Show try en route y VISIT TO THE reservation the wealth of the uintah valley landed con of hs thinking a few items jotted down on the way from the garden city to ashloc might be of interest to the readers of your valuable journal and at the same time 1 arnish you some information valuable to those who anticipate coming to this country and who are unacquainted with the rouck through ono of the rugged mountain passes of the Uinta hs to tho vile of eastern utah J send you this communication muni cation leaving provo we passed through provo canyon viewing tho grand and sublime scenery which crowns its rugged and picturesque heights arriving at william wrights ranch in he evening of may from there to the mouth of daniels creek canyon beautiful meadows smiling fields of grain and pleasant and cosy houses loom up on every side daniels creek canyon at this season of the year can b of having as good a canyon road as can be found in the territory being lined on all sides with timber wood and beautiful streams gushing forth from its mountain sides As evening came on we entered the strawberry valley the most beautiful stock range in the mountains aphis valley is about twenty five miles through from east to west and fifteen miles wide from north to south in its widest place As far us the eye could see countless numbers of stock met our gaze and on enquiry I 1 was told that not less than ten thousand head of cattle are pastured in strawberry at the present the valley being on the uintah reservation the indians have made complaints to the government and it has ordered all stockmen stoc kmen and ranchman ranchmen ranch men to remove stock and cabins off within two months any stock cabins etc belonging to white men found thereon after that time will be taken caro of by the government the stockmen stoc kmen have made it a point to lay over in this valley for the purpose of pasturage in driving through from the county to wyoming benco after july they will bo compelled to find athor summer range yet they give travelers and tourists a reasonable lime to pass through the reservation thresh springs of pure water gasn forth here aud there and through the valley the strawberry River filled with mountain trout winds its way through these beautiful dales proceeding on our journey rolling mils covered with rich pasturage mot our view and soon we entered one of ho loveliest spots in the dere some half a dozen largo deep springs water a fine meadow it is as soldier Spring shaving been named by the first company of U S cropps on their way to build up the old ashley fort As we were enjoying our evening repast tho bellow of a calf as if in distress was hoard over ho hill a short distance from camp soon from the surrounding hills were coming in all directions hundreds of attle bellowing and snorting seem angly intent upon destroying their os which was no doubt one of the arge gray wolves found in these tuat caused the stir for two days we found our way jour rugged clifus deep gorges smil tug plains and mountain streams in i he afternoon of the second day as we neared our camping ground the trees lining the banks of the duchesne Du chesno river greeted our eyes fhe provo river is a small one when compared to this mammoth abream here we found tho best of icet there being a beautiful meadow ju either sidy of the river as far as ane could see continuing on wo found an aban icicco of feed and crossed in suc deion lake fork and the uintah xaiver either of them many times arger than tho on the janks of the uintah is situated fort iii chesno where the government has rationed two companies of colored aud of white to the azary traveller this fort presents to dis vida the first house since leaving iho mouth of daniels creek canyon ii distance of more than miles for many miles up and down the mintah farming and meadow land is in abundance and on one of these the government is building i rac duchesne the fort proper can caius about acres besides farming and and target grounds in the center of the fort is their parade ground containing about sixty acres surrounded on the south by their ards stable shops guard houses aid commissary on tho east and west the privates quarters and on the orth five fine commodious two story irame houses nearing completion 0 o 10 used for the officers quarters the training ground is laid off in s iharos aud sown to grass with fine addiks ornamented on either aidy with aado trees it also contains a fine chool and hospital it is pleasing to lute that no saloon is allowed within wo kilps of the fort As wo bended wended our way towards diey wo greeted by the dusky oa eirhar bide of deep th arts converted the ri t hii i of gram they sow their beans corn squash and cereals broadcast and their enclosures aro more crooked than a rams horn you are off the reservation and enter a portion of the vale of eastern utah wo ascended a steep mountain aide reached the summit and ono of the most beautiful vales greeted our sight we looked upon dry fork a small valley on either side of the stream extending for five or six miles down the canyon this place could more appropriately be called pleasant view on account of its beautiful fields of grain and cozy homes nestling here and thare almost hid from view by the towering native cottonwood the valley contains about forty families who if they continue to improve will in a few years be independent as there is any quantity of water and some few own their