Life among the Mormons, and a march to their Zion, to which is added a chapter on the Indians of the plains and mountains of the West, by an officer of the U.S. Army.

Life among the Mormons, and a march to their Zion, to which is added a chapter on the Indians of the plains and mountains of the West, by an officer of the U.S. Army - Page 83

AND A RIDE IN A SNOW- STORM. 61 country, is the shortness of the seasons, and the very un certain weather of the spring and early autumn. Garden vegetables cannot be cultivated with much hope of uniform success. Some seasons, as the last, for instance, are so fav orable, that almost any vegetable raised in Ohio might be raised here ; but the probability is that for several succeed ing years the late and early frosts would destroy all that might be planted. The sutler now confines his crops to oats and hay ; and even his oat crop was a failure in ' 65, though the yield is so large, that if a ready sale could be made at the present rates, the failure of an entire crop every fourth year would still make it profitable farming. The Bridger reservation has other resources than agri cultural. Three miles from the Fort may be quarried, in any quantity desired, a silicious limestone well adapted for building purposes. As found, it is in regular layers of uni form thickness, and the great blocks or slabs, as taken from the quarry, look as if they had been wrought into shape by the chisel and mallet of the mason. When first removed, the stone is soft, and very easily dressed, but on exposure to the weather for a short time, becomes very hard. There are already several buildings at this post partially constructed of this stone ; and Major Grimes, the Post Quartermaster at Camp Douglas, who is also Supervising Quartermaster at this post, has submitted to the Quartermaster- General, plans and specifications for a very elaborate garrison to be built of it. Iron ore is found in the vicinity, and perhaps abounds on the reservation ; and coal likewise. About twenty miles distant is a large flowing spring of petroleum, with indica tions of its existence in unlimited quantities in the country around. Within two miles of the post are large beds of gypsum, which might be easily calcined and converted into plaster of Paris on the spot ; and about twelve miles to the south is a forest of heavy timber. Almost the entire re servation might be irrigated from the two streams that run through it, while these streams could also be turned to account, by furnishing water- power for mills.