Twelve Mormon Homes : Twelve Mormon homes visited in succession on a journey through Utah to Arizona.

Twelve Mormon Homes, page 020

cember it was dotted with herds of cattle among the sage-brush. But I could not imagine its possible loveliness at any season. At a doleful-looking ranch, PANYAN SPRINGS, where we paused to let our horses drink, a group of teamsters had kindled a fire, and stood warming themselves over it. Among them was our servant, his natural ebony turned clay-color by the icy wind that came rushing down from Mount Nebo's 12,000 feet of alti- tude. One of my boys who is of a poetic turn, pointed it out to John, meaning to say, "Grand! " "Yes, indeed," shivered John, "Dreadful! " The snowy peaks of this glorious mountain glis- tened on our horizon day after day, until we crossed the Rim of the Basin. At another watering-place, SANTAQUIN, I think, somewhat above the general level of the plain, we saw quite a number of white-topped wagons slowly toiling along the dusty track below us. Some lighter ones turned aside, as we ourselves frequently did, to drive through aromatic sage-brush. It scarcely afforded more obstruction to the wheels than grass would have done. But while we were standing at a watering-trough, up rolled one of the coaches of the Gilmore Stage line.`" I noticed the half-tipsy mirth on the countenances of the driver and of the two red-faced passengers, who were leaning out of the window watching his movements. By a skilfully-given pull of the reins, he steered his 16The Gilmer and Salisbury Stage Line provided the main means of travel be- tween the mines of Pioche, Nevada, and Salt Lake City. The peak of Pioche's prosperity came in 1872, when ore production totaled $5,462,000. The town had a maximum population of some 7,500 but began to decline by 1875. Most of the ore was freighted to Utah and most of the supplies came from Utah communities. See Reproduction of Thompson and West's History of Nevada. 1881. W!th Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, introduction by 20