own water sect wood is plentiful and within a mile of the townsite passing down the canyon not a jar of the wagon was noticeable on account of the depth of the sand still our journey was made pleasant and interesting viewing the grand scenery and rugged cliffs that tower hundreds of feet high and having the autographs of many travelers en graven thereon wo soon entered ashley valley which is about thirty miles long by twenty miles wide containing many thousand ceres of as good farming land as can bo found in utah the city of vernal ashley and the town of verdale Ei and jonson are located in this valley without any exception in this valley are to be found some of the most pleasant homes and cozy cottages in the territory and having been opened up to settlers but a short time it is in its childhood the soil is rich and tenile on new land three good crops of wheat have been grown from the one sowing the latter being volunteer and averaging a yield of twenty bushels per acre many of the farmers raise good crous of small grain without any plowing and very little cultivation wheat oats corn and lucern are the principle products corn and lacem taking the lead for miles and miles great fields of lucern rich fields of grain pleasant and happy faces greet the view as one but admire the garden of the east or the vale of the about families have settled down and seem engaged in honest toil still there is room for many more and I 1 may be safe in assorting there will be five times as many inhabitants ere ten years roll around judging from the flooding of the fields and roads water is in abundance summer and winter range is plentiful and stock come out in the spring looking well countless numbers of the finny tribe abound in green eiver of which tho white fish is king and many times they have been caught weighing from twenty five to forty five pounds they are mostly taken by set hooks bated with spring chicken and frog meat it sometimes happens that the family catch more of the monsters than they can well use at a time without cutting them up and salting them down they then stake them out in the river with a small rope A lady at green eiver ferry caught a fish so large that she could not land it alone but she managed to haul it into the mud and knelt upon it until assistance arrived another woman in attempting to cut one up for dinner placed it upon the table but no sooner did the dainty feel the keen edge of the knife than the woman felt sensation in her side which informed her that the fish was master of the situation it dealt her such a heavy blow with its tail that it eked her almost down the fish flopped off the table on the floor ho was cheated of her prize for dinner and it was king until the arrival of help the flesh of the fish is i fat oily and very delicious in flavor tasting much like trout yet putting jou in i one who is used to rating the common trout bild open wide their mouth in wonder and astonishment to see the cook cut up a white fish with the saw and ax reminding one of the butcher carving his steak as one cat through the round a will fill a common sized frying pan you can enjoy your repast without fear of swallowing a fish bone and sending hate ha te for a doctor this may adum rather fishy but to anyone doubting my statement all they need do to be convinced is to take a trip to ashley and test it for himself one of the biggest bonanzas of silver in otah has this month been found by sidney boisley Wo isley D bunnell and others this discovery has caused much excitement in this part anoy seem to think it is a lead from which float has been picked up that is worth thousands and there has been a rich company from the east hunting for the same for a year or so mr one of the company who prospected the first mine in tin tic the value of this ontario is not at present known still it is sufficient city with enough of the precious metal to give it a thorough in the assayers furnace any quantity of good coal is round in close proximity to vernal and delivered from 3 to ia per ton mines of asphaltum and a substance bub stance much like gutta percha is found in al 1 most a pure state with the natural advantages and the fine resources of the county it is bound to loom up and the people hopu the day is not far in the future aheu they may hear the snort of the iron horse thus placing them on a footing equal to the interior counties from vernal to green river distance of fifteen miles are been nestling hero and there the prospects of the finest homes in bitah the people aleju sac beginning to improve their land and time by setting out fruit trees looking forward to the day when they can supply their own market with fruits and bernes consequently nursery men have been doing a good business thero is a mar keafor anything and everything the farmers produce and at a good figure wheat finds a ready asale al sl per bushel oats from to 3 per cat cwt corn at to lucerne at 10 pur ton ham 20 cents bacon 18 sugar sells at 12 cents coffee 35 cent 25 cents and other things in proportion laborers are in good demand at 3 per day and cow boys from 10 to 75 per month to one who is living from hand to mouth as it were depending upon days wages tal e a trip to the vale ef eastern ant your shoulder to the wheel in honest toil and you will triumph it may seem hard at first yet through perseverance and proper use of brain and muscle you can come out the victor W W B uintah co utah june 8 1889 |