OCR Text |
Show IN CASTLE VALLEY. r t Besermtioa or the Tarioas Wards or the Emery Stake or Zioa, CorreipoBducc ct the Dnzarr Xiws.) For the purpose of making a tour through tbe Emery Stake of Zion In the interest of Church history, I left Salt Lake City ontbeoth Inst, and arrived at Price station (125 miles from the city) In the evening. Next morning In trim-panyvvlthPrest. trim-panyvvlthPrest. Geo. Q. Cannon and Elder John Morgan, who had arrived during the night, I cou-tlnued cou-tlnued tbe journey by team (Dis'iop Geo. Franden, of Price taking us in Ills carriage) to Orangeville, a distance of 32 miles, where we attended at-tended tho Stako quarterly confer-ence confer-ence on that and the following day. After the conference Prest. Cannon and Elder Morgan returned home and I preceded to gather historical information concerning the Eo.ery Stake of Zion. In visiting tbe various wards and selliemenU for that purpose I have held meetings with the Saints in nearly everj place nnd have had a good time generally. LastSuuday evening I also spoke to a respectable congregation congre-gation of Saints and strangers in Castle Gate, a mining town In Price Cauyou, nnd yesterday attended a ward conference! at Spring Gleu, where theStaku Prrsloeuiy was in attendance, and today, Iu connection with that Presidency and ilthoja Geo. Franden of Price, and H. J. Slowed of Spring Glen, I attended the ward conference at Wellington on which occasion tbe Bishopric ot that new ward was mado complete by the setting apart of Gj.V. kJdredge toa;tas ilrst and Robert A. Huydcr as second counselor to Bishop A. C. McMullen. In these ward conferences much good and practical Instruction was given suitable for the circumstances surrsunding tho Stints In this new country, nnd the Spirit of God wis poured out In a great measure upon all present causing the hearts of tliebaluts to rejoice exceedingly. After the afternoon meeting todav Prest. C. G. Laren an I his counselors coun-selors (Orangu Seely aud William Howard) returned to their homes in Castle Diloand Huntlngtou, aud 1 returned to Price, where, iu the hospitable home of Bishop Geo. Fraudseu, 1 am finishing my historical his-torical gleanings as regards the Ktnery otake, preparatoo to leaving for other larta of tho country. The Emery Stake of Zion embraces em-braces nearli all of Emerv County, Utah, and consists of eleven organized organ-ized wards, which, named In geographical geo-graphical order, commencing from the north, nuge as follows: (spring Glen, Price, clllngton, Cleveland, Huntlngtou, Lawreuce, Ca-tle Dale, Orangeville, Ferron, Molen and Mudiy. Three of thee settlement are situated on Price River, thrts. ou or near Huntington Creek, t.vo on Cottonwood Creek, two on Ferrou Creek and one an Muddv Creek, all in what is generally known as Castle Valley. Tills valley has well defined boundaries on the west and north where lotty rrouu-tains rrouu-tains separato It from other val!es ani tracUof country, but on the cast and south it extends into an almost unexplored region so far tint even the eirllest settlers here are unable to define its boundaries. It Is, in fact, an opui country, traversed by low mountain ranges barren hills, deep gulches auJ washes, etc, and In many places it Isnbsolutcly Impassable for teams. Even men on horseback often cu-countergreatditllcultlesi cu-countergreatditllcultlesi In getting through, audinsomo Instances are com elled to travel a distance of tweuty fivo miles or more in order to advance tiro miles in a straight line. Bat In the western part of the villey, near the eastern base of the Wasatch mountains, where all the settlements are located, there are oiminrati vely line tracts of cou ntry, which after befog brought under cultivation, ran mist properlrbe termed an oasis in the desert. Generally Gen-erally speaking, Castlo Valley is nioru suited fur pastura! than agricultural agri-cultural pursuits. Still the people Iiave mvlr, and are now making, faming a decided success, as In many instauces the amount of grain raised r acre comtnres very fivorably with that producni in the mnt fertile parts of our Territory. The eulturcof bets has, of latej ears, been proven to be a very successful Industry uni it is now generally acknowledged tint Casllu Vsliej produces tho best honey Iu Utih, an I erhips the best iu tho United States. Asnu txamnleof whatcan be dona as regards quantity I may state that during the past summer ISrothtrCtleb B. P.hoaJesof Price-pmduced Price-pmduced .j,"!.! founds of honey from 22 stands of bees. Noah T. (Juymin of OringevIIle, and John Zcihlen of Ferrou, have been nearly tqually successful in their bee culture the prefer t season. The greit natural wealth of Castle Valley, however, seems to be its imraecsecoal fields. The coal is foun 1 in incxhaustable