LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

They might go and dwell where they pleased but should not dwell with us. He also said, no man should buy any land who came here; that he had none to sell; but every man should have his land measured out to him for city and farming purposes. He might till it as he pleased, but he must be industrious, and take care of it.

      "On Monday ten men were chosen for an exploring expedition. I took President Young into my carriage, and, traveling two miles towards the mountain, made choice of a spot for our garden.

      "We then returned to camp, and went north about five miles, and we all went on to the top of a high peak, on the edge of the mountain, which we considered a good place to raise an ensign. So we named it 'Ensign Peak.'

      "I was the first person to ascend this hill, which we had thus named. Brother Young was very weary, in climbing to the peak, from his recent fever.

      "We descended to the valley, and started north to the Hot Sulphur Springs, but we returned two miles to get a drink of cold water, and then went back four miles to the Springs. We returned to the camp quite weary with our day's explorations. Brothers Mathews and Brown had crossed the valley in the narrowest part, opposite the camp, to the west mountain, and found it about fifteen miles.

      "Next day Amasa Lyman came into camp and informed us that Captain Brown's detachment of the Mormon Battalion would be with us in about two days.

      "We again started on our exploring expedition. All the members of the quorum of the Twelve belonging to the pioneers, eight in number, were of the company. Six others of the brethren, including Brannan of San Francisco, were with us.

      "We started for the purpose of visiting the Great Salt Lake, and mountains on the west of the valley. We traveled two miles west from Temple Block and came to the outlet of the Utah Lake; thence fourteen miles to the west mountain and found that the land was not so fertile as on the east side.

      "We took our dinner at the fresh water pool, and then rode six miles to a large rock, on the shore of the Salt Lake, which we named Black Rock, where we all halted and bathed in the salt water. No person could sink in it but would roll and float on the surface like a dry log. We concluded that the Salt Lake was one of the wonders of the world.

      "After spending an hour here, we went west along the lake shore, and then returned ten miles to our place of nooning, making forty miles that day.

      "In the morning we arose refreshed by sleep in the open air. Having lost my carriage whip the night before, I started on horseback to go after it. As I approached the spot where it was dropped, I saw about twenty Indians. At first they looked to me in the distance like a lot of bears coming towards me. As I was unarmed I wheeled my horse and started back on a slow trot.

      "But they called to me, and one, mounting his horse, came after me with all speed. When he got within twenty rods I stopped and met him. The rest followed. They were Utes and wanted to trade. I told them by signs that our camp was near, so he went on with me to the camp. From what we had yet seen of the Utes they appeared friendly, though they had a bad name from the mountaineers. The Indian wanted to smoke the pipe of peace with us, but we soon started on and he waited for his company.

      "We traveled ten miles south under the mountain. The land laid beautifully, but there was no water, and the soil was not so good as on the east. We saw about a hundred goats, sheep and antelope playing about the hills and valleys. We returned, weary, to the pioneer encampment, making thirty miles for the day.

      ''After our return to the camp, President Young called a council of the quorum of the Twelve. There were present: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards, Orson Pratt, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Amasa Lyman and Ezra T. Benson.

      "We walked from the north camp to about the center between the two creeks, when President Young waved his hand and said: 'Here is the forty acres for the Temple. The city can be laid out perfectly square, north and south, east and west.' It was then moved and carried that the Temple lot contain forty acres on the ground where we stood. It was also moved and carried that the city be laid out into lots of ten rods by twenty each, exclusive of the streets, and into blocks of eight lots, being ten acres in each block, and one and a quarter in each lot.

      "It was further moved and carried that each street be laid out eight rods wide, and that there be a side-walk on each side, twenty feet wide, and that each house be built in the center of the lot twenty feet from the front, that there might be uniformity throughout the city.

      "It was also moved that there be four public squares of ten acres each, to be laid out in various parts of the city for public grounds.

      "At eight o'clock the whole camp came together on the Temple ground and passed the votes unanimously, and, when the business part of the meeting was closed, President Young arose and addressed the assembly upon a variety of subjects.

      "In his remarks the President said that he was determined to have all things in order, and righteousness should be practiced in the land. We had come here according to the direction and counsel of Brother Joseph, before his death; and, said the President, Joseph would still have been alive if the Twelve had been in Nauvoo when he re-crossed the river from Montrose.

      " During his remarks, President Young observed that he intended to have every hole and corner from the Bay of San Francisco to Hudson Bay known to us.

      "On the 29th, President Young, with a number of brethren, mounted and started to meet the Battalion detachment, under the command of Captain Brown.

      "We met some of them about four miles from camp, and soon afterwards met Captains Brown and Higgins, Lieutenant Willis, and the company. There were 140 of the Battalion, and a company of about 100 of the Mississippi Saints, who came with them from Pueblo. They had with them 60 wagons, 100 horses and mules, and 300 head of cattle, which greatly added to our strength.

      "While we were in the canyon, a water cloud burst, which sent the water into the creeks from the mountains, with a rush and roar like thunder, resembling the opening of a flood gate. The shower spread over a good share of the valley where we settled.

      "We returned at the head of the companies and marched into camp with music. The Battalion took up their quarters between our two camps on the bank of the creek.

      "While we had been exploring, the rest of the pioneers had been farming.

      "By the 1st of August (Sunday) the brethren constructed the Bowery on Temple block, in which Heber C. Kimball was the first to preach. Orson Pratt followed in a discourse upon the prophecies of Isaiah, proving that the location of Zion in the mountains by our people was the fulfillment.

      "On Monday we commenced laying out the city, beginning with the Temple block. In forming this block, forty acres appeared so large, that a council was held to determine whether or not it would be wisdom to reduce it one-half. Not being decided in our views, we held council again, two days later, when we gave as our matured opinions that we could not do justice to forty acres; that ten acres would be sufficient.

      "As we were under the necessity of returning soon to Winter Quarters for the Saints, it was thought best to go at once to the mountains for logs to build ourselves cabins, as the adobe houses might not be ready for our use.

      "On the 6th of August, the Twelve were re-baptized. This we considered a privilege and a duty. As we had come in a glorious valley to locate and build up Zion, we felt like renewing our covenants before the Lord and each other.

      We soon repaired to the water, and President Young went down into the water and baptized all his brethren of the Twelve present. He then confirmed us, and sealed upon us our apostleship, and all the keys, powers and blessings belonging to that office. Brother Heber C. Kimball baptized and confirmed President Brigham Young. The following were the names and order of those present: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, Willard Richards, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, and Amasa Lyman. Ezra T. Benson had been dispatched several days before to meet the companies on the road.

      "In the afternoon of the next day, the Twelve went to the Temple Block to select their inheritances.

      "President Young took a block east of the Temple, and running

Скачать книгу