UTAH.
AFFAIRS IN THE TERRITORY.
Judicial Proceedings—The Indians—Attack on the California Mail Train—Items of Territorial News.
Correspondence of the New-York Times.
GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH TERRITORY,
Saturday, Sept. 11, 1858.
Judges ECKELS & SINCLAIR, and Secretary HARTNETT, returned, on Saturday last, from a visit to the seat of Government of this Territory at Fillmore. The Judges appointed the Terms of the United States District Courts as follows : First District Court—Northern District—to be held at Farmington, on the first Monday in September, by Chief Justice D. R. ECKELS ; Second District Court—Southern District—to be held at Fillmore, on the first Monday in November, by Associate Justice CRADLEBAUGH ; Third District Court, to be held in Great Salt Lake City, on the first Monday in October, by Associate Justice C. E. SINCLAIR ; and the Supreme Court to meet annually at Fillmore City on the first day of January.
Secretary HARTNETT, who went down to visit the State House and to make the necessary preparations for the next session of the Legislature, could not, as we are informed, discover any trace of the State House ; he found, however, a splendid printing office and warehouse built of red sandstone. Upon in-quiry he was told that this fine building was, indeed, the Capitol, but it was temporarily occupied as the printing office of the Deseret News.
The floor of the Representatives' Hall was nicely chalked, and the room decorated for the parties in which the inhabitants of Fillmore take especial de-light.
This is the only building belonging to Uncle Sam in this Territory. It has cost already over $30,000, and as yet there is but one wing built, and that is not entirely completed. The original plan of the build-ing is that of a Greek cross, and it will, if finished, be a magnificent edifice. Fillmore City is some 190 miles south of this city, and is consequently removed that distance from the centre of population of the Territory. The popula-lation of this great city numbers in all about 800 souls.
Why the seat of Government was established at such a place we cannot conceive, unless it was a de-sire to select the geographical centre of the Territory.
A little incident which occurred while the party were at Fillmore, points to the connection which ex-ists between the "Saints" and the Indians in the southern portion of the Territory. Secretary HART-NETT was intrusted by Dr. FORNEY, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, with a message to CA-NOSH concern ing some farming utensils which he wanted; upon his arrival at Fillmore the Secretary sent a message to CA-NOSH, asking him to come up and see him. The next day CA-NOSH rode up with his whole band, dressed and painted in warlike style. He drew them up in battle array, and then rode out in front of them to meet Mr. HARTNETT, who advanced towards him. Immediately upon meeting him CA-NOSH told him that he did not wish to fight; that he was friendly towards the Americans, but that he would not submit to the ar-rest of any of his band.
It appeared upon an explanation that the Mormons had sent word to CA-NOSH that the dragoons who formed the escort of the Judges were on their way down to arrest him and his party for the murder of the immigrants last Fall, and he had determined to resist them to the last. He wound up by saying that if the Americans wanted to talk bad talk to him, he would talk bad to them, but if they wished to be friendly, he was perfectly willing to keep the peace.
By the last mail from California we learn that sev-eral tribes of the "Digger," Bonnacks and Snakes were assembling on the road at the Gravelly Ford of the Humboldt River. They had made one or two at-tacks upon the train of Mr. THOMAS PITT, who is on his way to California from this city with a large lot of cattle. Mr. PITT had in his party a number of apos-tate Mormons, so that he was strong enough to resist the Indians. He lost, however, some six or eight head of cattle. The Indians complain that the whites are continually fooling them. It seems that Superin-tendent FORNEY sent word to these Indians some two months ago that he intended to visit them in a few weeks; asked them to assemble together at some point on the road for the purpose of meeting him, and as an earnest of his intentions sent them a few pres-ents. The Indians upon receiving this message left their salmon fisheries and their hunting grounds and came on to the road, when after waiting some time for Dr. FORNEY without seeing him, they have turned to killing and stealing. Dr. FORNEY has been pre-vented by business from going until now. He starts to-day, accompanied by Mr. F. DODGE, the Indian Agent, for Carson Valley, who arrived in the last mail from the East.
