| OCR Text |
Show UTAH ARGENTIFERA. 169 road, built by Rowland & Aspinwall, to transport ore, runs down the canon and out to the Utah Southern ; so that the traveler can reach the head of this canon by rail from Salt Lake City. There a rich gold lode has lately been discovered, and there is a prospect of big developments in that direction. The silver ores are mainly car-bonates ; transportation is vastly cheapened, and low grade ores can be worked profitably. East of American Fork, over a very rugged range of peaks, is the Snake Creek District. The creek empties into the Provo River, and most of the mining has been done by the Mormon farmers from the valley below, who go up and mine only in the intervals of farm work. Such workmen develop a camp very slowly, and the Mormons gener-ally, except those from mining regions in Europe, are singularly de-ficient in ability for the business. The student in social science might find here some curious matter for reflection, in the way the two classes are located in Utah. The Gentiles are on the hills, the Saints in the valleys; and along a single street in the old Mormon towns the ore wagons pass to and fro. and the tide of Gentile travel ebbs and flows, making scarcely any impression upon the slow and sleepy Europeans. Occasionally you will see a Gentile located - in one of these places; but he is always keeping a way- side hotel or restau-rant, and looks singularly out of place. Without church, school, or society, his sole interest centers in the Gentile travelers. If able, financially, he sends his children to boarding- school in the city ; if not, they get an education as they can catch it. His neighbors charge him about a third more for produce than they do each other, and never patronize him in return. The rules of the " Order of Enoch " are that a Saint can sell to a Gentile, but must not buy of him. The city council for every village is incorporated in Utah always charges, him the largest license they think he will endure, always raising it if the trade increases ; and thus some of these little gov-ernments are almost supported by the Gentile travelers. Eastern orators and editors frequently ask why we don't feel more kindly towards the Latter- day Saints. It is singular, isn't it? I went next to the Western Districts. Passing the southern point of the lake, where the Oquirrh leaves barely room for a broad wagon-road, we enter upon Tooele Valley, eastern section of Tooele County. This county contains 7,000 square miles, and not more than a hundred sections of cultivable land ! Of the rest, one- third or more consists of mountains, rugged and barren, or scantily clothed with timber and grass ; and 4000 square miles of the worst desert in the world. But it |
