Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-24

Laramie an old trading post, and also Red Ruttes,
independence Rock. Devils Gate. Little aud Big
Sandy and Fort Bridger. Finally they arrived at
Echo canyon They met certain trappers. among
whom Harris and Bridger gave them dismal
pictures of the salt Lake valley and strongly urged
them to go to the fertile lands of the coast.
But their leader hud decided They would go to the
Great Salt Lake. one division of the party led by
Orson Pratt passed into the valley July %. O.
July % President Young lying III in the wagon OF
Elder MILFORD Woodruff, obtained from eminence
a view of the land In which he purposed find rest
and peace for his weary people. Fe gazcd upon
the valley for long time. and then said, Enough.
This is the place. Drive on!' They passed through
Emigration canyon into the valley OF the
Great salt Lake July "a lS47
SALT LAKE VALLEY.
The valley lay cleaning beneath the rays of the
MONDAY sun, when first the pioneers beheld it. The
air stil and the shone hot upon the dry
and baked surface. The hills, however,
ed with sagebrush, the streams and mountain sides
abounded in oakbrush small trees upon
of the mountains and the canyon ravines well
tinlbered The lower lands had grass rushes and
ssdgss In the moist spots. and sunfowers are said
have been obserevd IN places The
<Sss~, hence of the primeval desert impress
4gsaS- sive. and feeling Of utter loneliness and
desoation would spring up when ever any
became separated from his companions.
This because of the oppressive Stiffness The
rising of heated air from the dry plains caused the
and the hot breath of the desert at times seemed
like the blast of a furnace. No sound of bird
animal cool streams grassy meadows,
living thing the occasional lizard and locust,
cept I'm the canyons and the waters of the
lake and the streams that flowed into it, where
waterfowel were not lacking before the day
was over, within hour" have said, the
pioneers had their pows going, overturning the
earth for their seed wheat With infinite labor they
brought small streams of water from the
vans 1Ion thp dry for gti rear had ont
into "a great guey lower down They moisened the
earth where the seed sown, flooded the hard
and baked surface where 1t could not otherwise be
plowed- This crude system OF pioneer irrigation
in itself. also the beginning of wonderful
system of agriculture
ALMOST DISCOURAGED.
But many appalled, bv the feelings awakened
in the vast solitude which met them here. The first
to arrive were overcome with disappoint
ment and apprehension And scarcely less bitter was
the grief of at the prospect of remaining
desolae place than 1t had the of those
whom they had buried the way Was it for
this that they had endured all of the weary and
notwithstanding past: instead of finding rest, ii
seemed at first like the renewal of the long night
mare of the plains The too recent of
Rachel mourning her children and refusing to
be comforted because they not" afresh
in memory. But usch moods were OF brief duration.
There work to be done-the children must be
fed. Work brought sumber Occupation
banished foreboding The grain grew like magic
The beauties of the new home began to be discern
ibe. Health returned, and with 1t hope and buoy
ancy. Happiness and peace settled upon the little
communities that laying with joyful labor
the Foundations of a great American commonwealth
HARD TIMES"
AS late the early seventies the writer of this
then boy of 10 years, still remember the most
usual fare of the poobread and molasses break
fast, molasses and bread for dinner, and both for
supper, But nature wrought stranPe miracle
causing shrnkage of the digestive apparatus and
needs of the body in proportion TO the scarcity Of
food. Chronic hunger indeed the common lot
yet when in Tooee who had received a wagon
load of provisions invited his friends to feast at
which they hidden to eat all they wanted, they
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