| Show THE TSE SAN S JUAN UAN COUNTY alimi SPRINGS IA ta platta county ounh col A t sept ep ath ISSO 1880 president john taylor a dear I 1 brother we wel left the san juan river this morning and travelled miry WIRY ty miles east here we I 1 strike an nn old road noad coming from the I 1 dolorus running ruthg south to the man alan cos and then southeasterly to q san juan again which is our rout and after again crossing the sif sir juan in new mexico our route e 1 Y south and southwesterly I 1 by bv I 1 j kv gate Savoia savola laud and zuna to st J joh jot on the little colorado wh which eb t about 1250 miles from this p pia pla 0 we have trave traveled bad had about 30 miles U the san juan visited the t 1 settlements settlement our people eo e C cal eal T bluin bluff city and montezuma sit situ bitu 18 miles apart the former five mi I 1 below the mouth of the eca P creek and the latter two miles iles lles a s the mouth of the montezuma 1 0 find the bottoms along thee the ri riu rit 1 t varying in width from one ha half halt one mile and in some places h ia C up the river widening out to a nj and alid a half halo extensive cottone cotto nw t groves in places placers and generally 1 ered cred with sunflowers sun flowers grease wa I 1 rabbit brush sagebrush and d brush ot of luxuriant growth de rich alluvial soil the bench berich la and adjacent hills covered ith gil gir not of a very h eavy growth anil anal an places extensive forests of ca ce 1 and pinion pine and a fair bupp saw tim timber berof of easy eagy access ini idl bide blue Mountains 30 to 50 mile mil anat anaf from where the river enters T 11 near its southeast corner to v x it enters boic boie canyon 15 mite low bluff city is perhaps from froma 60 miles andis and is capable if thel the was properly utilized of a population equal to that of or vii vil n ington kane and iron counties the climate is mild similar toi tol of and adapted to a 4 g variety of arul fruits Ls grains grins and ve vers vess bles we vvo saw growing some eli ell ea lent wheat corn and cane tho from various bariou causes muses our breth railed to inise laise a general crop Z did nou not reach their desti destin naw alki april las lasts t and th then en sea scattered t terel t labors too much and through gAh of or experience were not able to tae tai troi the waters of the river SUM to save all tile tiie crops they put in aar of about so 80 men and boys who on to th the e river we found only anlyn 25 remaining some 80 30 ha having boned the mission altogether er the balance either returned ned boffl bo h 0 their families or went to the sih lih ral rai or mining towns in southern rado to work for supplies ah thi row guage g railroad is app them from the east is now en the continental divi divided dein ex expect of reaching city 1001 looi from san juan bythe by the end I 1 of year we ave ordained brother jens son bishop at bluff city and decker jr to preside at nion monte and appointed elder platted man to assist president as smith to tike nho the general pr prea over the saints on the ssan sanji ius ins I 1 11 s a absence abse n ce we I 1 left ee ff tt ww with I 1 tt bb tl letter of instruction a we send you herewith and proved by you would s suggest be sent to the NEWS nav together this tilis for publication puah cation for the I 1 h lon ton of the ahsen absen t m embers c mission and others interested in your brethren inn in thee the gos E ERASTUS RASTUS ssta snow yori instructions TO SAN JUA JUA TIERS eiers MONTEZUMA 1 ON TF zuma san juan conj co 1 september ath 50 I president sita sila oflas silas S smith B P leinan tiL ithe athe the fhe saints and called tb 6 locate on I 1 fuai juar kear tear brethren Bretl iren after the facilities for settlements settlement river and for grazing and t til th this is county we feel to conc cong you on being the pioneers i ing up this region for edil ein eln and for the establishment ot of cal missionary labor among ta t and cavajos nava Kava jos this being ced cen D neutral ground between ther then foresee and confidently flourishing nourishing towns and this stream and numerous nume roli roii and herds beloi belot belonging ging to the tbt upon the adjacent hills already done much in open e Int into othis this region fro from in tb the on the southwest front from G GB ley on the north by way of mountains and from Es the west across the grand i 0 the colorado and we ho hope P to see a route opened by ff henry mountains into valley vailey thence to salina mains yet to be done and i ab able abie I 1 e as fast as practicable tl tb should be made along this I 1 der the cliffs to facilitate facilitate ea muni cation with the var van bottoms in the bends of tb while the indians I 1 friendly fhi fil endly and satisfied aotis hotis fied fled vid via forts foresto to establish settlements here yet t with the unsettled condition of 9 indian dian dlan affairs in Ca lorado and new yew mexico with the well known fact that there are small smail predatory banis of renegade indians liable to prey upon de fenceless persons 43 as 43 well as lawless adventurers from froin among amon the whites we therefore deem it a matter of common prudence that in the incipient stages of your youn settlements here your temporary dwellings should be in close proximity to each