AFFAIRS IN UTAH.
The Weather—Agricultural Matters—Gold Mines—Trading Prices—The Want of Change, &c.
Correspondence of the New- York Times
GREAT SALT LAKE CITY. Friday, Nov. 7, 1862.
A week ago our extraordinary run of fine weather was interrupted, but interrupted only by a day's slight showers, with a little snow on the moun-tains. The dust was laid on the roads for a few days, but as we had no other rain since early in September, it will be readily imagined that the Spring work of plowing cannot be anticipated at present on the higher farming lands, particularly in adhesive soil, of which many of them are mainly composed, and are now as hard as a wall, so to speak. In favorable seasons there is only a choice or a few days as to the best time to work such soils to the best advantage.
But if the upland ploughing cannot be done, the bottom lands are in fine condition for working, and the roads are so good that all manner of team work can be and is being prosecuted with the most flatter-ing success. Owing to the excessive amount of snow and rain the Spring was indeed late, but as if nature was bound to adhere to the law of compensations, the fine and workable season is lengthening out remark-ably at the latter end. And there seems a necessity for this, as the unusual Spring floods destroyed the roads and millraces in the cañons, and consequently, in many places it was late in the Summer before lum-ber could be made at the mills, or the cañons gener-ally were safe for the hauling of firewood.
Again, the flooding of the hay lands considerably diminished the stock of hay, and the farmers will doubtless take a mild or a short Winter as a special favor of Providence.
Senator MILTON S. LATHAM is passing through the city, on his way to Washington, and appears to have enjoyed himself in calling upon the celebrities of Salt Lake. As the California Senators voted against the Polygamy Bill, Mr. LATHAM would doubtless be on comfortable terms with BRIGHAM.
Utah now is entirely surrounded with gold mines—those of Pike's Peak, on the east, the Hum-boldt on the west, the Colorado on the south, and the Salmon River on the north. But in this territory proper no reliable diggings have as yet been found. The chief productions of Utah at present are grain, salt, saleratus, and "saints." This is certainly a great grain country. There are many pieces of land which have averaged, for a dozen years running, forty bushels of wheat to the acre. These lands are generally rich, black bottoms, alluvial, with considerable portions of clay, alkali, and disintegrated limestone.
The Salmon River mines have lost none of their attractions as yet. Several small parties have recently started hence in that direction. A party of twenty arrived on Tuesday from Grasshopper Creek. Mr. JOHN MENDENHALL is now starting a train of wagons, with provisions and needful articles of merchandise, for the mines northward. He will probably make a fortune out of his "spec," provided the Indians and the elements deal lightly with him on the route.
Nothwithstanding the Mormon "Word of Wisdom" against "hot drinks." there is as great a proportion of confirmed devotees of the teacup here as elsewhere. But the merchants have been very remiss this season. They have brought no best green tea. There is some black, which will make a decoction about as good as could be obtained from a very inferior quality of hay. Take a handful of such hay, place it in a newly-paint-ed wooden bucket, "mash," fill up, and serve around, and you will nave a beverage in flavor similar to the geren tea that is now selling here at $2 50 per pound. Certainly every venerable lady votes it "horri-ble," and the tea venders have their choice—to re-form, or to lose caste and custom. The defunct firm of LIVINGSTON, BELL & Co. are remembered with af-fection, for though they were fond enough of stiff prices, yet their articles were good, and in particular, they excelled in keeping for sale a pinch of extra tea.
A movement has been on foot to establish a uni-formity of prices in trading. This is not pleasing to all parties. The scale adopted is what is called "Tithing Office prices." A few figures I can call to mind. Flour, $6 per hundred; wheat $2 per bushel; barley and oats, $1 25 ; potatoes, 75 cents ; beef, 8 to 12½ cents per pound ; bacon, 25 to 30 cents ; carrots and beets, 50 cents per bushel; butter, 25 cents per pound ; eggs, 18 cents per dozen.
This evening Mr. JOSEPH YOUNG, inaugurates a Win-ter's series of lectures at the Seventy's Hall. The first subject, as a matter of course, is on the history of the Mormon Church.
The want of change is felt here, as is Eastern com mercial circles, and in order to remedy the defect, the “merchants” of this city have formed an association, resented by "GILBERT and GERRISH,” to issue notes of the value of one dollar, redeemable in Government paper on presentation of five dollars. The capital of the 30p" era Is represented as $200,000. The notes profess to be issued on deposit. This step was im-pelled by the issue of United States Treasury Notes, and the non-appearance at present of Government change smaller than five dollars, coupled with the fact of nobody being willing to deal out gold or silver in change for Treasury Notes.
