DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 



237 



wonderful mine in the world. This is the Bingham mine, in Bingham 

 Canyon, a description of which is given on pages 255-259. 



North of Riverton the plain upon which Salt Lake City is built 

 stretches to the foot of the terrace at the base of Ensign Peak and 

 eastward to the foot of the mountains. Everywhere in this wonder- 

 ful valley there are now fine farms, with trees, and in places there 

 are manufacturing plants of different kinds. To-day it is a land 

 of plenty, but it was not so on that memorable 24:th of July, 1847, 

 when Brigham Young and his band of faithful followers first looked 

 out over this same valley from the mouth of Emigration Canyon.*^ 



" The early history of Utah is a his- 

 tory of the Mormon Church and people, 

 their endeavor to find a home where 

 they would be at liberty to establish 

 their church and social customs with- 

 out interference and persecution, and 

 the resolute courage of their leading 

 men, who faced the hardships of 

 mountain and desert that they might 

 carry out what was to them the will 

 of God. The tale is fascinating and 

 should be read by all who wish to 

 know something of the early struggles 

 of this people and of the great and 

 wealthy State which they have been 

 largely instrumental In producing. 



The story has been simply told by 

 Levi Edgar Young, grandnephew of 

 Brigham Young, and the writer can 

 do no better than to quote his words : 



" The first permanent settlement in 

 Utah was made at Salt Lake City by 

 a band of Mormon pioneers from the 

 State of Illinois. This was on July 

 24, 1847. 



" During the winter of 1845-46 the 

 Mormons were making extensive prep- 

 arations to leave the city of Nauvoo, 

 in the State of Illinois, and to make 

 homes somewhere in the Far West. 

 Their leader [Joseph Smith] had been 

 killed, their property ruined by people 

 not of their religious faith, and, con- 

 vinced that they could not make a 

 home in Illinois, they had but one re- 

 course — they could move to lands far- 

 ther west. * * * The Mormons 

 collected all the wheat, corn, bacon, 

 and potatoes that they could and ex- 

 changed their land for cattle, horses, 



and w^agons. On February 10, 1846, 

 the first team crossed the Mississippi, 

 and in a few weeks Nauroo was de- 

 serted. 



" The Mormons slowly wended their 

 way across the Territory of Iowa and 

 established winter quarters on the 

 banks of the Missouri nearly oppo- 

 site Council Bluffs. Here they so- 

 journed during the winter of 1846— i7. 

 They built 700 log cabins and 150 dug- 

 outs. * * * At Winterquarters and 

 Kanesville, the two chief camps on 

 the Missouri, about 12,000 people were 

 gathered during the winter. Many 

 died of cold and hunger, for the season 

 was severe. * * * 



" The first company of pioneers 

 under Brigham Young left winter 

 quarters in April, 1847. There were 

 143 men, 3 women, and 2 children. 

 They struck off due west and upon 

 reaching the Platte River continued 

 along its north bank. * * ♦ The 

 company was well organized. Every 

 morning at 5 the bugle sounded to 

 awaken the camp. All assembled 

 for prayers, then took breakfast, 

 and the second bugle was sounded 

 when the company began to march. 

 * * * In June they reached the 

 Black Hills and Fort Laramie. From 

 here they followed the Oregon trail 

 through South Pass to Fort Bridger. 

 There they were given some idea of 

 the kind of country in the vicinity of 

 the Great Salt Lake, but as to the 

 fertility of the soil everj'one was 

 doubtful. From Fort Bridger the 

 party went through Echo and Emigra- 



