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Show 247 ment, and it was doubtful, when he last reported to President Young, that Meadow Valley could even be irrigated. Yet the prophet was satisfied. Meadow Valley was tbe place that Dame had praised highly in his May 3 report to Young, when he declared, "Tbe prospects are bright before us." Notwithstanding the positive tone of the earlier report, Brigham Young bad been unhappy with it. Paradoxically, after receiving the later, negative findings of Bean and Dame, Young was able to write to Bishop Tarleton Lewis of Cedar City that "late reports from bros' Dame and Bean are highly satisfactory, demonstrating that there are places undesirable to all who value earthly comforts and riches above the blessings flowing from obedience to the gospel." ' (Italics mine.) The reason for Brigham Young's change of heart is obvious. The White Mountain Expedition had not found the refuge he had declared to exist in his "Sebastopol" speech where 500,000 people could live. In fact, if the Utah people had no other options but to escape to the deserts they would have been in serious trouble. Brigham Young was not happy with the discoveries on the western deserts; he was happy because he believed he could almost certainly negotiate his way out his present difficulties at this point. His references to the success of tbe expedition were merely face-saving devices. The expedition had failed to find the oases of Barney Ward and John C. Fremont, and he knew it. |