A squadron consisting of two companies of the Sec-ond Dragoons and one of the Fifth Infantry passed through this city on their way to the Humboldt River on Monday last—the officers in command are Capt. HAWS and Lieut. SAUNDERS of the Dragoons, and Lieuts. LEWIS and BRISTOL of the Fifth.
This city has for the past week or two presented one constant scene of drunkenness, quarreling and fighting.
It is not the Mormons who have been guilty of the disgraceful scenes which have been enacted here, but the city is now filled with a crowd of gamblers, loaf-ers and teamsters from the frontier towns on the Mis-souri River who have come out here in order to pick up some of the money thrown into circulation by the army.
The Mormons, either through fear or from a desire to make capital out of this state of affairs, neglect and refrain from making any arrests, but allow these drunken men to promenade the streets, hooting and yelling at the top of their voices—shooting and knock-ing down each other without restraint. The orderly portion o f the Gentiles have it not in their power to make arrests or to compel a maintenance of good or-der, and the result is that the evil is increasing daily.
On Thursday night last a fatal rencontre oc-curred between two gamblers—O. H. RUCKER and—PEALE, which resulted in the immediate death of the former and the probable death of the latter. The origin of the difficulty, it seems, was an old one, although its immediate cause was a difficulty at the gaming table. PEALE was very much intoxicated at the time of the encoun-ter, and was the aggressor, having followed RUCKER—who was endeavoring to avoid him—for the avowed purpose of killing him. When they met, PEALE ran close up to RUCKER and shot him through the breast, causing him to fall immediately, but RUCKER whilst lying down mortally wounded, fired five times at PEALE, shooting him through the hip and through the head. It is supposed that he will not recover. OLI-VER H. RUCKER was a native of Tennessee, and resi-ded in New-Orleans for several years past, but more recently in Leavenworth City.
Much of the liquor which causes these difficulties is sold at a bar-room in the Salt Lake Hotel, owned by HEBER C. KIMBALL, BRIGHAM'S first counselor.
In taking a walk recently, we noticed that workmen were busily engaged in building a stone wall across the street which divides HEBER KIMBALL'S square from that of BRIGHAM YOUNG. Both of these squares are in-closed by high stone walls, and now by building walls across the street between them, at each end they are united as one. Workmen are also busily engaged in refitting the public workshops of the Church in the Temple Square.
Some of the Mormons, at least, have not forgotten their old tricks, for the residences of three ladies, widows with families, dependent upon Gentiles for support, and living in different sections of the city, have been stoned, and the inmates frightened at night by gangs of young men who have not yet been identi-fied ; the police of the city take no notice of these occurrences, but, on the contrary, they seem to aid and abet the actors.
Hon. C. E. SINCLAIR, Judge of the United States District Court for this District, applied, a few days since, to Secretary HARTNETT for the Library belonging to his office, which, as his Excellency Governor CUMMING stated in his official report to the President on the subject, was perfect and unmutilated. It is not, however, now to be found anywhere. Dr. HURT, General BURR, District-Attorney HOCKADAY, Marshal DOTSON, Judge DRUMMOND and Judge STILES, besides several gentlemen, merchants from this city, have tes-tified to the destruction of this Library, together with other books and records. Governor CUMMING, upon his arrival, immediately contradicted their reports by stating that it was here all right. We will now see who was correct.
KIRK ANDERSON, Esq., who is to edit the Gentile newspaper, in this city, arrived here on Saturday last. The press, type, &c., will be here in a few days.
Snow fell to a considerable depth on the mountain peaks around this valley, fitting them once more with caps of spotless white. Snow was still visible on many of the peaks previous to this fall of fresh snow.
It is reported that the cold during this storm was so severe in the mountains, that several head of cattle on Bear River froze to death. This report probably needs qualification, and means that they died from the sud-den change from heat to cold.
We received by the last mail the news of the suc-cess of the Atlantic Telegraph enterprise. The news flew rapidly throughout the City, and seemed to send a thrill of joy through the breast of all who heard it. It seemed to affect each one as if it were a matter of personal interest.
