FROM THE MORMON COUNTRY.
Correspondence of The N. Y. Tribune.
GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 2, 1859.
Horse and male stealing is by no means uncommon in this Territory. A band of thieves, led by a fellow named Johnson, recently made off south with a nu-merous drove of horses and mules. A Mr. Webb of Cedar County, with others, pursued and overtook the party on the Vegas, upward of 400 miles south. Most of the animals were recovered, but the great distance of that place from settlements, the wild nature of the region, and the desperate character of the thieves, may account for the thieves not accompanying the recap-tured animals.
As a general thing we have quiet times just now in this Territory, though party prejudices will manifest themselves occasionally, A short time ago a small de-tachment of troops was encamped in Provo Valley. Three or four of them went to a ranch hard by, and in the absence of the owner, Mr. Ross, they demanded whisky from Mrs. Ross, upon pain of demolishing the building. Mrs. Ross, intimidated, fetched out a small keg with a gallon or so of whisky, which the soldiers made off with. Some time after, Mr. Ross coming home and hearing what had occurred, rode round his premises, and a few rods away discovered a soldier in a glorious state of oblivion. Mr. Ross quickly con-cluded to adopt a novel method of recovering pay for the liquor drank, the empty keg lying in full sight. He tied a lariet to the feet of the unconscious soldier, af-fixed the other end of the lariet to his saddle and care-fully hauled the soldier to his house, where Mr. Ross stripped him of all clothing excepting his drawers; when he returned to consciousness he dispatched him to camp in that unenviable condition, retaining his clothes for pay.
Last Spring was a month later than usual, which caused very late planting and sowing, wheat being sown as late as June. The weather became hot in a short time, which seemed to dry up the land and ren-der it too hot, in the higher portions, for the proper growth of potatoes, which, accordingly, were general-ly a failure on the bench lands. But on the bottoms, which were moister, and consequently cooler, the crops; have proved equal to an average; so that there are sufficient potatoes in the country, and at moderate prices. Corn is also a good crop—better than usual. Wheat is not equal to the average, for the cash fails to fetch it at average prices. In fact, at this time, which may be naturally supposed the cheapest time for the next twelve months, as most farmers have thrashed their grain, wheat is actually rising, and now runs from $1 60 to $1 75 per bushel, cash. If it commands this price now and is rising, we may calculate on it not being much cheaper before another harvest.
This Fall has been one of the most delightful that could be enjoyed. But all at once the important opera-tion of wood-getting was brought to a peremptory close by a snap of cold weather, snow, and frost, that was a caution to the naked. The numberless creeklets that traverse this city in every direction were arrested by an iron hand, and in their struggles for freedom spread over the streets, and these were overcome by the re-lentless frost, until the various streets of the city pre-sented the appearance of a great labyrinthial frozen lake, reminding one forcibly of the last severe and protracted Winter. But this cold spell was soon over, and the weather moderated, while the poor cattle, which had been crooked up by the cold like a spitting cat, resumed their natural appearance. The last few days have been wet, sometimes snowy, which would be but a few hours, and all the time very changeable, baffling the weather prophets entirely, as all their approved data were quite at fault. A few days of fog, too, we have had. But yesterday, Dec. 1, was a gloriously line day—the birds singing in the trees as on a Spring morning. The prospects are for a mild and open Winter.
Heretofore ex-Governor Young has made it a prac-tice to take a tour in "the country" every Summer, generally for a month or so. Now he goes, with his numerous cavalcade of family of friends, to Iron County, in the south. Again, to Salmon River in the north. These tripe partook of the double nature of "vacation tour" and exploring expedition, pleasure and business being blended. Whether from the pres-ence of the army and other Gentiles, from the general unsettled feelings which exist in the breasts of some, or some other cause, I know not, but this Summer no such trip has been indulged in by the Mormon chief. A trip of a day or two up Cottonwood or City Creek cañon, or to Stansbury's island, on Salt Lake, has been the extent of gypsying excursions the present Summer, though surmise that, if all things had been as satis-factory in Mormondom to Mormons this as in the past years, the White Mountains on the south-west, on Bear River Valley on the north-east would have been the theater of a Mormon surprise visit.
Improvements are going on with considerable energy and perseverance, considering the circumstances of the citizens for the bust two years. In this city numerous private houses are building, also a few stores. The dam in the Jordan River is being vigorously prose-cuted, and is expected to be completed this year. This will enable the farmers of this city and vicinity to water hundreds of acres of rich bottom land, and add materially to the wealth of this district.
Quite a number of new settlements have been made this Summer. In the large, well-wooded, well-grassed, and fertile Cache Valley , 80 miles north, six new settlements have been made, which the Mormon Apostles (Hyde and Benson) have just organized eccle-siastically into "wards," with their respective "bish-ops" and "counselors," and collectively into a "Stake of Zion," with its "President" and his "coun-selors," also a "high council."
Excellent crops of grain have been raised this sea-son, Eight thousand bushels of wheat was calculated upon in that valley; but that amount has already been threshed, and it is now supposed that there is one-third yet to be thrashed. Cache Valley promises to be one of the best valleys settled in this basin.
Provo Valley, on the South east, up Provo Canon, a small valley, has also been partially settled this Sum-mer, probably by about forty families. For grass, water, soil, and almost for wood, this valley equals Cache Valley, but is small, being probably fifteen miles long by ten wide. Good crops of wheat have been raised there this season, but some of it was nipped by the frosts. There has been one or two set-tlements made in San Pete Valley this Summer, 140 miles south east. This valley cannot be surpassed in this region for wood, water, rich land, stone and coal. But all the three above-named valleys are situated at a great altitude, and are subject to heavy snow storms, and early and late frosts. Yet for grass and wheat-growing they promise to rank as high as any valley in this Territory.
Minersville, on the Beaver, 200 miles south, anew settlement, has also received of the benefits of eccle-siastical organization, being constituted a "ward," governed by its respective "bishop," with his "coun-selors." The chief feature of this settlement is the production of excellent lead. DELTA.
