UTAH.
The Mormon General Conference Mis-sionaries for Europe—The Co-opera-tion Enterprise—The Town of Ogden.
From Our Own Correspondent.
SALT LAKE CITY, Thursday, April 22, 1869.
The Mormon General Conference, which occurred on the 6th, 7th and 8th of the present month, was one of the largest ever held in this city. The attendance increased from the begin-ning to the end, when there were probably 8,000 people present. The most material business that transpired during the Conference was the ap-pointment of 46 missionaries, mostly to England, a few to Denmark and other European countries, and one or more to South America, to preach the Mormon gospel to the benighted heathen of those distant lands; and the appointment of JOHN W. YOUNG, son of BRIGHAM YOUNG, as President of the Salt Lake City "Stake of Zion," in place of DANIEL SPENCER, deceased. This latter appoint-ment seemed to take most of the Mormon people by surprise, as they evidently were thinking that a very different person would be chosen for that position.
Some of the missionaries have already started on their journey, and most of the others expect to start within the next two months. Mormon missions generally last from about five years down, but two or three years is as common a period as any other. Among the Mormon Elders lately gone East is ORSON PRATT, who has been spending much time in transcribing the "Book of Mormon" into the characters of the Deseret Al-phabet, and has now gone to New-York for the purpose of having that curious work published in type of the characters named. The substitu-tion of the Deseret for the Roman character ap-pears to be a pet project with some persons, but it is not very popular with the masses of the community, who seem to be more interested in procuring a sufficiency of bread, and fuel and clothing, than in philological or phonetic reform.
The great subject expatiated upon at the Con-ference was that of cooperation, which of late has made considerable progress in the Territory, especially with reference to mercantile matters, and in connection with the policy of Mormons purchasing of Mormons, instead of other people. The objects intended in these moves appear to be to squeeze out Gentile control of mercantile matters here, to check and reduce "importa-tions" of merchandise to the minimum, and to make the community, both agricultural and man-ufacturing, self-sustaining as far as possible. The result of the movement so far has been a re-markable dullness in all kinds of business, with little prospect of improvement at present. Prob-ably there is not much more than half the busi-ness done in the city now that there was in the middle of the Winter. But Ogden may have taken a share of it.
Speaking of Ogden reminds me that it is the place now most favorably regarded as destined to be the railroad town in this valley. Corinne was very loudly boasted of a little time back, but the purchase by the Central Pacific of the Union Pacific grade and road west of Ogden has oper-ated rather as a damper on Corinne, and many of the "Corinne-crazy" are now disposed to abate their expectations somewhat in favor of Ogden. The prevailing opinion now is that Og-den is the place. It is very comfortable to have it settled that somewhere is to be the central point of importance on the road, at last, and if Ogden, why so be it.
BRIGHAM YOUNG, DANIEL H. WELLS, Editor CANNON of the Deseret News, and a number of others, have gone on a tour through the south-ern settlements and possibly as far as the Col-orado River, in which direction it has recently been rumored that settlements would be pushed. A journey of that kind and distance usually con-tinues about a month. If so, BRIGHAM will hardly be back in time for the opening of the Pacific Railroad, which may happen any day af-ter two weeks hence, if all shall go on well.
The Reporter has closed out in this city, re-moved to Corinne, and reappeared, hailing from that city. The Ogden Times has not yet had birth. When it will have, does not yet appear to be defin-itely settled. Indeed, there is some rumor again of the removal of the Telegraph from this city to Ogden. The first number of the new volume of the Utah Magazine is still in embryo, but will probably be issued in a few days, enlarged and improved. In all probability the Rio Virgen Times, a weekly, published at St. George, in the southern part of the Territory, will not be con-tinued beyond the current year.
The telegraphic report that the Union Pacific Company had disposed of their first mortgage bonds to Boston capitalists, realizing sufficient available means to pay off floating debts, and finish and equip the road, was received with joy here by many people, as there has been considerable complaining of backward-ness of the Company in paying for work done, and many of the workers have been much har-assed through that alleged backwardness. Now, however, that available funds have been real-ized by the Company, there is probability that these floating debts will be speedily liquidated. This would help many people hereabout, and would revivify business, which, by the by, has been in a rather stagnant condition of late.
During the past few days Winter has returned and prevailed in this valley, for the snow storms have been frequent and the wind has been bois-terous. A day's hot sun, however, will send the snow away.
Miss WESTERN and Mr. J. A. HERNE closed their engagement at the theatre on Saturday last with a rather jolly time. FANNY MORGAN PHELPS is the special attraction this week, but she does not have such good success as WESTERN and HERNE. The weather, however, this week has been very unfavorable to theatricals, the streets having been too slushy for tolerable perambula-tion. Miss ANNIE LOCKHART still continues on the Salt Lake boards, and wears very well in-deed. Her acting is much esteemed, and the probability is that she will not depart hence early. Some of the more fiery of the "Gentiles" of Corinne and other places in the Territory have united in a telegram to President GRANT, re-questing him to appoint General CONNOR Gover-nor of Utah. Such an appointment would be re-garded by the Mormon portion of the population, which includes the vast majority, as a direct act of hostility, as they despise General CONNOR and regard him as their deadly enemy.
