106 SADDLE AND CAMP 



But religion passes through its periods of evo- 

 lution. The younger generation of Mormons 

 has risen above the fanaticism that swayed their 

 elders. They are good Americans, with as high 

 a sense of morality as one finds in other Chris- 

 tian denominations. They contemplate with 

 regret and horror the Mountain Meadows mas- 

 sacre and the many other bloody deeds of those 

 pioneer days and denounce unreservedly the 

 perpetrators of them. 



A few years ago the government purchased 

 Tuba from the Mormon church for a consid- 

 eration, I was informed, of forty thousand dol- 

 lars, and erected the present magnificent 

 school buildings of red sandstone. 



The firm of Babbit & Preston, who have a 

 concession to trade here with the Indians, 

 maintain a large store in a circular stone build- 

 ing. Mr. Preston of the firm lives on the prem- 

 ises and manages the business personally. 

 Many Indians were lounging about when we 

 drew up before the door and were welcomed by 

 Mr. Preston and a young man named Fleming, 

 his clerk and chief assistant. Mr. Preston is 

 an old-time frontiersman and Indian trader 

 and, like all men who have lived long on the 

 frontier and in seclusion, exceedingly hospit- 

 able. He opened his stables for our horses and 