The army has moved into its Winter quarters. These quarters, or rather barracks, are temporary structures, built of adobes, and will insure comfort to our troops during the coming Winter—a reward which they richly deserve, after the suffering and privations of last Winter. Gen. JOHNSTON has assigned the com-mand of the army to Lieut.-Col. SMITH, of the 10th In-fantry, and has himself entered upon his duties as Commander-in-Chief of the Department of Utah.
Peaches and plums are now ripe in this city. They sell readily at the moderate price of $1 per dozen. Watermelons are offered for sale daily, but are not as plentiful as usual. These sell at from 50 cents to $1 a piece.
There is a small comet now distinctly visible in the northwest. It sets at about 9 o'clock. Its elevation at 7 o'clock in the evening appeared to be about 5 degrees above the horizon. Its tail seems to be about six feet in length. We noticed it for the first time yesterday evening.
Secretary HARTNETT having requested the imme-diate removal of the printing office of the Deseret News from the State House at Fillmore, it was moved up last week to this city, from whence its last number was issued. A. B. C.
Mormon Items.
Our files of the Deseret News are received. They contain sundry interesting items. The News has a premium list of the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society, the exhibition to open this month.
A company of Saints, mostly Danes, reached Lara-mie on the 13th of August, all well, and were ex-pected to arrive about the 19th of September.
The News says : “Colonel F. W. LANDER, Superin-tendent of that section of the Pacific wagon road be-tween the South Pass and City Rocks, called upon President BRIGHAM YOUNG, at his office, on the 28th and 31st ult., in both which interviews the Colonel advanced and assented to ideas and principles highly becoming an American citizen—one loving and re-specting the Constitution and Constitutional laws of our country. Colonel LANDER left on the 31st for the scene of his duties north of this city, where he pur-poses to remain until about the 1st of October, and then close field duties for this season and return to Washington."
The Deseret currency is to be redeemed—so says a notice from BRIGHAM YOUNG.
A spicy correspondence appears in the News. A Mormon "General," JAMES FERGUSON, addressed a letter to Lieutenant-Colonel P. ST. GEORGE COOKE, U. S. A., putting the following query:
"In looking through files of Eastern papers lately received, I saw a letter purporting to have been writ-ten by you, and dated at Camp Scott, Nov. 29,1857. In that letter you assert that the Mormons are a set of cowards, like all assassins and bullies. I am what is generally termed a 'Mormon,' and as such served my country honorably under your command. Your statements I consider most unwarranted, and a very ungenerous return for the sincere respect enter-tained for you by the Mormon Battalion, and, indeed, the whole Mormon people. I sincerely trust that you have it in your power to disclaim the authorship of that letter. If not, as an American citizen and gentle-man, spurning the epithets hurled at me, in connection with a people of whom, in the midst of their worst misfortunes I am proud, I ask you kindly, and with respect, to make that apology which your own high sense of honor will suggest is due."
Col. COOKE replied: "I wrote no such letter; I wrote no letter for publication. I never wrote or spoke such a sentence. I left Camp Scot, November 26th, and did not return; the letter, you say, was dated there Nov. 29. I never saw such a letter in the papers, or heard of its existence, until lately as a rumor from Salt Lake City. I thank you for inform-ing me of this mysterious forgery. My sense of the performances of the Mormon battalion was expressed at San Luis Rey, in an order which you remember, and which stands printed in a Senate document."
The following item in the News of the 8th Sept., is suggestive:
"PIC-NIC EXCURSION.—Agreeable to invitation by President BRIGHAM YOUNG, the First Presidency, His Excellency Governor CUMMING, and several other citizens, with ladies and children, rendezvoused, Aug. 26, at a romantic, shady location, a short distance above mill D, in Big Cottonwood Canon, and around a commodious, bough-covered room, built by the B. C. Lumber Company for the accommodation of those who might wish to participate in the dance. Captain W. H. HOOPER accompanied the Governor to the ren-dezvous and in returning ; while Mrs. CUMMING, upon her spirited pony, and escorted by General FERGUSON, enjoyed a wider and more picturesque view of the constantly-shifting scenery than could those who oc-cupied luxurious seats in carriages. Music, dancing and song enlivened the social gathering, in the enjoy-ment of which none seemed to surpass the Governor and his lady."
