The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-21

ment one derives from a trip across the
Rocky mountains and plains is largely
guaged by previous environment. If
reared within the brick and mortar en-
vironment of a great city the contrasts
or the wide-spreading plains and ever
changing scenery of the mountains are
q source of intense delight. The rapid
change from the sluggish air sur
charged with smoke and ill-smelIing
fumes of low altitude to the pure. in
Vlgorat1ng atmosphere of the higher al
titudes with the attendant nervous ex-
hilaration is a chief factor of the enjoy
ment, the cause of which is hardly real
lied by the eaSterner.
TO the man reared in the heart of the
Rockies, and accustomed to the free
life of the proSpectOr and miner, trip
down east" except for it's educational
advantages, is more of bore than real
enjoyment. To him the Royal Gorge is
common place. He has often looked
out on panOramaS of lofty peaks, saw
age-lOoking FORCES. pastoral dells. crys-.
tai lakes, leaping brooks and mountain
forests that are unsurpassed in all the
world. The Utahn's interest in the
mountains of Colorado is, therefore,
that of comparison only. 1t is a matter
merely of typographical details; of the
occurrence and INTERPRETATION of rock
formations and their bearing on the
mineral wealth that forms the basis of
Colorado's prosperity and greatness.
On emerging from the upper end of
the Royal Gorge the Utahn's attention
is suddenly arrested by prosperous
farms and ranches on either side of the
speeding train. The gorge has widened
to narrow valley, whose low mountain
sides are covered with quaking aspen,
spruce and fir. The time table shows
an elevation of more than 1000 feet
above Salt Lake City In Utah all land
above 5000 feet IS generally regarded
as being valueless except for grazing.
But along the d & r. G.. in Colorado.
at an attitude of more than 5000 feet
above sea level. heavy crops of wheat,
oats and barley potatoes and other
hardy vegetables are grown to perfec-
ton. And the tracks of mowers in the
natural meadows and stacks of hay on
the ranches prove the presence of prof
table husbandry on both sides of the
Continental Divide. where the altitude
is more than ten thousand feet. Utah
has tens of thousands of acres of even
better land at less attitudes that only
awaits an increase of population 20
make 1t highly productive for dairying
and kindred purposes. Aridlty appears
to increase in an almost exact ratio
corresponding TO Inc west u
the Missouri river and to the increase
| in altitude. For instance, irrigation is
not needed over a strip of land 200 TO
| 300 miles west of the Missouri. Some
| 200 to 800 miles further west. and in a
| slightly higher altitude, is the zone of
semi-aridity, and where deep Subsoiling
has fully compensated for the decreased.
precipitation. And therein is found an
| interesting subject for the cOnsidera-
Oh n-,I1
ond by every mea IS in their power.
| the efforts of the faculty of the Agri-
| cultural college to redeem the tens of
/ thousands Of acres of arid land that
/ comprises the greater area of Utah's
valleys.
Aside from the Mormon question,
] which, boiled down, means Apostle
/ Reed Smoot in politics. there is another
and perfectly natural reason why the
semi-arid lands east of the Rockies
have been absorbed by homeseekers,
and why Utah's arid and Semi-arid
| lands are vacant. When Utah was SCI
| tied i'm 1S47 western Illinois was sparse
| ly settled and Iowa was almost a howl
| ing wilderness. During the past sixty
/ years the wave of surplus population
from the eastern states has been slow
| ly rolling westward and has covered
| those states just mentioned, has
crossed the Missouri river and dotted
| the great plains with farm houses and
barns. The old buffalo trails have been
obliterated by the steel ploughshares of
] the white man, and the hills. holloWs
/ and plains are great fields of ripened
\ corn. The sinuous windings of the old
/ Mormon trail have surrendered to the
] section lines of Uncle Sam until only
! here and there the river crossings and
few old landmarks remain TO attest
the reality of the exodus of Al, which
Is now a dim and misty tradition among
! those whose homes occupy the very
! ground once marked by the waysidt
i graves of Mormon and non Mormon
i emigrantS.
4 A few more years and the pressure on
4 subsistence will force the wave, or tide
4 of emigration over the Rockies and into
! Utah. There every acre of land that is
l capable of sustaining human life will
Il be taken, and may the Good Lord speed
the day. Then, and then only, will the
1 social and domestic problems of Utah
4 be forever settled. II the members OF
4 the American" party could realize The
/ truth and bend their misguided and re-
Il dictionary energies toward a greater
Y Utah the sooner would they achieve
! the objects for which they claim to be
! striving.
Although Omaha is only a thousand
| miles or SO from Zion. it amuses 4
! Mormon pilgrim to note the interest the
| people here take in the name Nor
mon." At most every hour of the day
1 encounter the following experience;
Mr. -, meet my friend from Utah
Mr.. Gibbs Are you Mormon? p
Eyes, sir; but you will pardon me if