The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-18
RICHES OF THIS REGION.

A long time has elapsed since $50
have been afflicted with reitcration
Of one of the old false stories circulut ed
through the medium Of Mormon publica-
tious. Apparently it has been aban-
doned because OF exposures Of its ut
ter falsity and consequent unworth 10
the cause which it was intended TO help.
We speak of the old yarn concerning
tho dreary and uninviting sight which
met the gaze of the Mormon "pio-
neers' when they entered this valley,
and which has been worn to the bone
IN an effort TO glorify Brigham Young
and his followers III the eXaltation of
martyr-like selfsacrifice. One short
sentence from a sermon preached by
President Joseph f. Smith in the Salt
Lake tabernacle on July 10, 1881, will
suffice to indicate the nature of the
misrepresentation that has been pro
NOTED in this respect A report of
this sermon is to be found in the Des-
eret News of July II, 1881; and in
tho course of his outgivings President
Smith said: "Scarcely tree or spear
of green grass was then visible, even
on tho line of City Creek"
1t is wonderful, though, in what diff
ferent lights given scene my strike
even the prophetic vision. In his per
sonal diary, President Wilford Wood
ruff wrote, on July "a, 1S47, (tho iden-
tical day referred to by President
| Sp,,IINs ,,l
admiration upon the vast valley before
| us, with the waters of tho Great Salt
Lake glistening in the sun, mountains
| towering to the skies, and streams of
pure water running through the BEAU
| TIFUL VALLEY.n 1t was not such
forbidding spectacle, after all, if we
are to depend upon the word of Will
! ford Woodruff. And inasmuch as Mr..
| Woodruff's life up to that time had
| embraced a greater number of years
| than had the existence of Joseph f.,
| it would be safer and more reasonable
to accept his description. Besides, he
is borne out by purely secular and ex
pert authority, in tho testimony of
General John G. Fremont, whose ac
count of physical conditions in the Salt
Lake valley was written on Septem-
Der IA, lS43, (four years before the
advent Of the Mormon "pionecrs into
this basiu) as we find it in his personal
memoirs, part 4, page 259 as follows:
Taking leave at this point of the waters
Of Bear river, and OF the geographical
and creeks which belongs TO the Great
Salt Lake, and which richly deserve
further detailed and ample exploration. /
can say of IL, III general terms, that the
bottoms OF this river--the Bear--and OF
some Of the creeks which l saw form.
natural resting and RECRUITING station for
The bottoms are extensive water eX-
cclIcnL timber sufficient, the soil good
and well adapted TO the grains and
grasses suited to such an elevated re-
glon.
\ military post and a civilized settle,
ment would be OF great value he here; and and
cattle and horses would do we'll where
grass and salt so much abound.
The lake will furnish eXhaustless sup
plies Of salt All the h mountain sses sraT aTs
called bunch grass from the form IN
which 1t grows. which has second
Indians were fat upon it: our own found
a good subsistence, and its quantity VIII
sustain any amount OF cattle and make
this truly a bucolic region.
These conditions prevailed down
through the Salt Lake and Utah val"
leys, as has been testified to by numer-
Gus of the Mormon "pioneers who
were disposed to tell the truth about
them. Previous to the entry Of the
Mormons here, for q number Of years,
travellers to the West and Northwest
had come this way because of the we'll
known fertility of the region and It's
ideality as a recruiting station and
feeding ground for man and beast. AS
heretofore explained in these columns,
it was the very inviting aspect of the
country hereabouts tnat induced Brig
ham Young and his company to select
this as the stopping place for the
"pioneers and the gathering point for
all those who were to follow after
them. Having taken this route, 1T was
their intention to go to California, for
which point the Mormon battalion was
headed, and for whose coast shipload
OF emigrants were bound around the
Horn. 1t had been planned that all
meet on the California coast; but when
the Salt Lake valley was reached the
place looked so inviting in it's abun-
dance of all that was necessary to the |
establishment of settlements that it |
was concluded no better could be found, |
and the determination to halt hero was |
quickly arrived at solely on account Of |
the inviting prospect which nature pre-
sented. In fact the valley to the north
was dotted with hundreds Of outfits and
camps Of travellers who had preceded
the Mormon "pioneers and who were
On the old Oregon trail on their way
to the Northwest country,
The whole story of making the des-.
ert blossom as the rose" was fabrica-
tion intended to make martyrs of the
Mormon f1rst,comers. and to fire the