,,on ,o The new townslte. work whloh |
% DO" contemplated
M L' "r'uce ward, another outgrowth Of |
mulNn gton, had last year a Church !
Equation OF l4t, and Christian NJ |
"''ef presldes as Bishop.
TWO THRIVING TOWNS.
,lsi.e Dale and orangevile are two
uo'L sning settlements on Cottonwood |
FN The former Is the county seat |
W Emery county and has a Church |
t"vpolation OF 6i2, with John j. Jensen |
/" nshop, the latter has COS souls be- |
TT's'"s TO tho Church, and Brother |
Z, ge' robertson, who presIdes here, |
~ 'ue only one Of original Bishops In |
s ,''sty stake of zioni he has presided |
NJ. N.sHop in Orangeville since the place |
ulat organized as a ward In 1888,
h..I'"h Molen and ClrHson are the |
Lng settlements which lrrigate their |
,o' from Ferron creek Ferron was |
!!I9s9nded IN 1877 ana tho ward. now pre-.
49, over by John u. Kilpack, con- |
C Ss,a OK "a souls belonging to the |
,,Uuicn The town. which 10 years ago, |
'U1' oare and barren on the hillside. |
f,1. represents a beautiful point OF |
no5, tnd shrub trees surrounding COM |
"yllous dwellings.
,,%o,tn' lying four miles east Of Fer
ts, presided over by Bishop Hans Pc f,
n iN'Stnussen, merely keeps ia own
oo.tesard to size and progress: no souls |
'lut2 the Church membership
p0eN"oon is a new ward, lying four
N C northeast OF Ferron and the road
~ t5,ssue Dale IL was named In honor
H. iiler Rudger Clawson who organ
o. " IN 1904 The numerical strength !
IA ward at the present time ls about