LETTER FROM SALT LAKE
[FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 26th.
A Great Change.
The change in this city within the past twelve months marks a new era in the history of. Utah. A year ago business was at a stand-still. The completion of the overland railroad had cut off markets for produce which bad been the great source of revenue for the Territory, and four seasons of grasshopper ravages had left several counties in a condition which neces sitated their largely importing flour and grain. To purchase this there was little money in cir-culation, and the prospect was an exceedingly gloomy one. Merchants were doing compara-tively nothing, for though the advantage of re-duced freights enabled them to offer goods much cheaper than in previous years, buyers were few because money was scarce. The streets of this city—except on Saturdays—were as silent as those of a New England vil-lage on a Sunday ; and even the occasional ar-rival of a rush of visitors from the East and West scarcely made a ripple on the flow of daily existence. Now bustling life and activity are everywhere. Houses are being rushed up, one new street is nearly built and another about to be opened; old shanties that did duty as small stores are being pulled down, and pre-tentious fire-proof buildings are being erected as additions to the principal structures on East Temple street, the commercial center of the city. This change is due to the numerous mineral discoveries, and rapid development of
The Mines,
which are attracting great numbers of capi-talists from the East and West California and Nevada are largely represented here, and one meets by the score faces well known in every leading mining district of both States. Incor-porations for mining and tunneling purposes are almost of daily occurrence, and the amount of capital—real and nominal—thus represented, runs away up extensively into the millions. Although there have been very exaggerated re-ports given to the world of the mineral wealth of certain districts and mines in this Territory, there is no doubt that Utah is exceedingly rich in mineral deposits. New districts are being organized, and fresh discoveries, some of them of considerable importance, are reported al-most every day. Little Cottonwood, with its Emma, Flagstaff, Montezuma, Savage, and other rich mines, still holds a leading position, and the shipments from it will be very large through the Summer. During the past week over 1,200,000 pounds of ore were shipped east and west, passing over the Utah Central Railroad, principally from Little Cottonwood. Tintic and Camp Floyd furnished a portion; and East Canyon also shipped across the Salt Lake, by steamer City of Corinne, probably 150,000 pounds more. The Ophir district, in East canyon, sixty-five miles west of this city, attained a wide notoriety some time ago for discoveries of horn silver; and it was thought by numbers that the unusual richness of the deposits there would make it the leading dis-trict in the Territory. Within a couple of months past, however, Eureka Hill, Tintic. about ninety miles southwest of this city, has outrivaled it in this particular, and a number of exceedingly rich mines are being developed in that region. Of course, claim owners in each district declaim strongly in favor of their own locality, and contend that theirs is to be par excellence, the district of the Territory, but with fresh discoveries being made east, west, north and south, and with development reveal-ing great mineral wealth where but little was expected, it is a hazardous speculation to yet predict concerning the ultimate superiority in point of wealth of any one district over an-other. So intimately associated with mining that they cannot be separated, is prospective litigation on conflicting claims ; and just here comes in the statement of a heavy fight com-menced concerning:
The Judiciary.
The initial and ground-work of the struggle is the Emma mine, for which there are claim-ants enough in the shape of present holders, alleged original locators and purchasers of title, to give a goodly share of its undoubted wealth to members of the bar. One branch of the case know as the Lyon claim on it, was before Chief Justice McKean last Summer, who re-fused an injunction sought, and declined to ap-point a receiver. Lyon is well sustained and appears again in the field; and a San Francisco incorporation also shows light against the present possessors; while there are parties who hang on to one wing or the other expecting a share of the spoils their particular wing should sweep their adversaries out of the way. But the opposition to those now holding the mine unite on one point—an effort to have at least two of the present Judges removed, on the ground that they are susceptible of being bought, or have been bought to give decisions in a certain direction, and in favor of the pres-ent possessors. I would neither be doing jus-tice to the parties interested, nor the public, by taking a position in favor of either side. A committee representing heavy California and Nevada capitalists have gone east to lay the matter before President Grant; and Governor Woods has also gone East to support the claims of the judiciary to be retained in position. The first hold that they can show the existence of corruption tainting the judiciary; that one Judge—McKean—has acquired an interest in mining property by questionable means, and himself appointed another Judge—Strickland—to try the case. Also, that the decisions ruling out the Mormon officers of court virtually placed the results of important suits in the hands of one man—the United States Marshal—who selects what manner of juries he pleases. This is held to be an open invitation tor cor-ruption and bribery, and the position taken is, that McKean and Strickland should be removed. On the other band Governor Woods, it is said, has taken with him rebutting testimony to show that the mining transactions referred to were all honest, upon and free from suspicion, and that the present Judges are eminently fit and proper men to hold the positions now filled by them. This fight over the judiciary is an im-portant one, for there are claims in litigation, besides, the Emma mine, involving large amounts of money, and the business of the courts has practically been at a stand still since March. Both sides are confident of victory, and the telegraph and mail have been largely used by both, with a view to influence the powers that be in Washington—or Long Branch.
The Senators from Nevada.
Stewart and Nye are working strongly for the removal of McKean and Strickland, and if suc-cessful there is expected to be a pretty general upheaval among Federal officials here, the Gov-ernor and Marshal being included in the pro-posed decapitation. Senator Stewart was the recipient of a complimentary dinner on Friday evening, given by the Nevadans in town, and intended for him and Senator Wye, but the latter gentleman did not arrive in time to participate. There was no allusion to the difficulty in any of the speeches, but it was considered by many significant that none of the federal officials were present, except United States Attorney Hempstead, who was there as an old Califor-nian. It was a pleasant reunion and called forth plenteous utterances of liberal sentiment, in which Mormon and Gentile were invited to be good friends and neighbors. This "onpleas-antness" concerning the Judges is evidently going to interfere with the programme of
The Liberal Party
at the coming election in August, as the recog-nized leaders of that party are strongly pro-ju-dicial and committed against removal. If they could bury difficulties and present in an un-broken front all the Gentiles in the Territory at election day, the contest would, beyond all question, be the strongest yet made in Utah ; but at present there seems little prospect of their so doing. There is also to be a double, beaded celebration of the Fourth, one being got up by the leaders of the Liberal party, which is recognized as au anti-Mormon affair; the other by the municipal authorities, the commit-tee for which is composed of four Mormons and three Gentiles, making a kind of broad gauge fraternization. The committees for both cele-brations are energetic in their efforts to make each a success, and the likelihood is that a fair show of strength will be made by both.
General.
The UNION was the first journal, not pub-lished in this city, to give to the world the act passed by the Utah Legislature conferring the suffrage on women. As an addendum to this, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are to lecture in the Tabernacle on woman suf-frage on Thursday night. How they will bold forth on suffrage to women who possess the elective franchise is yet to be seen, but they will likely get a large audience.
The Utah Southern Railroad is making fair progress. A train of excursionists passed over it on Saturday evening, six miles south, as far ; as the rails are laid. In a few weeks it will be-gin to tap the nearest mines, and by Winter ores from Camp Floyd, Tintic, American Fork and other districts will be carried over it. This line will do as much to aid in the development of the mining regions in Central Utah as any other agency that could be brought into use.
Brigham Young, Delegate Hooper and a party of ladies and gentlemen left this morning to spend a short time at Soda springs, in Idaho, a few miles north of the boundary line dividing that Territory from Utah.
The weather has been warmer this season than usual, and there has not the same quantity of rain fallen as during the same period of any year since 1866; The crop prospects are good, however, and although grasshoppers have done damage in several counties north and south, the harvest will be heavier than it has been for five years. U.
