History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

CHAPTER XI.
IN THE VALLEY OF THE GREAT SALT T.AKTC.
1848.
Food and Raiment—Houses—Home Manufactubes—The Fort—Wild
Beasts—Cannon from Sutter's Fort—Indian Children for Sale—
Measles—Population—Mills and Farming Machinery—The Plague
of Crickets—They are Destroyed by Gulls—Scarcity of Provisions
—The Harvest Feast—Immigration—Five Thousand Saints Gathered
in the Valley—Fencing and Farming—Distribution of Lots—
Organization of County Government—Association for the Extermination
of Wild Beasts.
At the opening of January 1848, the saints were
housed, clad, and fed in moderate comfort, and general
content prevailed. 1 The season was exceptionally
mild; there were occasional light falls of snow, but
not enough to interfere with ploughing and sowing, 2
and a large tract of land was partially enclosed and
planted with wheat and vegetables.
So many people were now in the valley that notwithstanding
the abundant crops food at length became
scarce. Families weighed out their flour and
allowed themselves so much a day. The wheat was
ground at a mill on City Creek, but as there was no
bolting-cloth, the shorts and bran could not be sepa-
rated. The beef was very poor, 3 as most of the cattle
1 Parley P. Pratt says: • Here life was as sweet as the holidays, as merry
as in the Christian palaces and mansions of those who had driven us to the
mountains.
'
2 ' It was a strange sight to see sometimes furrows on one side and snow
on the other. In Feb. men worked out of doors in their shirt sleeves. ' Home's
Migrations, MS., 24.
3 ' It was so tough that Brother Taylor suggested we must grease the saw
to make it work.' Home's Migrations, MS., 26.
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