quantities in the several ciuyoru in the mountains moun-tains wet. The veins, so fir discovered, dis-covered, ranges from ix to eleven feet In thickness nnd the coal is of the most excellent quihty. Hut until un-til rail wav s shall have been huilt to the different I Hers where these immense coal deposits have been discovered they are of course comparatively com-paratively valueless, except for local consumption. The Saints iu Castlo Valley h tvu mado greit progress during tho last few years, and their towns and villages begin to as. ne the app-ir-ancu of comfort and prosiierity. More settlers, however, are needed aud anyone iu need of a bom i who Is not afraid to face the hard-hips and dangers of a new ctuutry. will be made heartily welcome by tho people of this valley. Castle Dale.pleasantly situited on the north bank of tho Cottouwood Creek. 3J miles southwest of Price, the nearest railwav station. Is thu headquarters of the Emery (stake and the county seat of Emery County. It contains tbe best flouring flour-ing mill In the county, and the only one, except the littlo Pioneer mill at Orangeville on the same creek (Cot tonwood). Castle Dale has 53 families fam-ilies belonging to tbe Church and a few non members. Hennlng Olseii Is Button. A new meeting house, which, when completed, will b the most oomm Iious public building in the county, is in course of erectiou, and will probably be completed next spring. Vveo of the Stako Presidency Presi-dency ( President C. G. Larsen and his first counselor, Orange tscelej) reside in this place. Orangeville is the other town on Cottonwood Creek. It is situated about three miles west of Castlo Dale, not far from the mouth of Cottonwood Canyon, in which vcrj extensive coal fields haso beeudis covered. There is considcraote talk lust now about constructing a railway rail-way from point on Price illver to these mines. Orangeville can boast of having produced more fruit, so far, than any other settlement in Emery County, and is also surrounded sur-rounded by some choice forming tends. This town has 00 families belonging to tbe Church, over whom Jasper Kibe r.son presides as Bishop. He is also probate Juige of the county. Ferron, a fine little (own on Ferrou Creek, is reached by traveling travel-ing Hi miles iu a southwesterly direction from Castle Dale. The town is situated on the north bank of tbe creek on a hill side sloping gently to the south. Across tbe creek, south of the townsite, is a compact body of good farming land. Ferron has the finest and most commodious meeting-house (known as the Social Hall) in the Emery Stake, anda numberof comfortable private residences. The strength of the Saints here is 63 families', and Frederick Olsen, A nutn of sterling qualities, is tbe Bishop. Threo. miles east of Ferron Is Molen, an outgrowth of Ferron. Itia a pleasant little neighborhood, and the townsite Is situated on the north side of Ferron Creek, sear where the old Gunnison trail crosses that stream. There ia seme of the beat farming land in the county, bat as thequantityis very limited csvalso wa'er whcrcKlth to irrigate it, Molen will perhaps neve? become a very large place. LymanS.Beacb, with H. I. Itisinux-eu and Hans GVTTansen, pnaldrs as Bishop over theWfamllltsofSalu'swlu reside here. After traveling Id miles through a genuine desert country broken and desolate: in a southwest, eriy direction) the townsite of Emery (formerly catled Muddy) is reached. It Is situated in the north end of n large valley extending ton ard the Fish Like Mountains o j the south. From here the lofty peaks of tho Heury Mountains are also seen toward the southeast. To convey the water of Muddy Creek onto tl e lands where Emery is sltusUd a long aud expensive canal had to be constructed, which for a distance of 121) feet is tunnelled through a inotibUin ridge. This was done ct an cxpenco of nearly $5J,(KM. And as tho community which had to do this Immense labcr was poor, It has Indeed Leen a heavy task. But It his been accomplished, ac-complished, and the prospects before be-fore the enterprising ltop-'e of Emery are now very bright com-iisissl com-iisissl fn viliat thpvweren few vears ago. The Emery Waid numbers PJ families ofhaluts, and Wm. G. Petty, ocu of the founders of Pelty-ville, Pelty-ville, Smpcte County, presides hero as Bishop. Lawrence, named in honor of C. G. Larsen, PresiJeutof the Emery stake, Is a village and farming dls trict situated ou Huntington Creek, eight and one half miles northeast of Castle Dale. To it lias the rcpu-1 latum of being the best grain i reducing re-ducing district iu ttto county. Iu i ISSS 13,00-J bushels of small grain ' w?s racd iu this littlo settlement, whicli numbers only taentv four families. .No other settlement iu the Stake, even tho-e much larger, produced an amount equal to