REPORT SIR: The great interest which has been manifested by Congress and Utah Territory has a maximum length of 325 miles by a breadth of 300. Its land area is 84.970 square miles (52,601,600 acres); water area, 2,780 square miles (1,779,200 acres). Nearly 13,000,000 acres of land have been or are now in progress of survey. Up to July 1, 1887, nearly 4,500,000 acres had been disposed of by the Government. Valuation of property assessed in the several counties of the Territory of Utah; also the * Estimated. In Summit County the estimate was made upon information received from a member of the county court; in Sevier and San Juan Counties, upon information received from reliable The non-Mormons own within a fraction of 25.61 per cent.; the Mormons own 60.07 per cent., assuming that all the remaining property, excepting railroads, etc., belongs to them. This, however, is not the fact, as there is a considerable amount of property belonging to nonMormons in the different counties which could not be identified as to ownership. The railroads, etc., represent within a fraction of 14.32 per cent. They are owned by non-Mormons, except a minority interest in the Utah Central and one other small road. POPULATION. The first census of the Territory of Utah, taken in 1850, showed the population to be 11,380; the census of 1860, 40,273; of 1870, 86,786; and the latest, that of 1880, 143,963. The gain from 1850 to 1860 was 28,893, or 250 per cent.; from 1860 to 1870, 46,513, 110 per cent., or 1,150 for every 1,000 of population; from 1870 to 1880, 66 per cent., or 660 for every 1,000. The total gain from 1870 to 1880 was 23 per cent. greater than the total increase from 1860 to 1870. If the same relative gain has continued from. 1880 to 1887, the increase would be 22 per cent. greater than from 1870 to 1880, and 43 per cent. greater than from 1860 to 1870, or a population in 1887 of 210,478. We estimate, however, the population at 200,000. The prosperity of the past seven years has been equal to that of any former period in the history of the Territory. The leading cities and towns and many of the smaller communities show a steady and gratifying growth. In the more remote counties the settlements have been gradually creeping to places formerly the habitat of wild animals and the hunting-ground of the Indian, supposed to be too desolate for habitation. Emery county, which had but 2 organized precincts in 1880, has 12 in 1887; Piute county, 4 in 1850, has 11 in 1887, etc. There is every reason to claim that the same relative gain has been maintained, and that Utah now has a population of at least 200,000. This population is divided into two elements, Mormon and non-Mormon. THE MORMON ELEMENT. The Mormon element consists of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. On April 1, 1887, the total Morman population in the Territories of Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, and New Mexico, and the States of Nevada and Colorado, was 162,383, officially classed and ranked as follows: Three first presidents, 11 apostles, 65 patriarchs, 6,444 seventies, 3,723 high priests, 12,441 elders, 2,423 priests, 2,497 teachers, 6,854 dea cons, and 81,283 members; total officers and members, 115,699. Children under eight years of age, 46,684. Grand total of souls, 162,383. In the Territory of Utah the total number of officers and members and children under eight years of age was 132,297. (Children are baptized at the age of eight and received as members.) The first Mormon settlement in the great inter-mountain basin was made at Salt Lake City, July 24, 1847. From thence the settlements have gradually extended along the base of the mountains wherever water could be found to irrigate the soil, until now they reach from as far north as the shores of the Bear Lake, Idaho, to the banks of the Gila, Arizona, on the south, and from the western part of Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico, to southeastern Nevada. These settle ments, with but few exceptions, have been made in the agricultural belt. At first the settlers experienced many of the hardships incident to pioneer life, but they met them cheerfully, and were delighted with the prospect before them. They had come to "a glorious valley to locate and build up Zion," and, as they believed, where they could practice undis. turbed by human laws the peculiar teachings of their religious faith. They found a fertile soil, formed by denudations from the mountains, which has always, from the day it was first disturbed by the plow-share, been profusely bountiful in its yield, and the declivities of the mountains covered with bunch grass (wild wheat), which furnished rich pas turage to their cattle. They also found a climate not surpassed by that of any portion of the country, where the rays of the summer sun are tempered by the cool breezes from the cañons, and the severity of the winter is softened by the mountains which shelter the valleys. These beautiful valleys are now dotted with thriving settlements, and have the appearance of a vast garden watered from an infinite number of irrigating canals, the result of the industry of the people. These settlements have been organized into bishop's wards, and these wards into stakes of Zion. The boundaries of the wards are mainly co-extensive with the precinct lines, and the boundaries of the stakes with the county lines. There are in Utah 293 wards, in Idaho 52, in Arizona 28, in Nevada 6, in Colorado 4, in Wyoming 3, and in New Mexico 2, a total of 388. There are in Utah 18 stakes, in Arizona 3, in Idaho 2, in Colorado 1, and 6 partly in Utah and some one of the surrounding States and Territories. The