Show IN THE SEVIER VALLEY richfield sevier county july oth 1886 INCIDENTS OF PAST AND SITUA TION OF THE PRESENT between fayette where my first letter was dated and gunnison Gunni sou sanpete county is a dry bench about live miles across from which can be seen mt baldy arid and the range of mountains near beaver city atter after going over this bench the view opens on orchards and verdant fields stretching away to the southward along the sevier valley during 11 the indian hostilities of twenty years year sago ago the town Gunnison of ot afforded a secure shelter from the savages to the residents of fayette and other settlements fifteen miles to south is salina sevier county to the right on the way thither is a district known as Hog water farther on and about seven miles from salina is the settlement of redmond Bed mond so called from the mounds of red sand in the vicinity the place has grown up within ane past few years and is now in a flour ashing bins condition the town of salina is located near the mouth of the cadion of the same name which is derived from the abundant SALINE DEPOSITS in the mountains there are a number of salt mines in salina canon from which the rock salt is guarri quarried ed and brought downto down to be refined for use the alumn bed in the canon is an immense ledge ledee of almost pure alum but nothing is bei being ng done to place it 0 on the market silver is found luane lutne in ane hills and mines were operated a few years ago but the ore taken out did not noc pay tur lor working under the disadvantages which surrounded the process at that time there are also hills of mica but the mineral on the surface is of poor quality the sheets being cracked and speckled and not more than three or four inches square no effort has been made to discover whether the interior of offer etter better en encouragement oura gement during the indian war of 1865 6 salina was the scene of an occurrence that resulted to the discomfiture of the settlers the hostiles ho stiles had stolen a large number of stock and started u up cop the canon the volunteers under col pace face succeeded in surrounding them so that escape was impossible every dav way out oat was carefully guarded by the white men the indians realized their position and it was as afterward learned were on the point of surrendering derine at this juncture a body of mounted men were discovered coming down the mountain on the west side of the valley the new comers were riding at a rapid rate and were very much scattered this fact caused tham thain to be taken for indians slid abd under this impression col pace face hastily withdrew his men to defend the settlement tue hostiles ho stiles in the bafton at once saw their opportunity and made good their escape taking all the stock with them the supposed indians proved to be a detachment tach ment of volunteers that had been sent from scipio millard county to reinforce col pace and their disregard for military discipline when there appeared no immediate danger caused the grave error to be made what is known as the order ditch is being utilized with advantage by the residents of salina by means of this ditch the water is taken from the canon cafio 11 creek along the base of the hills for nearly five miles and provides irrigating water for several thousand acres of farming land the SALINA WARD MEETING HOUSE is a substantial rock building feet and its erection reflects credit on bichop jensen and his associates the structure is not finished though the work has been prosecuted far enough to ta enable the saints to hold hoki meetings s therein A gallery is to be placed in t the e building the school district also proposes to step to tile the front in the matter of proper accommodations for the children by a vote of the property holders a tax of two per cent has been levied for the purpose of erecting a school house its its dimensions are the main room feet and a wing feet stone is the material which ch is to be used at the head of the canon is gooseberry valley where the jennin Jennins vs rs herdson herds of stockade stoc stock kare are located the next settlement up the river from salina is aurora formerly willow bend the soil there is very fertile pro producing ducin heavy crops farther on toward richfield Kich neld 22 miles from sauna salina is vermillion MILLION N which 1 from its rich red soil 91 is well named the large mountain on the west is mainly of a rich vermillion hue which in the early morning sunlight debens almost to crimson another settlement on the road is glenwood which is beautifully located in a large cove in the mountains the wagon road from salina to richfield formerly wound around among the hills through what is appropriately called the twist but in later years a dugway has been made along the riv rivers erIg bank where large quantities of rock had bad to be moved the soil in the sevier valley is chiefly ot of a reddish color and the formation of the mountains offers a strong contrast with tha th ly districts many of the hills are a remar remarkable kaule combination of red white yellow and bluish sand in various shades some of them are black lava rock and on one near the road over which we have just ast passed is the crater of an extinct volcano occasionally on oft the hills can be seen towers of stone ten or twelve feet high idled up for the use of picket guards in time of indian hostilities but little snow falls in the sevier valley in winter though the mountains are well filled and afford a BOUNTEOUS SUPPLY OF WA WATER T R if the cold is rather severe e r e though now it will not compare with earlier years the weather of the winter of 1849 50 lias has never lance bince been paralleled that season when apostle P P pratt went through with a party of explorers the thermometer registered 23 degrees below zero for several weeks RICHFIELD the county seat of sevier county is situated on the west iside hide of trie valley and contains a population of about aboul 1500 the city is well laid out and presents an attractive appearance the number of inhabitants is steadily st on the increase there is yet vet considerable room for settlers knottier another canal is being taken out of the sevier river 13 miles above tile the city it will be 25 miles long when completed and will open tol to cultivation a very large tract of land the city is if divided into two wards with meeting and schoolhouses the tabernacle is yet unfinished judge geo W bean who for ten years ably filled thu the office of probate ludee judge of sevier county is a resident of rich meld his history while acting under the government among the in many thrill irig incidents early in his career he had one arm shot off by b the th premature discharge of a cannon during aring the indian troubles at Pro voin 1850 in the nei neighborhood of richfield are located tae towns of elsinore joseph monroe and others from these eson our journey toward the county seat we met numbers of vehicles loaded with people on their way to fish lake to attend the Y M M 1 A conference of sevier stake on july and and where we will also proceed today to day A |