that. Calvin W. Moore, formerly a member mem-ber cf tbo Mornijn" B ittalion, is tbe Bishop of Lawrence. Ward. Huntington, the mttroiolls of Euiery County, Is pleasautl) situated situat-ed on the uortli tank ot Huntlngtou Huntlng-tou Creek, ulno and out half miles northeast of Cistle Dale, surrounded surround-ed by good farming laiiJ. This growing town is the home of 133 amities of Latter-day taints, presided pre-sided over by Bishop Ciiarhs PuM-pher, PuM-pher, a son of the late President Zelatl Pulsipher. Here nlso reside Henry Harriinac, one of the first seven President, ot the Seventh"-, now over eight six years of age, Geo. W. Johnson, another Church veteran, Wm. Hiward, second Counselor iu tno Stake PresUency, aud others of prominence and note. A finemeetiug house Is hero alsj In course of erection, and tho town is.fastas-umliig tho appearance ot comfort nnd wealth. Northeast of Huntington Is a line open tract of country, said to bo the fine t iu tbecuuutv,in Iheiuldituf wh.eli tho settlement knowu as Cleveland is jleasiiitly situated, die recently surveyed townsite ou whi li the jcotle are uowTs iariiig to build, is seven miles northeast north-east of Huntington, but as jet tbe settlers live iua very scattered cou-dittou cou-dittou on their rLjpcctivo quarter sections. They number thirty families fam-ilies of Saints and havo recentlv been orgauized uto a ward, v. hit i.ars P. Oveou, a man of enterprise aud ability, as Bishop. To convey tbe water of Huntington Creek onto the farming lands ot Cleveland, a canal, fifteen milta long, had tube -cons ructed, at a cost of oo,UOO. Price, ou the Itlo Grande Western Railway, U fivorably situates! on thu north bank of Price liner, 1J5 miles from Salt Lake City ami twenty two miles northeast of Hun tlngtou. The Mormon" population popula-tion of Priie Ward, con-l-lluij of forty-five families reside mostly on the townsite near the r.til.vaj station, sta-tion, aud nru commencing to feel more co ufortable and su'isllui than formerly. Ithasrojulred considerable consider-able hardship and eueriry to redeem this part of the county front its desert sterility, liut through iere-veranceand iere-veranceand latiencu the object has been accomplished, nnd Price now has the appearance of comfort and enterprise. This is the sblpiiog polut for tho whole country Ijlng southward, and also tothegoveru-msit tothegoveru-msit post situated nliicn milts to the northeast. George 1'raudzi.n, lite of Mount Pleasant, &nti;te County, presides as Bishop over the Price Ward. Wellington, named fur Ju-tus iVelllngton Seel-j, Jr, oue of the early settlers and leading men of Umery County, is a scattered -Ulo-meut lying on b- til sides of Price Itlver "below Price Station. The tonnsltc, which was parti surveved yesterday, is on the i.orlh side oi the river, about six miles southeast of Price. The ieof!e intend to build on it at once, aud move together as fan as possible. JeHVrwn Tid-well Tid-well Is the pioneer settler of this part of the country, which now his thirty-three families oi felines, J resided re-sided over by Bishop Albeit I.. Mc MulIIit. This wanl is an outgrowth or the Price Wan! Spring Glen is another outgrow In of the Price Ward, f tcontilrs all thcSaln s ( 3 f .ruilits) residing in and below "r.to t'anjon. The recently re-cently survej cJ tow n-dto Is sittiiir-d in t fine cove on theeast sidu of the river, six milea northwest of Price Station, and i ntniberof then tilers have already built on it, although the canal which Is to convey the water of Price Itivcroi to the . tn aad surrounding lamiiug Iimls, is not yet completed. The cost of constructing con-structing ald ctinal wl 1 tierhip amount to S13,fl or moiv, as it mustbs tunrcled part of the was, through a rocky ridge. But ns this luunil which is .tn feet long is uearly completed, the water will perhaps le brought on to thi- lauds for which it Is inteii led m xt spring About six mlls above Spring Glen townsite is the mining tOAii of Cestle Gate, which has S rttn' I.tlo exi'tenceduringthulittnoyciM. j Here coal mining ami coke burning is carried on already ou a lirge s-ale, and about five hundred men nre cmp'oyid. The neks and mines belong to the Pleasant Valley Mining CjTirani and Is sji crlntended by Mr. '-harp son of ltisbop John Sharp, of Salt Lake City. Among the men employed em-ployed by the omp ny are quite a number of brethren who htve recently been orgiii'z-! into n branch of the Church unler the Presidency of Wm T. Ijamp'i as a part of the Spring Glen Ward" Itrgulir meetings and Sundiy schonls, which are often vMted by strangers employ esl at the mints', are held every Sabbath, nndcverv-thing nndcverv-thing poiuts in the direction of n Ward being organlzsd hrre in tho near future. A"DItlV JENsO-V. Plticn, Emery County, N S , November 25, 1S03. |