wards are presided over by a bishop and two counselors, and a corps of officers, priests, teachers, and deacons, who look after the different districts into which the wards are divided. The stakes are presided over by a president and two counselors, with a similar corps of officers to assist them. The entire church is presided over by either a first presidency or an apostle's quorum. Three times in the history of the church a first presidency has been organized; the last consisting of John Taylor, with George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith as his counselors. The death of John Taylor has dissolved the first presidency, and the government of the church now rests upon the quorum of the twelve apostles, of which Wilford Woodruff, an aged and energetic man, is president. He is now the virtual head of the church, which will continue to be governed by the apostles, it is presumed, until another revelation is received reviving the first presidency. The wards report to the stakes, the stakes to the head of the church. There are, however, other officers and organizations of importance in the church. There are seven first presidents of the seventies. The seventies are local organizations, consisting of a quorum of seventy elders; each of these organizations is governed by seven presidents, and each of the seven presidents by a president. There is a presiding bishop of the church whose most important duty seems to be the collection of the tithes (he has agents, one in each of the stakes), and a head patriarch who blesses the people by the laying on of hands. There is also a high council in each of the stakes whose work is done in secret. In each of the ward districts the quorum of teachers are directed to visit each family periodically and look after their spiritual welfare. Each ward has a meeting-house, young men's mutual improvement society, primary association for young children, and a relief society. The various organizations report semi-annually, and there is kept at the church office in Salt Lake City a complete statistical history of the church. The number of members, marriages, births, deaths, baptisms, excommunications, &c., are set forth in detail. The Mormons believe in the Bible (Old and New Testament), the Book of Mormon, and the revelations claimed to have been made to the prophets of the church. These revelations relate to various subjects, from the apportionment of town property down to the naming of church officers and affairs connected with the church government. One of the revelations known as the "Word of wisdom" counsels the people not to use strong drinks, tobacco, and hot drinks (tea and coffee). The revelation commanding polygamy was said to have been received from the Lord by Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, July 12, 1843. Its binding force upon the Mormon people, believing as they do in their church and its teachings, will be understood from the following extract: For behold, I reveal unto you a new and everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant then are ye damned, for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter my glory. In the church government obedience is exacted from every member. In removing from one ward to another they must secure a recommendation from their bishop, which certifies to their standing in the church. Persons desiring to be married, or to enter into polygamy, must also secure a recommendation from the bishop of their ward. Every member must hold himself ready, irrespective of personal considerations, to leave his home to go as a missionary to other lands, and he must also be ready to remove his family and effects to such place as the heads of the church may direct him to go. The Mormon settlements in Arizona and other places outside of Utah were made in obedience to such a command. At the Utah stake conference, held February 27, 1881, the names of twenty-nine heads of families were announced as missionaries for permanent settlement at Saint John's, Ariz. In a few weeks these families were on their way to make a new home in a strange place. At other conferences held in Southern stakes, at different times, many families were also sent as missionaries to Arizona. The Mormon church teaches its members not to enter the Territorial courts to settle their difficulties. It has provided a system of courts within the church. First, there is a ward court known or designated as a "bishop's court," consisting of the bishop and his two counselors. They are empowered to try all minor cases arising among the people, both of a temporal and spiritual nature, and to sit in judgment upon trangressors. For a long period they assumed jurisdiction of questions of marital separation and divorce; but we are not advised as to whether this jurisdiction is still exercised. From this court an appeal lies to the "stake court," consisting of the president of the stake and his two counselors. This court has also original jurisdiction. The court of last resort, possessing appellate, original, and exclusive jurisdiction, is the first presidency, or the apostles' quorum, as the case may be. mandate of this court must be accepted and obeyed, under penalty of excommunication, which means a denial of all the benefits of the church, social ostracism, and a withdrawal of the patronage and support of the Mormon people. The The payment of tithing and other donations for the support of the church is vigorously urged as a religious duty. At a church conference President John Taylor said: You want to pay your tithing honestly and squarely, or you will find yourselves outside the pale of the church of the living God. |