The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1906-11-15

crackers and other ~breadstuffs. But
these were slight matters to a perse-
cuted people gathering out OF Baby
Ion.
Late in June they reached the
South Pass. For many hundred miles
they had been climbing the backbone
of the continent. Now they had
reached the summit, the dividing
ridge between streams that flowed to
the Atlantic and streams that flowed
to the Pacific. From the level prairies
they had toiled up into the fearsome
Rockies where bleak. grim crags
lowered upon them from afar, and
distant submits ~glistening with snow
warned them Of the perils ahead.
Through all this time Of marching
the place where they should pitch
the tent Of Israel was not fixed upon.
When Brigham was questioned
around the campfire at night, his
only reply was that he would know
the site Of their new home when he
saw 1t. And 1t came to be told among
the men that he had beheld in vision
a tent settling down from heaven and
resting over a certain spot; and that
a voice had said to him, Here Is the
place where my people Israel shall
pitch their tents and spread wide the
curtains of Zion!" 1t was enough.
He would recognize the spot when
they reached 1t.
From the trappers, scouts, and
guides encountered along the road
they had received much advice as to
eligible locations; and while this was
various as to sites recommended, the
opinion had been unanimous that the
Salt Lake valley was impossible. 1t
was, they were told, sandy, barren,
rainless, destitute of timber and veg.
citation. infested with hordes of hun
cry crickets, and roamed over by
bands Of most savage Indians. In
short. no colony could endure there.
They dared not. indeed, go to a
fertile land. for there the Gentiles
would be tempted to follow them
with the old bloody end. Only in a
desert such as these men had de.
scribed the Salt Lake valley to be
could they hope for peace. From
Fort Bridger, then, their route bent to
the southwest along the rocky spurs
OF the Uintah mountains, whose snow.
clad tops cleaned a blush white in
the July sun.
BY the middle Of July the van.
guard of the company began the de-.
scent of Echo canyon,-a narrow slit
cut straight down a thousand feet
into the red sandstone,-the pass
which a handful Of them was to hold
a few years later against a whole
army Of the hated Gentiles.
The hardest part of their journey
was still before them. Their road
had now to be made as they went,
lying wholly among the mountains.
Lofty hills, deep ravines with Jagged
sides. f%orbidding canyons, all but i'm.
passable streams, rock-bound and
brush-choked,-up and down, through
or over all these obstacles they had
20 to force a passage, cutting here,
digging there; now douhle-locking the
wheels Of their wagons to prevent
their crashing down some steep In.
cline; now putting five teams to one
load to haul it up the rock-strewn
side OF some waterway,
From Echo canyon they went down
the Weber. then toward East canyon a
dozen of the bearded host going for
ward with spades and axes as sap
pers. Sometimes they made a mile in
five hours: sometimes they were less
lucky. But at length they were fight
ing their way up the choked East
canyon, starting fierce gray wolves
from their lairs in the rocks and hear
ing at every rod Of their hardfought
way the swift and u%nnerving song Of
the coiled r~attlesnake.
Eight fearful miles they toiled
through this cash in the mountain;
then over another summit-Big
mountain; down this dangerous slide,
all wheels double-locked, on to the
summit Of another lofty hill.-Little
mountain: and abruptly down again
into the rock gorge afterwards to be.
come historic as immigration canyon
Following down this gorge, never
doubling they should come at last to
their haven, they found its mouth to
be impossible, Rocks, brush, and
timber choked the way. Crossing to
the south side, they went sheerly up
the steep hill-so steep that it vas
all but impossible for the straining
animals to drag up the heavy wagons,
and so narrow that q false step might
have dashed wagon and team half a
thousand feet on to the rocks below.
But at last they stood on the sum.
mit.-and broke into shouts of rapture
as they looked. For the wilderness
home Of Israel had been found. Far
and wide below them stretched their
promised land-a broad, open valley
hemmed in by high mountains that lay
cold and far and still In the blue haze
Some of these had slept since the
world began under their canopies Of
snow. and these flashed a sunlit glory
into the eager eyes Of the pilgrims.
Others reared bare, scathed peaks
above slopes that we're shaggy with
timber. And out in front lay the won.