The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-24
THEY PREFER THE FALsEHooDs.


Republican, alias the "Mouth,V con
tanned leading editorial article which
essayed TO take the Hon. VIM. G.. A.
Smoot 10 task on account Of some state.
ments made by that gentleman at the
recent love feast OF the American party
II chiefly found fault with Mr.. Smoot IS
assertion that when the first Mormon
settlers came to this valley they did
not find here the barren waste and for
bidding country that the chief priests
of Mormondom falsely depict for pur-
poses Of martyrposing.
Apparently the article was written
for the editor of the morning church
organ by some bigotcd, fanatical wor
shipper at the feet of the idol which has
been set up by the falsiticrs Of the real
situation. He was not content TO mere
ly dispute the word of Mr. Smoot upon
this matter; he devoted part of his
screed 10 personalities which not only
did the author discredit. but branded
him the reckless Melchisedek bosotted
knowall that he is In all likelihood
young upstart, as tho tone of his
article would indicate, he produces ly-
ing hearsay with which to combat the
the ground,
AS to the condition of these valleys
in the first days Of their settlement, a
fair example may be taken from the
mouth of one of the "prophets. " In
the year 1s52-fve years after the ar
rival Of the first Mormon set
Brigham Young
was anxious to have the val
lcys to the south settled up. Up TO
that time they had not been invaded
to any great extent by civilized man.
Millard county was fairly under devel
opment, but below that point there were
many virgin valleys awaiting settlement
and cultivation. it appears that the
church authorities had been on some
exploring excursions down that way,
and as to what they found VIC shall let
President Heber G.. Kimball give the
description, We find it in sermon
preached by this counselor to Brigham
Young on October Z, 1852. as recorded
in the Journal Of Discourses, volume l.
page 295, as follows:
Fillmore City, in Millard county, is
situated In a very extensive valley. /
think We travel, We are going TO
Iron county, somewhere In the neighbor
hood OF fifty or sixty miles, and then
1t extends west far beyond the power
OF the eyes to see. the fact is. we eau
see no distant mountains AT all in some
directions, and THERE ARE NUMER-
nected or which communicate with this,
on to Iron county. Page zoo /:
Now IL you viii take hold together. and
do as YOU have been told. and go and
those who have been counselled to stay
here, for IL they are wanted here. II is
necessary they should stay here: you
shall be blessed.
Furthermore, the soil in those valleys
was considered TO be so productive that
Heber G. Kimball urged upon the peo
pie TO settle them up for the reason
that they could harvest a big crop of
wheat the very following summer, and
could turn in magnificent tenth there
of to the tithing Office in Salt Lake, to
it is not necessary-eXcept to bigots
and fanatics-to say that the condition
in the RICH VALLEYS of
the southern part Of Utah. as found in
their virgin state, was the condition
that obtained in the Salt Lake valley,
because the elements making conditions
are identical Ia both. Government re.
ports of Fremont and others who Wis.
tied this region, and partially explored
it, previous to the coming of the Nor
mon settlers, describe it as being fertile
and abounding with grass and timber in
many localities. OF course, the des-
crts were deserts-as they remain today
but the fertile valleys were fertile
5he early settlers of the Oregon country
used to make detour to this valley,
instead Of following the upper trail, ip
order TO avail themselves Of the fine
feeding grounds for their animals that
existed In this valley and clear up
through the Bear River valley. Long
before the Mormon "pioneers came
ncre the meadows and benches were lit.
orally covered with the wagons and
Tents of migrators to the Oregon coun-
Try. These valleys were over6owed at
The high water period, and when the
waters rcceded the grass IN the mead
,ws covered them in luxuriance. We
10 not mean to say that all of the coun
try was thus producfiype fhpt fho H. |
kali fats and salt lands were prodnc-
i've of anything but alkali and salt and |
lust; but we do mean TO say that the |
Salt Lake valley, as we'll as were all |
he other wales III this particular noun
ain region, was invitingly rich 1t
was this very condition that induced !