Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-08-02
Many Great Changes Wrought in
The Past Fifteen
Years.
FIELDS AND ORCHARDS TEEN.
Oakley. Nost Albion, Burley, Hepburn
And Twin Falls Visited and De-
scrlbcd by Correspondent.
Burley Idaho, July 81

Editor DeSerel News
have nearly completed a tour Of
the Cassia stake Of Zion. in company
with Elder Marcus O. Funk, the stake
clerk. and have visited an the settle
ments Of the saints In the stake. except
Blaine and Grouse Greek IT has been
extremely interesting to me throughout
10 notice the improvements and chang
g made since was here on my former
visit Is year, ago.
OAKLEY's RAPID GROWTH
Thus oakley, which i'm 1890 figured
as a small pioneer settlement. was d.
vidcd into three wards. IN 1901. and in
January last. a further division took
place in the organization Of a fourth
ward. Instead Of the naked and bar
rem sagebrush plains which character
lied Goose Greek valley In 1890 with
only here and there a patch Of Guilt.
waited land. the whole region Of coun-
Wy ol'HNH Pdhltf INV dhNAlluo WIN
beautiful farms orchards and gardens,
The handsome stake tabernacle IA oak
ley proper a noble rock structurc-oc-
cupying a central and elevated post
ton on the main street and the acade-
my buildings d short distance away
give the growing town a cosmopolitan
appearance. not 10 speak ~ the pre-
tcntious business blocks. stores and
shops which line both sides Of the same
street.
Oakley has been tho headquarters
Of the Cassia stake ever since that
stake was first organized I'm 1851.
Horton D. Haight was the first stake
president and held that position till
1900. when he finished his earthly
career \ number Of his sons and
daughters are now active and pro-
miucnt workers I'm the Church. The
second president Of the Cassia stake.
Elder William T. Jack. still stands az
the head Of ecclesiastical affairs IN
This region Of country Elder John J..
Smith. formerly Bishop OF oakley
ward. and William r. Harper. for
merry bishop Of Albion ward are
counselors To President Jack In OAK
ley Second and Third wards the saints
have recently erected new and COM
modIous meetiughouses Tho one IN
the Second MAID became q reality
mainly through tho efforts Of the sis
ters NJ the ward IN the Fourth ward,
which is only q few months old tho
saints are busily engaged now IN re-
constructing q purchased building
turning II into q modern meeting
house. and in Marion ward the peo-
ple are just completing $4,000
house Of worship.
YosT FORGING AHEAD.
In our visit to Yost, formerly
George Creek. III BoXeldcr county.
Utah, which belongs 10 Cassia stake.
we were most faborably impressed
with the progress made during the
past few years. and the present pros
perity Of the people This place was or
ganized as q ward three years ago. and
can already boast Of large ana COM
modious Westinghouse and a modern
school house. The settlers on one Mile
Greek and other smaller streams In the
same ncighbOrh0od constitute a com.
munIty known as Standrod which be.
longs 10 the Yost ward. The district
school house stands on the boundary
line between Utah and Idaho. one
haf Of u being IN our state and the
other half In the other The first set
tiers Of this place came principally
from the Sixteenth ward. salt Lake
City.
At Almo The saints have Just COM
peted q magnificent meetinghouse--a
brick structure. with q well-propor.
toned tower on the south end. Bishop
Thos .. King has also built himself a
large modern residence.
Elha. on Cassia creek. Is. perhaps. the
most ilOurishlng settlement on the east
side Of the Cdssia mountains. Having
extended their well cultivated farms
ana orchards over an the available
lands in the narrow fertile valley. the
people are now commencing 10 climb
the hills with their improvements. Al
ready the mountain slopes on the north
present a number Of green patches.
which suggests successful cultivation.
Bishop Thomas Taylor stu holds the
fort here. lie has been The bishop OF
Elba ever since the place was first or
gained rs ward IN 1857.
At Albion The county seat Of Cas-.
sia county. the Saints are Increasing
10 number and have recently erected
a cory little Westinghouse cost
ing about $500 Unlike some
other wafdI who build beyond their
means, the saints AZ Albion had paid
IN full Tor everything. with some %
spare. when their house was dedicated
q few months ago. Thomas L. Harper
the bishop Of Albion ward. Is also
probate judge % Cassa county: John
l.. smith first counselor Zoo the stake
presidency, r. county assessor ana col.
iector and Joseph Y Haight. who pre-.
sided over the Society Islands mission
IN l90o-lso?. is county recorder. while
others Of our people occupy minor 10.
sitlons IN the county government. Thus
u VIII be seen that our brethren i'm
Cassia county (Which has a mixed pop.
ulation az 10 Mormon aud gentllel take
an active part IN civil Affairs.
But perhaps the mos, interesting part
Of The Cassla stake 81 Zion is that sec
ton of Snake River valley which l. IN
cluded In the stake. Unrn two wears
ago that immense stretch % level cour.
try which extended from Nlridoks
southVard 20 the mountains was On.
ilrely uninhaoited. II vas a dreaded
dreary waste which had 70 he trayersed
Win teams By our brethren from