The Mormons and their New Settlement
Late accounts from the great Salt Lake region inform us that the Heads of the Church have issued an address to their brethren throughout the world, in which they give a highly flattering picture of the progress of the Mormon Church. They state that within the last year they have received an accession of at least seven thousand converts from the Brit-ish dominions. They continue :
"Our public works are prosperous, con-sisting of a council house, forty-five feet square, two stories, building by tithing ; also a bridge across the Western Jordan, at an expense of $700, and six or seven bridges across minor streams, to be paid for by a one per cent property tax ; also, a bath house at the Warm Springs.
"A field of about eight thousand acres has been surveyed south of and bordering on the city and plotted in five and ten acre lots, and a church farm of about eight hundred acres. The five and ten acre lots were distributed to the brethren by easting lots, and every man is to help to build a pole, ditch, or stone fence, as shall be most convenient, around the whole field, in proportion to the land he draws ; also, a canal on the east side, for the purpose of irrigation. There are three grist mills and five or six saw mills in operation, and sever-al more in contemplation. Mill-stone, equal to the French burr, is found here.
"The location of a tannery and foundry are contemplated as soon as the snows leave the mountains.
"The forts are rapidly breaking up by the removal of the houses on to the city lots, and the city is already assuming the appearance of years for any ordinary country; such is the industry and perseverance of the Saints.
"A winter's hunt by rival parties of 100 men each has destroyed about 700 wolves and foxes, 2 wolverines, 20 minx and pole cats, 500 hawks, owls, and magpies, and 1,000 ravens, in the valley and vicinity.
"On the return of a portion of the Mormon battallion through the northern part of West-ern California, they discovered an extensive gold mine, wihch enabled them, by a few days' delay, to biing sufficient of the dust to make money plenty in this place for all ordinary purposes of public convenience ; in the ex-change, the brethren deposited the gold dust with the Presidency, who issued bills, or a paper currency ; and the "Kirtland Safety Fund" re-signed is on par with gold.
"Elder Addison Pratt arrived in company with a part of the battalion, on the 28th of September, 1848, and found his family in health, from whom he had been absent about five years, on a mission to the Society Is-lands, where he has baptized about twelve hundred souls,
"On the 1st of January, John Smith, uncle to the Prophet Joseph Smith, was ordained Patriarch to the Church, holding the keys and powers thereof, same as Father Joseph Smith and Hiram.
"The valley is settled for twenty miles south and forty miles north of the city. The city is divided into nineteen wards, the coun-try south into three wards, and north three wards, and over each is ordained a Bishop with his Councillors, with Newell K. Whitney, President of the Bishop's Quorum, presiding, who have been instruction to set in order all the lesser officers.
"About thirty of the brethren have recent-ly gone to the Utah Valley, about sixty miles south, to establish a small colony for agricul-tural purposes and fishing, hoping thereby to lessen the call for beef, which at the present time is rather scarce at an average of seven and eight cents per pound, but will improve with the vegetation.
"The wards of the city, generally, consist of nine blocks, each three squares, and each ward will be fenced by itself this season, on the plan of a big field, for the purpose of sav-ing time for cultivation."