I 1 other and where practicable prat e we would recommend that you build in the form of a hollow square and close up spaces between your dwellings with stockade and when your farms have been brought under cultivation ti your irrigation canals made mills for making himber lumber and flour built built bulit so that you can begin permanent buildings build ings upon your to town w n lots jots your temporary dwellings will p still till be useful for tor the accommodation of new settlers the climate and soil so upon this streams we deem all that could be desired your chief difficulty will vill be how to arrange your water sects seel 41 flood gates wing dams or other contrivances tri vances for cont controlling roling the waters of this fluctuating stream but experience gained by a few failures will enable you to accomplish it let none be discouraged or abandon the enter enterprise prise prize let all your energies be directed primarily towards thi th ehlend send lend that you may raise produce for the sustenance of ot yourselves and families and a littie little to sell to others you will best accomplish tips by contenting yourselves with small tracts of land at first say about ten 10 aeres acres to the man aud and farm compact thus concentrating ug your labor jabor as the tile surest way of success there will be ample room for expansion after these first successes have been jeen achieved this fall fail an d coming winter winten should be devoted to clearing up and leveling upon lands making water ditches and preparing for putting in seeds as early as practicable some whip saws should be started to secure the lumber for doors windows floors etc I 1 for your temporary dwellings and for schoolhouses school houses one of which should be provided and schools opened therein this f fall till in each eacil of the settlements of bluff city and aud montezuma let no man think of scattering or locating families upon farms or claims isolated from their thein tb ein eln brethren or of abandoning the posts to which they have been appointed appoint edor or of going at the tho th e beck and call of unauthorized individuals in search of other othen locations not yet yeb appointed or consecrated for the tile catherin gathering ga therin of saints and while it is necessary to seek employment on the r railroads or elsewhere to procure procuro needed supplies lies lles let not each man start out on an C his is own volition and operate singly but jet working parties be organized under the counsel of the presiding onn off leers s to take jobs procure and send in supplied supplier iles lieg for their own and other families in your camps while a nil all I 1 the rest remain at home 1 improving marov your tour farms and doing other home homo h me labors both for themselves and those sent to earn and haul in their supplies we moat earnestly invite all who have absented themselves from the mission as well weli as i those thoe who have returned homeard home and those who are working for supplies to return to their post of duty auty as soon as practicable nor for their jabors labors here during tiie the fall and winter are necessary to secure successful cropping next season our crop i raised grouping anla and abla a saw and grist mill which we ard at wilt will be set sot in operation next year and there will be no further trouble in obtaining the tho necessary colonez colonizers i ers in this boulay county and instead of 50 60 men as at pre present tent sant we believe there thele will wilf soon boon be or more elder platte D lyman layman is approve approve 1 ed as prest smiths smith s first counselor and assistant and especially assigned to duty in this county to direct the movements movement sAn and carry put the counsels herein gi venis venus is far as wt practicable and we enjoin earnest and faithful efforts to this end care should be bo take enthat no families be bo located on bends of the tho river liable to be overflowed or near the tile mouth of any wash where sudden cload cloudbursts or mountain floods would endanger their safety nor should men or boys be allowed to roam in the flie mountains or far away from your settlements alone and unarmed lest jest they be pounced upon by some ma indians who wh 0 having been exasperated by the acts of u unprincipled white men are i I 1 ever liable to wreak vengeance upon the first de fenceless pale f face ae they meet countenance no man among you in attempts to speculate upon land clam clai claims m s thereby discouraging new settlers but every egery an s entitle entitled to the u reward dof of his labors and improvements upon land landane lan ian dand and your claims should be bo held subject sub j act to appropriation and use for tor the benefit of actual sett leip under the advice ad vice vlee and coun sel of the presidency here just compensation pensa tion being g allowed for all improvements prove ments ve bless bro lyman as well as prest smith and all saints who sustain their thor efforts in in carrying out these counsels that peace and prosperity fellowship and love may abound unto you all through the grace of our lord jesus christ amen we remain your brethren in christ ERASTUS SNOW YOUNG of the quorum of apostles and presidency of the church of jesus christ of latte latter rd saints |
